A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE
BIG PROMISE OF LITTLE THINGS CHANGE COMES FROM EVERYONE
Honoring her father’s legacy
Y
ou never quite know when life will bestow a new passion, but when it happens, obtaining the means to pursue your dream can mean the world. Kiri Strobel enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, volunteering with the Cub Scouts, and starting a women’s soccer club. But when she re-entered the workforce as a ramp employee with Hawaiian Airlines, she discovered a brand new interest in aircraft mechanics. “I have really grown to love the airline industry, and I was looking at ways to turn my job into a career,” she says. “After speaking with my uncles, who are aircraft maintenance technicians, I am confident this is the path I should pursue.” Her goals are pretty straightforward: enter a mechanic’s apprenticeship program, while learning aircraft maintenance on the job. But handling family, school and work altogether is anything but easy. Enter the Donald W. F. Ching Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation — created in 2017 to help people just like Kiri. Started by Pamela Ching in memory of her father, Donald, a Hawaiian Airlines mechanic and aircraft inspector, the fund recognizes that many people are juggling multiple priorities. Thus, the fund is designed to help aviation employees to pursue their studies while maintaining the ability to care for their children. Pamela Ching--with support of her mother Becky, sister Donna Ching and her spouse Richard Leman--translated their motivation to honor their father into the form of a scholarship fund. Because of this, Kiri can look to the future with even more optimism.
To learn more about supporting Hawaii’s students in reaching their educational goals visit HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org
Kiri Strobel, student and scholarship recipient
“I eventually would like to hold a lead position while continuing to evolve my knowledge of aircraft maintenance,” she says. Pursuing new passions, honoring loved ones, making a brighter tomorrow for those who dream — that’s the big promise of little things.
“I have really grown to love the airline industry. I am confident this is the path I should pursue.” Did You Know...
In 2017, the Hawaii Community Foundation gave over $6 million in scholarships to 1,277 students to pursue their dreams for higher education.