Fellows mentioned in this story: Alicia Moy

From University of Hawai‘i News:

For Kamana Kalani, a second-year University of Hawaiʻi Maui College culinary student, the path to becoming a chef and owning his own restaurant was nearly derailed by a serious illness and the devastation of the Lahaina wildfires. After being forced out of work for six months, the financial burden was immense.

“I was putting all my bills on my credit card and it was stressing me out,” Kalani said. “I lost a lot of weight and had a lot of physical issues.”

A scholarship from Hawaiʻi Gas arrived like a lifeline, allowing him to shift his focus from financial survival to his education and recovery.

“It took so much pressure off,” Kalani said. “Instead of worrying about how to pay for school, I could put my energy into learning.”

Continue reading at hawaii.edu.