giving hope and inspiration Hope Ioka is a people person, with a deep sense of belonging to the Wai‘anae community. At an early age, she was fascinated with the idea of surrounding herself with others. In high school, community service projects fueled her desire to give back to Wai‘anae. Today, it’s easy to understand her reasons for pursuing a college degree.
“Wai‘anae will always stand firm to help pick you up. My community deserves the best and I will give them that.”
“Growing up in a community where I was constantly around people, I’ve never questioned Hope Ioka, Brigham Young University, my dream for a Waianae High Schoolcareer in a social Class of 2018 pathway. I believe each new person I meet is an opportunity to gain new experiences and build lasting relationships,” she says. “I’m majoring in Elementary Education because I want future generations of Wai‘anae to thrive, and I believe it’s essential to lead by example.”
“It gives me a sense of humility. Whether you know someone who struggles or you struggle yourself, Wai‘anae will always stand firm to help pick you up. That’s what I hope to teach my future students when I come back here. My community deserves the best and I will give them that.”
Hope is the second child from her family that is currently enrolled in college, so her parents were relieved when she was awarded the Lily and Raymond Torii Scholarship Fund. Established in the memory of two educators who dedicated their careers to Wai‘anae, it benefits Wai‘anae High School graduates who exemplify compassion and service for others. “Being able to receive this scholarship, makes me appreciate the generosity of others so much more,” says Hope.
Shaping values from community service, honoring your loved ones, giving back to the local community — that’s the big promise of little things.
DID YOU KNOW: Scholarships are just one way givers support students through HCF. 98% of the at-risk students served by HCF’s Connecting for Success Initiative completed 9th grade and were promoted to 10th grade, a rate higher than the overall Hawai‘i Department of Education 10th grade promotion rate.
To learn about transforming generosity into lasting change, visit HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org