The Paubox Kahikina Scholarship helps Native Hawaiian students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and Tech in general. Its purpose is to offer financial support and create a strong network for these students. The scholarship makes education more affordable and connects students with professionals, giving them valuable opportunities to learn and grow in their chosen STEM or Tech fields. This scholarship is about more than just money; it's about building a community and empowering Native Hawaiian students to succeed in STEM or Tech careers.
See also: The big ideas behind the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship
Scholarship recipient Bryan Pontanilla recently completed his third year at Portland State University, where he decided to switch his major from Architecture to Accounting. Here is a word from Bryan:
"Aloha! ʻO wau ʻo Bryan Nāʻehu Pontanilla. Ke hoʻopau nei au i kaʻu makahiki ʻekolu ma Portland State University. This school year was a very challenging one for me at Portland State. Let me give you some background as to why this was so. Since my sophomore year of high school, I was on the path to becoming an architect. It was my pathway, not by choice at Maui High School, for my first choice was engineering. Because that pathway was full and I did not get in, I got my second choice, architecture. It was something I was nervous about since my whole life as a kid I said, "I am going to be an engineer and attend UH Manoa." But it wasn't in the stars for me and architecture it would be.
My high school architecture instructor, Mr. Sado, was awesome! He taught me so much about design and inspired all of his students to design with purpose which led me to want to design affordable homes for Native Hawaiians after graduating from college. Throughout high school my goal was to gain as much knowledge as I could from Mr. Sado on design and to get into an accredited architecture school which led me to PSU instead of UH Manoa.
But college has a funny way of opening your eyes, not just to subjects and career paths, but to who you are, where you come from, and what really drives you. As a Native Hawaiian student navigating higher education on the continent, I continued to feel the pull of my roots and I still wanted to give back to my community somehow, but I wasn't so sure if architecture would be that path. College architecture was so different from what I did in high school and I really did not make any connections with my professors as I had with Mr. Sado in high school so I kept doubting myself and over time, it was affecting me quite a bit and I had many sleepless nights. But how could I give up on something I had been working on since the age of 15?
By the middle of this school year at PSU, my junior year, I found myself burned out and questioning everything. I realized I didn't love architecture the way I thought I would. I kept asking myself: Do I really see myself doing this for the rest of my life? And scarier still: If not this, then what? So when I went home for winter break, I told my family what was going on.
Admitting this to my family and changing my major this late in the game was terrifying. It felt like admitting failure. I worried about judgment, about wasting time, about starting over. But deep down, I knew I needed to make a change. After a lot of reflection and conversations with my family, I decided to switch my major to accounting.
Yeah, I know, architecture to accounting sounds like a huge leap. But here's the thing, I've always been good at math, thus wanting to be an engineer from an early age. But after doing some research, I found out that it would take me forever to graduate if I switched to engineering. So, I researched even more and found out accounting is considered a STEM major and it would take me only one extra year to graduate. I could still do it at PSU and I had enough credits to minor in architecture, so those credits and hard work I put into design would not be lost! Most importantly, I started to see how accounting could be a powerful tool to help my people. So my new purpose has become financial empowerment for Native Hawaiians.
Growing up, I saw how many Native Hawaiian families, including my own, struggled with money, credit, and understanding taxes and the financial system in general. Buying a home in Hawaiʻi is harder than ever. Financial literacy is something many of us aren't taught, but desperately need. That's where I want to come in. I am now studying accounting with the goal of becoming a CPA. I want to help Native Hawaiian families understand the tax laws, manage their money, build credit, save for the future, and eventually own their future by purchasing a home. I want to break down intimidating financial concepts and give my community the tools and knowledge to thrive.
The terrible Maui wildfires made me even more sure about my new plan. When the fires happened, I first thought, as someone who wanted to be an architect, that I could help by designing homes for those who lost everything. But then I saw how many people, some of them my family and friends, really struggled with money issues, like understanding insurance claims and getting help from FEMA. This showed me how important it is to know about finances when bad things happen. When I get my accounting degree, I want to help people who are rebuilding. I want to make sure they understand the money side of getting back on their feet and help them feel secure about their future. My goal is to use my accounting skills to help people in their everyday lives, but also to be there for my community when they need it most, especially after a disaster like the fires.
What I've learned from all of this is that changing my major as a junior this school year wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I've learned that your path doesn't have to be straight to be right. I've learned that success doesn't mean sticking with a plan that no longer serves you. And I've learned that sometimes, your real purpose finds you when you least expect it.
So if you're a student out there struggling with a big decision especially if you're Native Hawaiian or from a community that doesn't always get represented, just know this: You are not behind. You are not failing. You are finding your way. And maybe, like me, you'll discover that changing directions isn't giving up, it's stepping into who you were really meant to be.
I'm incredibly grateful to the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship for their support throughout my college journey. While I unfortunately missed the Oahu reception last December, as I was dealing with all of this, I'm fully planning on being there this December. I truly regret missing that valuable networking opportunity, but I'm excited to connect this year with confidence that I am now on the right track. Mahalo!"
Read: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship 2025 Updates | Bryan Pontanilla