HONOLULU (AP) — College was the furthest thing from Keith Nove Baniqued's mind after her family's home burned down in a deadly wildfire that decimated her
Lahainaluna High School 2024 graduate Talan Toshikiyo, center, stands by little sister Taleah Toshikiyo and school college and career counselor Ginny Yasutake as he opens his scholarship announcement in the school's library Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. HONOLULU — College was the furthest thing from Keith Nove Baniqued’s mind after her family’s home burned down in a deadly wildfire that decimated her Hawaii town.
Her school survived the blaze, but was closed for two months. The reopening restored a small sense of normalcy and reignited her dream to attend college beyond Hawaii’s shores. She also realized a college degree would put her in a better position to help her family’s long-term recovery. “A lifechanging opportunity like this can be beneficial to any Hawaii high school graduate, and even more so for Lahainaluna graduates and all they’ve gone through,” said Keith Amemiya, president of athletic club, which has been spearheading a fundraising campaign to support the Lahainaluna student-athletes and coaches whose homes were destroyed by the fire.
With help from the Hawaii Community Foundation, they found funding to help even students who weren’t athletes. Both organizations are committed to finding a way to provide the scholarships beyond freshman year of out-of-state college and also to underclassmen affected by the fire, Amemiya said.And the Hawaii scholarships provided an opportunity to many who never thought college was even possible, he said.
“But for my final high school season, I worked harder than ever to recruit enough swimmers to hold team practice at a pool forty-five-minutes away from my hometown,” she wrote. “With my Lahaina cap on, I proudly dove straight into my fears.”
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