A UH Mānoa Journalism student who captured the impact of the Maui wildfires through video storytelling is the inaugural recipient of a significant scholarship.
Kye Kukahiko, a first-year Journalism student in the College of Social Sciencesʻ School of Communication and Information, is the inaugural winner 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 and Sciences at an awards ceremony in San Francisco in November.
The $5,000 scholarship honors legendary local journalist Kekaula, who had a decades-long career as news anchor, sports director and managing editor at KITV 4 Island News. Kekaula also left an indelible mark on the community as the beloved broadcast voice calling UH Rainbow Warriors football games.
Kekaula was a UH Mānoa alumnus, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Communication. The scholarship was established and funded by Kekaula’s family and friends following his passing in June 2021. It will support aspiring broadcast journalists who wish to pursue a career in the field.
Kukahiko, a native of Lahaina and graduate of Kamehameha Schools (KS) Maui, demonstrated her commitment to local reporting following the 2023 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 KS Kapālama campus that raised over $11,000 for affected families at KS Maui, as well as support provided by local nonprofit organizations on Maui. Kukahiko also reported on the triumph of the KS Maui football team, which won the Division II 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,” said Kukahiko. “I hope to find myself on a path of broadcast journalism or video journalism so that I may continue to utilize my skills in video and passion for storytelling, and share the stories and voices of others within my community.”
