College of Education > Project Equal Access > PEA Stipend & Application

2023-2024 Hawkins Scholars

Hawkins' Scholar Overview

Project Equal Access provides funding in support of diverse teacher candidates currently enrolled in special education teacher licensure programs at the College of Education. Candidates were selected given their diverse characteristics and needs, allowing them to receive supplemental funding to cover additional programmatic costs, such as textbooks, technology, travel from neighboring islands to attend face-to-face sessions at UH Mānoa, and to help offset student teaching requirements. Funding is provided to remove barriers and financial hardships for diverse candidates as they work towards licensure and workforce development.

A total of 70 candidates were awarded for SY 23-24, providing a total of $96,600 in funding and candidates representing targeted areas in building a more diverse educator workforce:

  • Locale: (a) 49 on Oahu ($66,150), and (b) 21 on neighboring islands ($30,450)
  • Multilingual: 20% who are multilingual (self-reported “advanced” in two or more languages). Languages represented: English, Tagalog, Ilocano, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Pidgin, American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Ethnicity: 13% Native Hawaiian, 24% Filipino/a/x, 30% Japanese, 7% African American, 24% Chinese, and 47% Caucasian

When asked “Why would receiving this funding be important to you?” recipients shared:

“I would use this grant to help cover the costs of some of my responsibilities, for example, my daughter’s daycare fees. Feeling confident that my daughter’s care is secure will ensure that I can be fully present at my school placement while student teaching.”

“Receiving this grant funding would be important to me because it would help to alleviate some stress in my life. I am balancing work, school, and personal life and my source of income is a constant theme in all of those settings.”

“I would use this grant for rent, food, and basic needs. I would take a couple days off of my restaurant job so that I could study for the classes I am taking at UH and have more time for lesson planning for my students. The extra time to work on school would be extremely helpful and I would also be able to prioritize my own health. “

February 2024 Scholars

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Asian female with light skin and shoulder length hair

Allie Hei BEd ECE/SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"As a future special education teacher, I aspire to create an environment where these children can thrive, feel accepted, and develop a love for learning."
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Female of mixed race with long dark hair wearing a green shirt

Angelina Kam BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"I strongly want to become a teacher to provide our students with the proper education they deserve in addition to bringing together the community and the parents to involve them in their child’s learning."
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Japanese male with medium length black hair wearing a black hoodie

Ty Yamamoto BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"Both students and adults thrive in different circumstances and with other voices."
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Female with light skin and long dark hair

Lisa Bacareza PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"Students learn empathy and are more accepting of others if they have met similar people and have had good experiences with them."
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Caucasian male with medium brown hair wearing a green and white button up shirt

Luke Berry BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"Seeing how many children are in the same situation I was in inspired me to become an educator."
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Caucasian women with green and blue dyed shoulder length hair.

Sarah Totten MEdT Dual Hawkins' Scholar

"I want to continue being a part of and contributing to the strong educational community that helps all students succeed."

March 2024 Scholars

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Filipino female with hair pulled back

Esther Calapini PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"When I saw the gains (big and little gains) the students made in the time we had with them, it made me realize that when given the opportunity, students with learning disabilities can do anything especially when they have the support they need and a team of adults that believe in their potential."
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Female of mixed latino and white race with long brown hair

Tanya Clayton BEd ECE/SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I chose to become a teacher because I want to make a difference for students and their families."
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Caucasian female with long red hair

Mary Miller BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"A universal fact of us humans, is that we feel more emboldened to reach higher, and dream bigger, when we feel like the people around us believe in, and understand, us in a personal way."
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Hispanic female with long dark hair

Paula Sias BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"Incorporating diversity among teachers is equally essential, providing students with role models who reflect a broad range of backgrounds and cultures within the school environment."
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Male of mixed Asian race wearing a red and black aloha shirt

Jaron Sugimoto MEdT Dual Hawkins' Scholar

"I feel that it is important to have diversity in the classroom because it keeps a level of balance in terms of things such as ideas, biases, questions, voices, and so much more."
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Female of mixed race with long highlighted hair

Tavia Hale BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"I want to have the toolkit to be able to support any student who come into my classroom."

