Aloha Fernandez Earle Foundation

I’m currently in American Samoa, interning with the National Park Service!

The past four years of my life have been life-changing, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your support. In 2006, I lost my mother to cancer at the age of 13. She was a high school math teacher, who always emphasized the importance of higher education and made me promise her three things before she passed: to strive for the best, to love my family, and to complete my college education. I am proud to say that I am now officially a college graduate of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, holding my degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management. I know she is looking down with as much gratitude as I have for your support to students and their quests for higher education.

My journey does not stop here. With my new college degree, my desire and passion for assisting my community has only grown stronger. My education has already opened doors for me. Through my internship with the National Park Service, I will be working on projects that include but are not limited to testing water quality, habitat restoration, conservation, using geographic information systems, and grant writing. I have already learned so much and would not have been able to have this opportunity without my college degree. Upon my return to Hawaii, I will continue to work with other local, state, and federal environmental groups before pursuing graduate studies in Environmental Science.

No matter where I am in life, I will always look to my humble beginnings and the people who have helped me become the person I am today. As Margret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Mahalo to all the donors, committee members, and supporters for choosing to assist students like me here in Hawaii.

With much Aloha,
Cash Helman

Aloha! My name is Cash Helman, and it is truly a great privilege to be the first Hawaiian student to receive the Fernandez Earle Scholarship.

I am currently a sophomore at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Management. After obtaining my degree, I plan on using my college education not only as a path towards employment but also as a tool that aids Hawaii’s community. I hope to help educate students on the ways to becoming more resourceful and to create a more sustainable environment for future generations. Furthermore, I hope to open the Dalisay Grotkin Scholarship Fund in the memory of my mother for less fortunate students who have lost their parents. Just as the Fernandez Earle Scholarship has helped me, I would like to one-day aid students who have used perseverance to triumph over adversity.

This scholarship has not only vastly alleviated my family from the financial aspect of college, but has opened the doors to the amazing opportunities and experiences I have had here at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. To think that someone from across the world could give so much is truly a humbling experience. As we say here in Hawaii, a big “Mahalo” to the Fernandez Earle Scholarship and all the donors’ that have made this scholarship opportunity available to students here in the Islands of Hawaii.