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
As a scholarship recipient, Paul Keahi is completing his second year at the University of Oregon studying Data Science. Here is a word from Paul:
“As I write this, I’m in the middle of studying for my last final of my second year of college. It should be a moment of excitement, with summer just around the corner and new opportunities ahead, but it feels bittersweet. I spent my whole life looking forward to college: moving away from home, making new friends, and having the freedom to chart my path. Now, my time at the University of Oregon feels like it’s flying by faster than I ever imagined. I am already halfway through the best years of my life?
This year was a rollercoaster, both academically and socially. In the fall, I became a Teaching Assistant for the Math department, and faced the very real fear of failing my first college class (which I ended up passing), but I also got to experience the excitement of College Gameday and watch Oregon beat Ohio State. Later in the year, I changed my major from Computer Science to Data Science and, ironically, watched Oregon lose to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. I made meaningful connections through clubs like QuackHacks (our school’s hackathon group) and Duck Corps. In my free time, I volunteered for a nonprofit called Bags of Love, played intramural sports, traveled, worked on personal projects, and even learned how to DJ.
At the start of May, the University of Oregon’s Hui ‘O Hawaii held the 50th annual luau, where I not only danced but also emceed the event. This was a huge deal for me as I have a fear of public speaking, and while I was nervous leading up to it, the energy and community surrounding me pushed me to make it through.
What I’m getting at is, even though it feels like my college experience is flying by, when I take a step back and look at everything I’ve done over the past year, I have no regrets. I took full advantage of the opportunities and resources around me to make this year count. While I can ramble on and on about all of the amazing things that I got to do this year, I need to recognize those who make it possible, and a big part is thanks to Hoala Greevy and the people at Paubox, they have not only provided financial support but also offered tools, mentorship, and connections that have helped me grow into who I’m becoming.
This summer, I’ll be interning abroad in Berlin, Germany, working with Orangerie Neukölln, a restaurant, bar, and event venue, on a data-driven transformation project. My role focuses on modernizing their existing database, integrating multiple data sources, and developing an interactive dashboard for real-time analytics and revenue forecasting. I am super excited to get to apply what I have been learning in a classroom to the real world and provide solutions to Orangerie’s issues. Of course, while I’m there, I plan on taking full advantage of being in Europe, travelling to as many countries and cities as possible.
I look forward to this summer, next year, and the rest of my time during the greatest years of my life. If you would like to stay connected and follow my journey, I will be giving updates through LinkedIn during my time abroad. MAHALO!”
Read: Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship 2025 Update
Kirsten Peremore
