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| | Hawaii Students Receive USDA
Scholarships
HONOLULU, Aug. 16, 2005 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the 2005
scholarship recipients of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Asian Pacific Islander (API) Scholars Program.
"Our country's youth are the key to the future success of agriculture," said
Johanns. "These scholarship opportunities are an important way to reward,
attract and educate students from diverse backgrounds, while encouraging them to
consider careers in agriculture. We are pleased to reward their hard work and
encourage them to continue their success through involvement in agriculture."
The API Scholarship Program strengthens the partnership between NRCS and the
Asian Pacific Islander community and also addresses NRCS workforce diversity
needs. Both programs provide Native American and Asian Pacific students with an
opportunity to study agriculture and related natural resource sciences, as well
as giving the USDA the opportunity to recruit some of the brightest students of
native heritage in the country.
Approximately $160,000 is available for the scholarship program that provides
full tuition, employment, employee benefits, fees, books, use of a personal
computer and software while on scholarship and room and board each year for up
to four years. In addition to general eligibility criteria, each scholarship may
have unique features and cost variances due to differences in the target
institutions or communities. Students are employed at NRCS field offices in the
area of their school.
The 2005 NRCS Asian Pacific Islander scholarship recipients are:
Chadwick Cordes, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Kari Ann Kumashiro, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Morri Ann Nagata, University of Hawaii at Hilo
Tria Yang, North Carolina A&T University
Sangeetha A. Gummadi, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities
NRCS initiated the Asian Pacific Islander Pilot Scholarship program in 2004. One
of the recipients last year, Whitney Haraguchi, was excited to learn about the
opportunity through Lincoln Ching of the East Kauai Soil & Water Conservation
District. More excited about the news was his parents, Rodney and Karol
Haraguchi who have been working with NRCS since 1981.
The Haraguchi’s have been farming for four generations in Hanalei. Rodney and
Karol lease land from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to farm taro. The property
lies within the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge which protects threatened and
endangered water birds like the nene goose, moorhen, coot, stilt, and koloa
duck.
Sara Braasch, NRCS's West Regional Assistant Chief, visited the Haraguchi’s Farm
on Kauai and saw first hand how they are implementing NRCS practices such as
conservation cropping, underground pipes, irrigation water management, and
surface drainage control. They also utilized the services of NRCS's Plant
Materials Center (PMC) to control erosion along the banks and roadways with
Tropic Lalo, a grass released by the PMC.
When asked what changed over the 24 years of working with NRCS, Rodney replied,
“there are noticeable differences in our farm operations. We use less herbicides
and find more cost savings in using our water supply efficiently and
effectively. We are equally thrilled that NRCS has this scholarship opportunity
as well because Whitney will gain valuable knowledge, experience, and hands-on
training from NRCS.”
Whitney adds, “this will give me insight to conservation views of Hawaii and
will enable me to learn about other farmers, ranchers, and land owners, as well
as their experiences and conservation issues. If anything else, this scholarship
will give me incentive to maintain my 3.0 grade point average.” He attends the
University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture majoring in soil science
and works part time in the Lihue NRCS field office.
“It’s a personal decision to farm taro,” Karol said. “The feeling my husband
gets while he’s out there in the lo`i makes it all worth it. And now our son
will help us carry on the generations of conservation work we’ve laid down
here.”
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USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
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