STUDENT SUCCESS HPU student receives prestigious Gilman Scholarship Samantha Patanapaiboon, a Biology and Human Health major, is a recipient of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, the award aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries where they go by offering awards to undergraduates who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints. She is studying at Mahidol University in Thailand during the spring 2016 academic term. Patanapaiboon is the sixth HPU recipient in the past two years and is among 800 American undergraduates who were selected from 355 colleges and universities across the U.S.
Student Life restoring paradise With true aloha spirit, Student Life’s Hawai‘i Spotlight Events series invite students to explore their O‘ahu home by learning about environmental and cultural sustainability. This fall semester’s theme was “Mauka to Makai,” which takes students from the mountains to the sea as they lend helping hands to various nonprofits and communities around the island. Activities have included hiking and helping to restore the Mānoa Cliff Trail; getting muddy on a lo‘i (taro patch) with the Māhuahua ‘Ai o Hoi (Regrowing the Fruit of Hoi) project; and breathing new life into the 400-year-old Waikalua Loko I‘a (Hawaiian fishpond). Participants take an active role in the local community as they learn about traditional Hawaiian perspectives on land and water use — and gain a greater understanding of sustainability’s importance today and in the global future. To learn more about Hawai‘i Spotlight Events, visit: hpu.edu/hawaiispotlight
Japan study abroad Kakehashi Project a success
Model UN Club recognized at National Conference
Twenty-three HPU students traveled to Japan on a nine-day all-expenses paid study abroad experience in November. Supported by the Consulate General of Japan based in Honolulu, and established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “to promote intercultural and cultural understanding between the U.S. and Japan,” the “Kakehashi Project” was the first of its kind at HPU and helped create a newfound interest in the international students programs here at HPU.
HPU’s United Nations Club traveled in March 2015 to participate in the National Model United Nations Conference, which involved more than 5,000 students from universities around the world. The thirteen members have been recognized along with the school with the presentation of a “Distinguished Delegate” award. The team which represented the nation of Fiji was thoroughly researched, and were recognized for their abilities to stay in character throughout the proceedings. HAWAI‘I PACIFIC UNIVERSITY I 15