• Jessica Valdez, president of Hilo High School’s Student Association, will head to Washington, D.C., next month for the 55th annual Washington Week. Valdez was selected to represent Hawaii at the annual United States Senate Youth Program.
• Jessica Valdez, president of Hilo High School’s Student Association, will head to Washington, D.C., next month for the 55th annual Washington Week. Valdez was selected to represent Hawaii at the annual United States Senate Youth Program.
Student delegates receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Hearst Foundation and a trip to Washington where they will tour the national monuments and museums and have the opportunity to attend meetings and briefings with legislators, an ambassador to the U.S., a justice of the Supreme Court and other government leaders.
Valdez serves as the chairwoman of the Hawaii State Student Council. She was elected to the position to effect positive change and promote the voice of Hawaii’s public school students.
• Matthew Kiyota of Waimea graduated from Simpson University (Redding, Calif.) with a bachelor’s degree in accounting during ceremonies Jan. 21.
• Gabrielle Gleason, a freshman elementary education major from Paauilo, was named to the Southern Arkansas (Magnolia) University president’s list for the fall 2016 semester. Gleason was among 251 students who earned a 4.0 GPA.
• Aolani Peiper of Waikoloa was selected to be a member of the Real Food Challenge Team at Fort Lewis College’s Environmental Center in Durango, Colo. Peiper’s major is exercise science.