The UH Mānoa College of Education (COE) has been awarded $75,000 by the James & Abigail Campbell Family Foundation. The Scholarship in Teacher Education assists COE students who are currently or working towards becoming teachers or education leaders on the Wai‘anae Coast. Eligible undergraduate and graduate students may use funds for tuition, books, fees, and other attendance-related costs.
“The James & Abigail Campbell Family Foundation has been a generous supporter of our students and teachers along the Waiʻanae Coast for many years,” said Curriculum Studies Chair Kimo Cashman who serves as co-project director, along with Professor Kuʻulei Serna, for the scholarship fund. “The award helps us to ensure that we have qualified and dedicated homegrown teachers for our communities. Mahalo to the family for their support. Their aloha is very much appreciated.”
Over the past 30 years, the Campbell Family Foundation has enabled the COE to provide funding for more than 200 students at UH Mānoa, totaling more than $1.6 million in teacher education scholarships.
“Kimo and I are honored to work with the Campbell Family to provide tuition support for teachers who either live, work, or aspire to work on the Waiʻanae coast,” said Serna. “The Waiʻanae Coast is often high need but difficult to recruit and retain quality teachers.”
Margarit Lani Alo-Chu, who recently completed her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, was the recipient of the Scholarship in Teacher Education in 2022 and again in 2025. A teacher at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School for almost 30 years, Alo-Chu says that the scholarship allowed her to continue her PhD studies.
“I’m grateful to be surrounded by loving professors, mentors, and financial providers who have been the greatest support in my lifelong student journey,” Alo-Chu said. “The last 30 years with the COE, earning my third and final degree, has been the greatest blessing. Mahalo ke Akua!”
Griffin Bolan, who graduated from the Aloha Kumu National Board MEd program, is also working on his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. He was awarded the Scholarship in Teacher Education in 2021 and 2022. He says without scholarships like this one he may not have been able to pursue graduate school while balancing work and life.
“Living here is expensive, and I feel fortunate to be able to do what I love—work in schools—while still affording the chance to continue my own education,” Bolan said. “I have worked full time in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) while attending UH Mānoa, and the community in the College of Education has been a huge source of support and inspiration. Being surrounded by professors and fellow educators who believe in our children and their potential creates a sense of collective hope that I turn to regularly when things get challenging.”
Bolan is currently serving as the HIDOE Attendance Specialist in the Office of Student Support Services.
“UH professors, like Dr. Cashman, Dr. Chad Miller, and Dr. Benjamin Lukey, not only fundamentally changed how I run a classroom, but also how I work with others,” Bolan continued. “To all the teachers and professors out there, your work creates a ripple effect beyond anything you could ever imagine or measure. Mahalo for your service and unwavering drive to give back to our communities here in Hawaiʻi.”
