Honolulu Community College Students Honored with National Scholarships

Two students attending Honolulu Community College have been honored recently with national academic scholarships for students at two-year college campuses.

Gayle Iizaki received a $250 scholarship from the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society National Dean‘s List, which is awarded annually to only 50 students around the world. Students earning membership in Phi Theta Kappa are nominated for inclusion in the National Dean‘s List, a biographical publication recognizing the academic and leadership accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate students. The 50 winners are selected from this list.

Phi Theta Kappa, the largest honor society in American higher education, includes some 1,200 chapters on two-year college campuses in all 50 states, Canada, Germany, and U.S. territorial possessions abroad. Approximately 100,000 honor students are inducted into membership each year.

Dolly LaTouf has received a $1,000 scholarship from the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. The Coca Cola Two-Year Colleges Scholarship Program annually awards 400 scholarships to students attending higher-education institutions granting two-year degrees. In addition to demonstrating academic success, students must also complete 100 hours of community service.

LaTouf has served as a Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem in Family Court since November 2001, a volunteer position that requires training and certification by Family Court. She represents children in foster care at Family Court hearings, and specializes in caring for special needs and disabled children. She visits the children in their home setting and school setting, investigates, keeps records and makes reports on the children‘s behavior and progress in order to make recommendations that benefit the children.