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

 

Owali Moeai is a 2021 Paubox Kahikina Scholarship recipient and a Hana High & Elementary School graduate. He is now a senior at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, studying toward a degree in computer science. Here is a word from Owali:

"What's up, guys? Welcome back to my college life update for 2026. For those of you who don't know, my name is Owali. I'm from the island of Maui, and I'm a senior here at Brigham Young University–Hawaii studying computer science. So, yes, I'm a senior now.

A quick update on life: I'm currently in the spring semester, and tomorrow I have a final at 7:00 a.m. for calculus. Calculus has been such a journey. Not a fun journey, but I've learned so much, not just the content but skills I can apply to my life. I've learned how to manage my time more wisely, and I've learned even more diligence trying to keep up with the work. I've also never taken pre-calc or trigonometry, so it's been fun trying to compress three classes of information into a short nine-week spring semester. Last semester I took computer organization and discrete mathematics II. Computer organization was really fun. We learned how to build a simple computer, starting from just binary, ones and zeros, and putting everything together. Discrete mathematics II was not as fun, but I still learned a lot.

I also wanted to talk about my future plans. Previously, I mentioned that I wanted to get into cybersecurity or software development, but now I want to get into education. Both my parents are educators, and they've been an influence on my life and on who I am today. The more I go along this college journey, the more I realize what I want to do and what I see myself doing in the future. Education is so important, and I feel like it's such a good way to give back to my community. At the same time, I get to continue to learn and grow. I could see myself teaching computer science, math, science, or whatever they want me to teach, to high schoolers, middle schoolers, and even elementary students. After I get my bachelor's in computer science, I want to get a master's in education.

I can think more about my future and the things that really matter because I don't have to be so stressed or focused on other things, for example, finances. Life is hard. I'm a working student paying for myself. But I'm so grateful for the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship and the opportunity they've given me to focus more on those things that really matter and have a clearer vision of what I want to do.

I can't express my gratitude enough. They've been supporting me ever since I was a freshman. Every single year, they continue to support me. Even when I went on my mission for two years to the Philippines, they continued to support me and check up on me. And it's not just financial. They give me opportunities to network and to meet more people. There's an event I have to RSVP for sometime in July, a networking event, so I'm excited for that. They give me opportunities to do things like that, which I didn't realize were so important when I was a freshman or sophomore just getting into college.

So thank you so much to the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship. For those of you who are seniors or juniors in high school, please apply for this scholarship. It goes such a long way, and they are so supportive of your whole journey. You're not just a number to them. They really do care about you. If you're a Native Hawaiian in STEM, please apply for this scholarship. I'm so grateful for all the things they've blessed me with. I think that's it, guys. Thank you for watching. See you next year."

Watch: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship Recipient Reflection | Owali Moeai

Read also: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship Recipient Owali Moeai: 2025 update