A NOTE FROM LEAH BERNSTEIN, Director Treasurer of The Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund:
Aloha and a big mahalo to the members of ILWU Local 142 for helping to secure a record number of applications for the Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund. By the time you read this we will have extended scholarship offers to 18 applicants consisting of six freshmen, nine sophomores, and three seniors to the Fall 2017 class.
Some of the Fall 2017 class are transferring from mainland colleges as they return home and we are delighted to support them in their efforts to complete their education in Hawaii.
Harriet Bouslog and her husband Stephen T. Sawyer created this scholarship in 1989 to benefit the families of ILWU Local 142 members and since then, over 250 students have gotten the financial support of HBLSF to help them achieve a better future by completing their education at the University of Hawaii and the Community Colleges. In so doing HBLSF honors the ILWU Local 142 and helps perpetuate the contributions of ILWU Local 142 to Hawaii and its people.
While we are very pleased about this year’s applicants, we know that our biggest challenge is informing students and their family members of the Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship and getting the students to apply. The challenge is reflected in how many students start UH without having applied for the scholarship thus losing thousands of dollars. This year’s sophomores and seniors would have received a collective $48,000 had they applied. Instead, they or their parents paid the full tuition. This frustrates us because had they applied for an HBLSF scholarship, they would owe less upon graduating. So, please join us in continuing to always let people know about this wonderful scholarship program.
HBLSF accepts scholarship applications year-round so if you have a child entering their senior year in high school in the Fall of 2017 and will be able to apply to any of the ten UH campuses, go to www.harrietbouslog.com and download an application.
Start the process of completing it early! Every year we have students graduate or move to mainland colleges so keeping a full complement of scholars in the program is ongoing.
Ho`omaikai to Noel Kawano, Kristel De Leon and Colleen Garrett! We would also like to congratulate the students who are graduating this and last semester. Please join us in recognizing their remarkable accomplishments.
Finally, we would like to hear from recipients of the HBLSF scholarships back to the first year of scholars in 1989. What are you doing these days? Did the education you worked so hard to complete, guide your career or did another path present itself? Our intent is to start an alumni association where past beneficiaries help shape the future of the Harriet Bouslog Labor Scholarship Fund.
Many of our scholars attended school before the age of databases, email, and social media and we’ve lost contact with them. We would love to stay in touch and hopefully pick up where we left off! Friend us on Facebook, email harrietbouslog@gmail.com or pick up the phone and call us at 808-537-3327. Mahalo plenty to ILWU Local 142 for all you do for Hawaii.
Kara Fujimoto
(Kara’s grandfather was Katsumi Yano, a retired member from the Big Island in the sugar industry)
Mary Joy Butac
(Mary Joy’s mother is Marilyn Butac, a member of Unit 2407 Maui Federal CU)
Grace Peralta
(Grace’s uncle is Jonathan Corbillon, a member of Unit 3511 Grand Hyatt Kauai)
Mary Jane Butac
(Mary Jane’s mother is Marilyn Butac, a member of Unit 2407 Maui Federal CU)
“Before the establishment of ILWU, workers were almost like objects to manipulate in order to promote production. Clearly, ILWU has accomplished a lot. But it all started with one accomplishment, and that was giving the working class a voice.
-- from Mary Jane Butac’s essay, “ILWU’s Greatest Achievement”
Tristan Aderinto
(Tristan’s grandfather is Robert “Bobby” See, a retired member of Unit 1401 Mauna Loa Macadamia Orchards, Ka’u)
Chandra Mae Santos
(Chandra’s mother is Amelita B. Santos, a member of Unit 1401 Royal Hawaiian Services, LLC Ka`u on the Big Island)
Jarret Pascual
(Jarret’s grandfather was Luis Pascual, a former member of Pioneer Mill Company on Maui)