"I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa."

Hometown

Kahului, Maui

Department

Special Education

Maika Hanta of Maui High School (MHS) is the first recipient of the Brian Kajiyama Heart of a Warrior Scholarship, established in 2015 by Jeff Reinebold under the June Jones Foundation. Hanta will graduate this May and plans to pursue a degree in psychology at UH Mānoa.

The scholarship is designed to help students in Hawaiʻi who have overcome great personal challenges to succeed in continuing their post-secondary education. Hanta, who sustained a concussion while playing softball her sophomore year, worked hard amidst new challenges to excel in academics as well as athletics.

Brian Kajiyama, who will mentor Hanta this fall, said, “There were many applicants with wonderful stories, making the selection process difficult. The committee thoroughly enjoyed learning about some very amazing young people in Hawai‘i. Maika fought to shed the label of being the ‘girl with the concussion’ and has shown everyone in her life that she lives with a heart of a warrior.”

Hanta is involved in numerous school and community activities, including the MHS Interact Club, the MHS sports medicine and baseball team as a volunteer, the Pono Service Club, Maui Thing, Second Saturday Art, and youth soccer as a coach. She says she would like to become an art therapist or child psychologist.

“I thank Brian Kajiyama and the scholarship committee for awarding me the Heart of a Warrior Scholarship,” Hanta wrote. “I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.”