Two Pacific Islander Students From Hawai’i Awarded TLF Scholarship in 2025

LOS ANGELES – This year, The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) awarded scholarships to two Pacific Islander students from Hawai’i in honor of its 27th anniversary. Elana Ingwers, a third-year marketing student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, is a recipient of TLF’s inaugural healthcare marketing and communications scholarship. Kiana Vallente, a fourth-year communications student at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, received the foundation’s traditional scholarship. A portion of this year’s scholarship fund was allocated to support Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, made possible through the support of TLF board member Bill Imada, Chairman and Chief Connectivity Officer of IW Group.

“As a longtime member of TLF’s Board of Directors, I am committed to ensuring that the foundation continues to expand its reach and impact among students nationwide,” said Imada. “I’m especially proud to see two Pacific Islanders from Hawai’i receive this year’s scholarship, and I look forward to increasing that number in the years ahead.”

Ingwers is part of the first group of students to be awarded TLF’s new healthcare marketing and communications scholarship and one of three Loyola Marymount students to receive the scholarship this year. A fifth-generation native of Hawai’i, she grew up on Maui and now lives in Honolulu, where she has interned with Hawai’i Pacific Health for the past three summers. In addition to receiving the scholarship, Ingwers participated in a four-day program in Minneapolis, where she attended career and professional development workshops hosted by Omnicom Public Relations Group, Medtronic, LinkedIn, and UnitedHealth Group.

“I am deeply grateful to be one of the first recipients of TLF’s Healthcare MarCom Scholarship and to have had the opportunity to participate in this year’s program in Minneapolis, which truly surpassed every hope I had and was such an enriching, inspiring experience,” Ingwers said. “Expanding beyond the general scholarship to include a focus on healthcare is incredibly meaningful, not only to me personally, but for the future of one of the most essential industries.”

Vallente was born and raised in Hilo and has been involved in a local nonprofit that provides educational services and programs to low-income families. She is one of thirty students who were awarded the traditional scholarship and had the opportunity to go on a four-day trip to New Jersey. During those four days, Vallente attended career and professional development workshops hosted by Bayer, Mars Wrigley, MMC, Procter & Gamble, and Omnicom Brand Consulting Group.

“Being a woman of color from a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it’s not often that I have the opportunity to meet and connect with executives from some of the industry’s leading organizations,” said Vallente. “From easing my financial burden to showing me what is really possible for me in the communications field, I am so thankful for each and every opportunity TLF has provided.”

A total of $150,000 in scholarships was awarded to fifty undergraduate and graduate students from across the country. Thirty students received the traditional scholarship, while twenty were awarded the healthcare marketing and communications scholarship.

“I could not be happier to see TLF’s impact extend to students across the country, including Hawai’i,” said Kim L. Hunter, TLF Chairman and CEO. “I am deeply grateful for supporters like longtime board member Bill Imada, whose unwavering commitment ensures that TLF can continue its vital mission of providing opportunities for students nationwide.”