“It's really very simple.  Kamehameha has been amazing for me and giving back is now my responsibility.  Hawaiian culture was so successful because everyone worked together and helped each other out.  It was never about only taking what you could to get ahead, but about ensuring that everyone moved forward together.”

“I was happy to hear that our classmates took the initiative to start a class scholarship and I was pleasantly surprised that the scholarships would be going to non-KS students. I have really been blessed to be financially supported throughout high school and college by Kamehameha. Now it is my chance to extend the reach of Kamehameha and Pauahi to other students who attended public schools. And it is OUR chance now as the youngest class to set up our scholarship and through our concerted efforts, donations, and expressions of gratitude give back to the broader Hawaiian community after we have received so much.”

"As the third generation in my family to graduate from KS, being a Kamehameha Schools Warrior was always something I wore with pride, yet humility.  The beautiful view outside our classroom windows, the ‘ono ‛Akahi lunches, Song Contest sweeps, and the athletic facilities were some of the gifts I enjoyed most.  I feel fortunate to have gone away to college and to have been afforded so many valuable opportunities and experiences that otherwise might not have been realized.  Now a KS employee, I feel even more blessed and responsible to ensure Pauahi’s legacy lives on in perpetuity.  Contributing to our class scholarship is the least I can do to give back to a woman who has given so much to me."

Following Kamehameha, Kirra went on to graduate from the University of San Diego and currently works in the Community Relations and Communications group for Kamehameha Schools focusing on the Princess’ agricultural and conservation legacy lands.  To give back like Kirra, please donate now at www.ks2001scholarship.org/donate-now.

“What would have my life been without Pauahi and Kamehameha Schools?  It's incredible to realize that out of thousands of Native Hawaiian children, I was one of the lucky few to have been able to walk away from the Kapalama Campus with an education and further opportunities that would propel me for the rest of the my life.  Found mostly on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, Hawaiians struggle to give their children the level of educational experience that can be found at a private, college prep institution, further limiting the chance of earning a post-high degree.  What would my life been without Kamehameha? I'm grateful I'll never have to know.  But even for those that won't be able to say they graduated from KS, I'm proud to say that our class scholarship will help them to defy the odds and to attain just as much as I have been able to.  It's an honor to further Pauahi's legacy of serving the Native Hawaiian community, especially when I can say that I wouldn't know where I'd be without her.”