Garden Island Federal Credit Union expands scholarships to four students

Garden Island Federal Credit Union widened its scholarship program this year, handing out four $1,000 awards instead of the usual three as Kauai families continue to face the cost of sending students to college. The credit union announced the recipients at a luncheon May 26 at Hualani’s at Timbers in Līhue.

The 2026 recipients were Aedyn Umalla, Tyler Valencia, Wyatt Kaui and Alek Yadao. Umalla graduated from Kapaa High School and plans to study Health and Human Sciences at the University of Southern California with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. Valencia walked with Waimea High School’s Class of 2026 and will study biology at Pacific University. Kaui and Yadao both graduated from Kauai High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where Kaui plans to study civil engineering and Yadao will pursue Travel Industry Management with a minor in accounting.

Shea Stisher, GIFCU’s sales and marketing manager, said the scholarship program is in its 15th year and that the applicant pool was strong enough to support an additional student. The increase lifted the total scholarship payout to $4,000 this year, a modest sum in the context of college costs but one that can still help families cover books, fees and other early expenses tied to enrollment.

GIFCU says its scholarships are generally reserved for graduating high school seniors who are members in good standing, are enrolling full time in the fall and agree to have their picture published. Applications are reviewed by a scholarship committee appointed by the chairman of the board, with selection based on financial need, academics, essay quality, activities and community service, and letters of recommendation. The recipients were to be notified in April 2026.

The expansion also marks a step up from 2025, when the credit union’s 14th annual scholarship program awarded three $1,000 scholarships to Clancy Doorish of Waimea High School, Kaylyn Gray of Kauai High School and Tai Sorenson of University Laboratory School. Year over year, the added award suggests demand for help is growing, even as the program remains small compared with the broader funding gap many island students face when they move into higher education.

At Hualani’s, a farm-to-table restaurant at Timbers that sources from The Farm at Hōkūala and local producers, the announcement underscored a familiar Kauai pattern: private scholarship support is often one of the few tools available to keep students moving toward degrees in medicine, engineering, biology, tourism and finance, fields that could send them back with skills the island needs.