Kamehameha Schools Investment Analyst Kanoe Shizuru will represent Central O‘ahu in the 2018 Miss Hawai‘i Scholarship Pageant, with Native Hawaiian education as her platform.
“Advancement through education for Native Hawaiians is a platform that is very dear to my heart,” said Shizuru. The 2013 KS Kapālama graduate joined Kamehameha’s Financial Assets Division in 2017 after earning an engineering degree from Princeton University.
“In my own life and in the lives of those I love, I have witnessed the power that education has to truly transform one’s life. I was blessed to attend Kamehameha from the fourth grade, and because of the strong educational foundation it provided me, I received opportunities I never could have imagined.
“Because of my experiences, I chose to pursue this platform in order to expose young people to the many opportunities that exist for them and to show them that many of the challenges they face can be overcome through education.
“Beyond that, this platform is meant to inspire young people and show them that their dreams can in fact become reality if they make education a priority in their lives. My hope is that through this platform, I can give back in a small way to a community that has given me so much.”
Shizuru’s KS colleagues are cheering her on.
“We’re so proud of our Kanoe.” said KS Chief Investment Officer Elizabeth Hokada. “She came to the Financial Assets Division with an engineering degree, not a finance background. Still, she dove right into the work and with strength, courage and humility and has made great contributions to our team.
“This was the same warrior spirit behind her success in rowing at Princeton, where she was a successful walk-on to a team of recruited athletes!”
Since becoming Miss Central O‘ahu, Shizuru has been formalizing a plan to reach students across the islands, focusing on exposing them to opportunities, connecting them with resources, and using culture-based teaching techniques to set them up for success.
In her spare time, Shizuru serves as a private K-12 tutor for students, many of whom are Native Hawaiian.
In my own life and in the lives of those I love, I have witnessed the power that education has to truly transform one’s life. I was blessed to attend Kamehameha from the fourth grade, and because of the strong educational foundation it provided me, I received opportunities I never could have imagined.
Kanoe Shizuru KSK
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sp2020 goal 3,world-class hawaiian culture-based education
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