This story was originally posted on Dec. 17 on UH News.
While a senior at Baldwin High School on Maui, Sally Citrawireja knew she wanted to pursue a college degree that matched her interests: travel and business. Her college counselor introduced her to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Hoʻoilina Scholarship. Citrawireja was accepted into the TIM School, earned the scholarship and is now thriving.
Sally Citrawireja, left, was a student speaker at the 2024 Shidler College of Business Scholarship Luncheon. (Photo credit: Scott Nishi/UH Foundation).
Citrawireja said the scholarship has greatly relieved the burden of paying for college and has allowed her to start pursuing her dream of returning to the Valley Isle and working in hotel management. She plans to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree through the accelerated 4+1 pathway, a five-year program designed for students at the Shidler College of Business who want to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree.
“If I wasn’t in the TIM School or received the Hoʻoilina Scholarship, I wouldn’t have been introduced to the 4+1 program,” Citrawireja said. “The scholarship has allowed my family and I to not worry about my education as I am now able to focus on my future, get involved with clubs and take on extra curricular activities.”
Government partnership boosts education opportunities
For the 2025 school year, the Hawaiʻi Tourism Hoʻoilina Scholarship will be awarded to five Hawaiʻi public high school graduates (one from each county) who enroll at UH Mānoa and declare a major in TIM. The funding, for four years (up to $12K per year), pays for tuition-related fees.
The scholarship was started in 2019 and is provided through a partnership among the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA), Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association and the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business School of Travel Industry Management, with funding provided by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.
“The Hoʻoilina scholarship is an amazing opportunity for Hawaiʻi public high school graduates and Hawaiʻiresidents,” said Shidler College of Business Dean Vance Roley. “It demonstrates the commitment of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to support and fund the education of our local students, greatly reducing or eliminating their college debts. This allows our students to focus more on their studies and empowers them to become leaders in the Hawaiʻi visitor industry when they graduate, keeping our local students at home.”
“Cultivating the next generation of Hawaiʻi’s diverse professionals is a key component of HTA’s commitment to championing workforce development throughout the state,” said Daniel Nahoʻopiʻi, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “We are proud to continue supporting local students and graduates as the Hoʻoilina Scholarship embodies a legacy of excellence, providing vital pathways for kamaʻāina to remain here at home and transition from education to rewarding careers powered by our visitor industry.”
“The visitor industry has made workforce development a top priority, recognizing that investing in our youth is key to our future,” said Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO, Hawaiʻi Lodging & Tourism Association. “The Hoʻoilina Scholarship exemplifies this commitment by providing students with opportunities that prepare them to become tomorrow’s leaders in tourism. Through this initiative, we are not only supporting their education but also fostering a pipeline of talent that will sustain and enhance our industry for years to come.”
Recent grad’s success in industry
Sarah Lorenzo, a 2019 graduate of Kaiser High School, was among the first cohort of awardees. Before she even graduated with her TIM degree in 2023, Lorenzo worked at the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach as part of her internship requirement for the scholarship. After graduating, Lorenzo continued her work in guest services and is now working on the hotel’s front desk staff.
Sarah Lorenzo.
“A big part of the scholarship for me, it really just motivated me to want to do good in the industry,” Lorenzo said. “Yes, it provided me with a lot of opportunities and skills to get my name out there and network with people. But it was also about the people behind you. It’s very motivating and it makes you want to do good in the industry and want to become a leader. They want to see you succeed.”
The application deadline closes on March 1, 2025. More information can be found here.
