Bronson Maulupe-Kanae (left) and Chassidy Sakamoto (right) , both of Kahului, each received a $1,000 Steve Hirano Memorial Scholarship Award from the American Resort Development Association of Hawaii's (ARDA-Hawaii). ARDA-Hawaii established the scholarship to provide an opportunity for students, especially those from Hawaii, to pursue a career in the timeshare industry. Both Travel Industry Management majors, Sakamoto and Maulupe-Kanae will enter their sophomore and junior years, respectively, at Hawaii Pacific University this fall. (Photo credit: Hawaii Pacific University and Nagamine Photo Studio)

Bronson Maulupe-Kanae and Chassidy Sakamoto, both Travel Industry Management (TIM) students at Hawaii Pacific University, were awarded American Resort Development Association of Hawaii’s (ARDA-Hawaii) Steve Hirano Memorial Scholarship Award of $1,000 for the 2011-2012 academic year. Both were honored at the HPU Awards Banquet in late spring.

Maulupe-Kanae, of Kahului, graduated from Maui High School in 2009 and is scheduled to graduate from HPU with a bachelor’s degree in the Spring of 2013. His parents are Clarke and Miriam Maulupe-Kanae. Sakamoto, who also hails from Kahului, is a 2010 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School and anticipates graduating from in the Spring of 2014. She is the daughter of Jason Sakamoto and Rosalind Kaholokula.

“Bronson and Chassidy exemplify the kind of driven and ardent students and young professionals Hawaii needs in timeshare and travel industry management,” said ARDA-Hawaii Chair Daniel Dinell, who is also Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing Programs for Hilton Grand Vacations Club’s Asia/Pacific region. “The generosity of the donors and sponsors who support the scholarship fund make it possible for us to continue helping students pursuing careers in our state’s most prominent industry.”

Each year, ARDA-Hawaii raises money from its annual golf tournament to support the Steve Hirano Memorial Scholarship fund, created as a tribute to the late public affairs executive and long-time supporter of the timeshare industry in Hawaii. ARDA-Hawaii established the scholarship to facilitate the education of students attending HPU and to provide an opportunity for students to pursue a career in the timeshare industry, especially those from

Hawaii. To qualify for consideration, applicants must be enrolled full-time in the TIM program with a Junior or Senior class status, and have a 3.20 minimum GPA.

Since its inception seven years ago, the ARDA-Hawaii Golf Tournament has raised more than $70,000 for the scholarship fund.

ARDA-Hawai’i is the local chapter of the American Resort Development Association, the national timeshare trade association. The state’s timeshare units account for 13 percent of the State’s visitor lodging inventory and thousands of jobs. Learn more about “Timeshare with Aloha” at www.ARDA.org.