The Grove Farm Foundation has awarded three Kauaʻi public high school seniors with $20,000 college scholarships, marking the 17th consecutive year the foundation has recognized students for academic achievement, leadership, character and community service.
The 2026 Grove Farm Scholars — David Braman, Samantha Tominaga and Skyler Tanicala — were selected from nine finalists nominated by counselors at Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi and Waimea high schools.
Braman, a senior at Kauaʻi High School, was recognized for his work promoting inclusion through the school’s first Unified Athletics program, which paired students with intellectual disabilities with members of the boys basketball team.
His passion for inclusion began in childhood after attending the Special Olympics Summer Games with his family and later participating in Team Unity at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. In addition to serving as class president and co-president of Red Raider Productions, Braman plans to attend the University of Missouri to study kinesiology before pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy.
His counselor, Ms. Taba, said Braman demonstrates “the exceptional combination of academic excellence, community commitment and leadership,” adding that the Unified Athletics showcase was “one of the most moving experiences I’ve witnessed in my career.”
Tominaga was honored for her commitment to community service and healthcare advocacy through volunteer work with Kumu’s Cupboard, the Kauaʻi Keiki Dementia Initiative and Garden Island Long Term Care.
School officials said those experiences helped shape her goal of becoming a physician and returning to Kauaʻi to address the island’s need for more medical professionals. Along with maintaining a rigorous academic schedule, Tominaga competed in cross country, paddling and tennis while serving in several student leadership positions, including president of the National Honor Society.
She plans to attend Creighton University this fall to begin pursuing a medical career.
“My hope would be to use this opportunity gifted to me and return it tenfold with my experience and education, and give back to this community through my efforts in healthcare,” Tominaga said.
Tanicala earned recognition for founding Kūpuna Technology Classes after learning a kūpuna had lost thousands of dollars in a phone scam. Through the program, he has helped more than 50 kūpuna identify scam calls and learn about digital safety, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Tanicala currently serves as student body president at Kauaʻi High School and also participates in mock trial and music programs, including four years in All-State and Honor Band.
“Ongoing community work is already part of how I live and learn,” Tanicala said in his scholarship application.
His student activities coordinator, Ms. Plowman, described him as having a “combination of technical brilliance, organizational leadership and deep-seated altruism.”
Tanicala plans to study management information systems at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and hopes to remain in Hawaiʻi to continue serving local communities.
Since the scholarship program began, the Grove Farm Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to Kauaʻi students pursuing higher education. Each year, counselors from the island’s three public high schools nominate finalists before a selection committee chooses three recipients to receive the scholarship awards.