April 2024 Scholars

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Kaitlan Brauer BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"After substituting in different classrooms, I left each day feeling inspired and that my job mattered. I wanted to do more. I started looking into options to go back to school so I could be a certified teacher and spend time in one classroom."
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Nikolas Varney BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"Diverse teachers have diverse perspectives, which helps to establish an inclusive classroom that reflects a respect for all cultures, perspectives, ideas, etc. throughout the curriculum, as well as helps students view the world from a multicultural perspective."
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Athena Nguyen BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"I feel it is important to have diversity in the classroom because diversity exists outside the classroom. Not acknowledging diversity would be like not addressing the differences between people."
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Joseph Awong Jr. PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I aim to create a nurturing but challenging classroom environment where students can build confidence, discover their talents, and reach their academic potential."
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Jessica Carrasco PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"When students see teachers who come from a similar background to them, they begin to believe that they have the possibility to go on to achieve what they want to achieve as well."
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Tracy Kobashigawa PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I believe everyone has a strength and talent to offer, and everyone can learn and benefit from one another- students as well as teachers."

May 2024 Scholars

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Kirsten Kainoa BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"As a special education teacher, I have an opportunity to make an impact on young people during a critical time in their lives by teaching them important life skills and providing guidance that will help shape their future."
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Ashley Badua BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I want to be a role model and be able to influence students to be kind, respectful, and empathetic of others so that when they become adults, they can be good citizens and continue to show kindness, respect, and empathy to others."
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Alexus Pesantemercado BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"I chose to become a licensed special education teacher because I wanted to foster the skills needed to be an inclusive teacher regardless of the setting."
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Makenzie Weathers BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"Teaching is not just a career choice for me; it is a calling driven by a deep sense of compassion and a desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those who need it most."
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Mary Theresa Cabanatan BEd ECE/SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I’ve been inspired by some of my past teachers to become a teacher myself. I wanted to make other children feel how my past teachers made me feel, which is safe, included, valued..."
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Camille Kirk BEd ECE/SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I choose special education because I enjoy being able to support our students who are often misunderstood and need additional support and guidance."

June 2024 Scholars

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Denys Cuellar PBSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"Encouraging students to interact with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds will help reduce stereotypes and promote inclusivity."
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Ariel Medeiros BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"My commitment to becoming an educator is driven by a passion to inspire and empower the next generation, particularly those who, like me, come from underrepresented backgrounds."

July 2024 Scholars

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Elizabeth Kirkendall Post-Bac SPED Hawkin's Scholar

"Diversity in the classroom is important because it allows for a richer educational experience."
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Heather Gardner BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"This scholarship was a blessing so that me and my family didn't have to come up with the money for me to be able to take the class I needed to work towards graduating with my bachelors degree in special education."
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Juliet Bayez-Ballesteros BEd ECE + ECSPED Hawkins' Scholar

"I am a firm believer that diversity in the classroom, both among teachers and students, is critical for establishing a rich and dynamic learning environment."

August 2024 Scholars

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Athena Nguyen BEd ESEE Hawkins' Scholar

"I feel it is important to have diversity in the classroom because diversity exists outside the classroom. Not acknowledging diversity would be like not addressing the differences between people."
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Paige Chang BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"Diversity also allows student’s in the classroom to express themselves and be proud in their own skin."
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Anna Sanchez-Newby Post-Bac SPED Hawkin's Scholar

"Teaching offers me an opportunity to learn from children and keep that spark..."

September 2024 Scholars

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Ariel Medeiros BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"My commitment to becoming an educator is driven by a passion to inspire and empower the next generation, particularly those who, like me, come from underrepresented backgrounds."
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Elia Rivera BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"It's so important to have diversity in the classroom because it's a great way for students and teachers to become well-rounded and learn from each other."
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Kanoeanuhea Onaha BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"This scholarship allows me to attend school and meet my needs without feeling overwhelmed..."

October 2024 Scholars

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Kirsten Kainoa BEd SPED Hawkins' Scholar

"As a special education teacher, I have an opportunity to make an impact on young people during a critical time in their lives by teaching them important life skills and providing guidance that will help shape their future."
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Yuen Ching Pang BEd ESEE Hawkin's Scholar

"This generosity truly made a profound impact on my educational journey, and I am incredibly thankful for this support."
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Cheryl McKee BEd SPED Hawkin's Scholar

"Spring 2024 Project Equal Access helped me pay for my the rest of my tuition and books."