Hawai'i Keiki Museum Offers $10,000 Scholarship to Big Island Seniors

Nine days remain for Big Island high school seniors to apply for the $10,000 Arne and Ruth Werchick Scholarship, awarded annually by the Hawai'i Keiki Museum in Waikōloa to a student with a concrete plan to improve life on the island through science, service, or research.

The scholarship, established in 2024, drew dozens of applicants in its first year. The inaugural 2025 winner made the selection committee's choice clear: Kaia Fujinaka, a Waiākea High School graduate from Hilo, submitted an application that stood apart for its originality and empathy. Her senior research project used the mechanics of golf putting to measure athletic performance development, and she paired that academic work with volunteer service alongside kūpuna in Hilo during their physical recovery. Fujinaka plans to major in kinesiology at California Polytechnic State University, where she will continue research in biomechanics, motor control, and rehabilitation science, with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist.

"Both Kaia's essay and her description of her community service were outstanding," said Dana McLaughlin, founder and executive director of the Hawai'i Keiki Museum. "Her research was not only innovative, but also deeply empathetic, traits that will serve her well in her future as an occupational therapist."

The award comes from Arne and Ruth Werchick, longtime Kailua-Kona philanthropists. Arne Werchick is a practicing attorney and published author whose books include "Civil Jury Selection" (1988) and "The Great Barrier Reef" (1986). The couple also funds the Arne and Ruth Werchick MLIS Scholarship through Friends of the Libraries Kona, a separate award supporting students pursuing library science degrees that reflects a sustained, multi-front investment in education across the island.

The Hawai'i Keiki Museum itself was born from pandemic-era urgency. Co-founders McLaughlin and Jyness Jones opened the first location in Kailua-Kona in 2022, when school closures and lost social interaction pushed families to seek alternatives. The museum's STEAM programming, rooted in science specific to Hawai'i Island, serves children of all ages and abilities, including those from under-resourced communities. The Waikōloa location at Kings' Shops at Waikōloa Beach Resort opened March 14, 2024, and became the museum's primary home after the original Kona location closed under unsustainable rent costs.

The scholarship is open to Big Island seniors demonstrating academic excellence, community involvement, and a clear vision for how their college research will benefit island residents. Applications are due April 14.