Hawaii Self Storage is offering 12 scholarships to high school students on the island of Oahu. Students who apply must attend high school near one of Hawaii Self Storage's five locations: Salt Lake, Pearl City, Kaimuki, Mililani, and Kapolei. Students who receive a scholarship will receive $1,000, renewable annually, toward their college education. At most, students may receive $4,000 for college over four years.
Hawaii Self Storage has been offering college scholarships since 2005, when it awarded seven scholarships. The scholarship program was designed to invest in Hawaii's future business leaders.
To qualify for a Hawaii Self Storage scholarship, students must be in their senior year at one of the following public high schools: Aiea, Farrington, Pearl City, Kaimuki, Kalani, Kapolei, Mililani, Moanalua, Radford, Waipahu, McKinley, or Leilehua. Students must also be Hawaii residents and must have been formally accepted by or be enrolled in a recognized degree program at a two-year or a four-year institution of higher education in 2010. Students must be pursuing an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree, and colleges must be accredited. In addition, students must be planning to enroll full time, taking at least 12 credit hours per semester, or the minimum number of credits that is considered to be full-time at the degree program in question.
In order to renew their scholarships each year, students must keep their grades at a 3.0 G.P.A. (on a four-point scale) or higher each year. Students must submit transcripts documenting their grades by July 16.
Last year, Hawaii Self Storage awarded scholarships to Hossana Terrado, Kyra Fong, Terrence Chida, Ken Takahashi, Angele Le, Jaimee Sambrano, Brandon Nicolas, Christina Kawai, Penyu Li, Vinson Diep, Elaine Phan, and Bryson Sevilla.
Scholarship applications are due to Hawaii Self Storage by Feb. 12. Students must submit a scholarship application and an essay. Each student's college counselor will review the application and essay along with staff members from Hawaii Self Storage. The decision to award the scholarship is based on the content and the amount of work that went into the essay. Essays must answer the following questions:
- Why do you deserve the scholarship?
- What goals have you set for yourself and your future?
- How will you use your degree to benefit and serve your community?
- What is the biggest problem in Hawaii and how would you solve it?
Student applicants will be notified of Hawaii Self Storage's decisions by April 16. Once a student wins a scholarship, he or she has until July 16 to provide documentation of enrollment or acceptance at a college or university. Checks will be made out to the college or university, so that they can be applied toward tuition, but will be mailed to each student's home address. All checks will be mailed by August 16.