Members of the Kona Business and Professional Women’s scholarship committee and 2014 winners. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

The Kona Business and Professional Women organization has awarded five scholarships to high school graduates and two grants to women who want to further their education

The BPW State Scholarship of $1,500 was awarded to Samantha Texeira, who graduated from Kealakehe High School.

She attends University of Hawaii at Hilo and is majoring in chemistry. Texeira plans to enroll in the UH Hilo College of Pharmacy.

In addition to her school work, Texeira volunteers at nursing homes and cleaning highways and also works at Relay For Life.

The four students who were awarded $1,000 scholarships and when they plan to attended university:

* Ashleigh DeMattos, Kealakehe High School — Grand Canyon University in Arizona, nursing

* Rayne Leimana Izumi-Baltero, Konawaena High School — University of Hawaii at Hilo, business management

* Chase Takaki, Konawaena High School — Whitworth College, health and physical therapy

* Rebecca Crabtree, Konawaena High School — University of Hawaii in Hilo, accounting

This year’s Grant For Success award recipients are two women in the community using this grant to better their standings in the employment world.

* Virginia Holte, owner and manager of West Hawaii Dance Theatre and Academy and West Hawaii Island Gyrotonic

* Kathleen Hewlen, cosmetologist employed at 101 Salon

Both will attend certification classes in their fields.

The Kona Business and Professional Women’s organization in conjunction with Business Professional Women’s USA Foundation work to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information.

Funds for the scholarship awards are raised during the year through poinsettia and jam sales.

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