Students receive travel industry scholarships

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Oct 11, 2011

Twenty-seven students studying at the UH Mānoa School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) received scholarships totaling $52,000 from the Edwin M. Hastings Memorial Scholarship Fund established in 2009. The merit-based scholarships support TIM students who are Hawai‘i residents with a preference to those who graduated from local high schools.   The awardees include qualified undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom are from the Academies of Hospitality and Tourism in local high schools.
Born in Brooklyn, the late Edwin “Ed” Hastings spent his entire career in the tourism industry, which began in New York with World Cruises. When Conrad Hilton purchased the famous Waldorf Astoria, he promoted Hastings to general manager. In 1955, Hastings moved to Hawai‘i to manage Matson’s hotels, but returned to New York to rejoin Conrad Hilton when the Matson properties were sold to Sheraton in 1959. Eventually, Hastings returned to Hawai‘i to manage the Hilton Hawaiian Village and then the regional operations of Hilton Hotels in the Pacific and the Far East. He supervised the Hilton Hotel openings in Kona and Maui and was instrumental in developing the Japanese market by making frequent visits to Japan to establish business relationships.
Hastings was honored posthumously as a travel industry pioneer at the TIM School’s annual Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism Banquet in 2007 and inducted into the charter class of the Hawai‘i Hospitality Hall of Fame. Said Dean Juanita Liu, “This generous support for our hard-working students during these economic times is very much appreciated. It reaffirms the commitment from our community and the industry in supporting our efforts to prepare future professionals for the State’s largest industry. We are truly grateful for the foresight and generosity of the Hastings family and their continued support of our students.”  
Total scholarships and awards to TIM students now exceed $160,000 for the 2011-12 academic year. Receiving this year’s Edwin M. Hastings Memorial Scholarships are Kimberly Agonoy, Jose Aviles, Florante Baptista, Florelei Baris, Marla Ben-Dor, Chelsey-Mei Borge, Sierra Borge, Mary Duldulao, Elizabeth Eguchi, Kasey Kam, Katrina Konsolas, Micah Leiato, Ashley Lum, Christina Ly, Cara Nonaka, Jacqueline O’Farrell, Jonathan O’Neil, Kristina Ornellas, Jaimy Paulino, Scott Pirscher, Celina Quach, Dulce Ramos, Brandon Shiira, Angela Wong, Maria Yamashita, Ying Yan Yan and Catherine Yasuhara. The Edwin M. Hastings Trust is administered by Bank of Hawai‘i, trustee.