The National Association of Women in Construction Hawaii chapter awarded $12,000 for construction-related training to four students in July 2025.
Abbie Hirayama, a preengineering student at Kapiʻolani Community College, and Kalei Mediros-Sodetani, a welding student at Honolulu Community College, each received $3,000 from the NAWIC Founders Scholarship Foundation (NFSF).
Two out-of-state students also received $3,000 apiece.
The NFSF, a national 509(a)(3) organization, awards more than $100,000 annually to students enrolled in construction-related training programs at U.S. institutions of higher learning.
This year, NAWIC Hawaii will again award NFSF scholarships to students enrolled in advanced construction-related training.
“We exceeded our goal of $6,000 by raising a total of $13,300 in Lucky Draw sales and direct donations, plus our chapter’s $5,000 match, totaling $18,300 to fund scholarships for local students pursuing construction-related fields in the next [2026] fiscal year,” says Amanda Canada, NAWIC Hawaii 2023-2024 past president and publisher of Building Industry Hawai‘i magazine.
In 2025, the NFSF fund received a total of $10,000 in Lucky Draw sales and direct donations from the following 33 companies and individuals:
- Aloha Collection
- Ala Moana Honolulu by Mantra
- Ambassador Hotel Waikiki
- American Marine Corp.
- AWP
- Beachside Roofing LLC
- BMK Construction LLC
- Bruce Matson Co. Inc.
- Bullard
- Castle Hospitality Group
- CWA
- Dorvin D. Leis Co. Inc.
- First Onsite Hawaii
- Goodfellow Bros.
- Halekulani
- Hampton Inn & Suites
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Hawaiian Style Raingutters Inc.
- HC&D
- Herc Rentals
- Hilton Hawaiian Village
- Kapili Roofing & Painting
- Leak and Moisture Detection Hawai’i
- Mary de la Torre
- Matson
- Nordic PCL Construction Inc.
- Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd.
- Rider Levett Bucknall
- SageWater
- The Zelinsky Co.
- Trade Media Hui
- Waikiki Sailing Co.
- Yamaz Plumbing
Canada adds that 2025 direct cash donations to NFSF from the National Association of Home Builders Professional Women in Building Council, Jade Painting Inc., MGCI, the Painting and Decorating Contractors Association of Hawaii and Roadbuilders Corp. total $3,300.
The deadline for submitting applications and sealed academic transcripts for a 2026 NFSF Scholarship is Feb. 28, 2026. For more information, contact nfsf@nawic.org.
