When fourth-year biochemistry student Andrew Trapsi isn’t in the classroom, he’s an active participant in Chaminade University’s Campus Ministry. From attending retreats to feeding the homeless to volunteering at a local fishpond, Trapsi has discovered his role as a community servant through the teachings of Chaminade’s Catholic Marianist values.
This academic year, Trapsi was one of 209 Chaminade students to receive scholarships funded by generous donors, which totaled to $2.4 million. Chaminade manages more than 100 donor-funded scholarships offered to student-athletes and those pursuing degrees in nursing, education, biology, criminal justice and counseling psychology.
To extend a personal thank you, students welcomed their scholarship benefactors to the university’s annual Mahalo Scholarship Luncheon held on Feb. 8 in Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center.
Among those in attendance were 74 student recipients of donor-funded scholarships, faculty and donors including representatives from Kamehameha Schools and The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation.
There, students got the opportunity to get to know their donors, share about their experiences at Chaminade and most importantly, express gratitude.
The program included motivational speeches from donor and alumna Millicent Perreira-Gilmore, accounting professor Wayne Tanna and chosen student speaker, Trapsi.