Kye Kukahiko, a first-year journalism student in the School of Communication and Information, is the inaugural recipient of the Robert Kekaula Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Student Scholarship. Kukahiko was one of nine collegiate scholarship recipients recognized by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) at an awards ceremony in San Francisco earlier this month.
The $5000 scholarship honors legendary local journalist Robert Kekaula, whose decades-long career as news anchor, sports director and managing editor at KITV and as the beloved voice for the UH Rainbow Warriors football games left an indelible mark on the community. Kekaula was a UH Manoa alum, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. The scholarship was established and funded by Kekaula’s family and friends following his passing in June 2021 to support aspiring broadcast journalists who wish to pursue a career in the field.
Kukahiko, a native of Lahaina and graduate of Kamehameha Schools Maui, demonstrated her commitment to local reporting following the Maui wildfires. Through video storytelling, she captured the impact of the fires, focusing on community response and recovery efforts. Her work highlighted a donation drive organized at Kamehameha School Kapālama that raised over $11,000 for affected KSM families, as well as support provided by local nonprofit organizations on Maui. Kukahiko also reported on the triumph of the KSM football team, who won the DII state championship in 2024, just a year after the devastating fires.
“This scholarship will help me to further my journey in higher education and ensure I can continue pursuing my major in journalism,” Kukahiko said, reflecting on the honor of being selected for the award. “I hope to find myself on a path of broadcast journalism or video journalism so that I may continue to utilize my skill in video and passion for storytelling to share the stories and voices of others within my community.”
You can watch Kye’s video compilation on YouTube.