BIIF honors four Big Island seniors with scholarships

The BIIF’s annual Roy Fujimoto scholarship again put four Big Island seniors in the spotlight for more than what they did in competition. Lehia Akau, Taliya Nishida, Gabriella Tuson and Shaniah-Lee Ferreira each received $1,500, money that can help with tuition, books and boarding as they head to college.

Now in its 24th year, the KTA Roy Fujimoto Senior Scholarship is sponsored by KTA Super Stores and the BIIF and is named for former BIIF executive director Roy Fujimoto. The award has long recognized graduating seniors who pair athletic performance with academic achievement and community service, a pattern that has held through recent classes including 2025’s Wynter Radey-Morgan, Elias Malapit, Maile Imonen and Francis Dela Cruz.

Akau, a Hawaii Preparatory Academy graduate from Waimea, stood out with a resume that crossed three sports and community work. She earned All-BIIF honors in girls soccer and flag football, served as volleyball team captain and scored three touchdowns in the BIIF Flag Football Division II championship against Honokaa. She was also named the 2025 BIIF Flag Football Defensive Player of the Year. Beyond the field, Akau tied volunteer work and local festivals to the importance of community, and she plans to study nursing at Cumberland University.

Nishida’s path was different but equally strong. The Kamehameha Schools Hawaii graduate grew from a freshman wrestling newcomer into a BIIF champion and a senior leader who helped set the tone in the training room. Her development reflected the scholarship’s emphasis on discipline and leadership, not just results on the mat.

Tuson and Ferreira rounded out the four-person class, with both identified with Waiakea. Their selection underscored the breadth of the BIIF’s scholarship pool, where student-athletes are judged on the full picture of what they bring to school and community.

For Big Island families, the Fujimoto scholarship remains a practical reminder that high school sports can lead to more than trophies and postseason honors. It can also open a path to college aid, leadership opportunities and careers that carry island values forward.