Photo: Journalism Student Hi'ilawe Neves
Greetings,
My name is Hi’ilawe Neves, and I’m a Native Hawaiian journalism student at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Last year, I had the honor of receiving the IJA-AAJA Pacific Islander Journalism Scholarship. I’m writing to you to ask for your support so that more Pasifika journalists may benefit from it too.
Over the past year, the funding has helped me tremendously, allowing me to afford to take more journalism classes and paying for my commute to and from Manoa from the west side of the island.
The exposure this scholarship has given me has also been amazing. Because of it, I am now a freelance writer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ newspaper Ka Wai Ola. At Ka Wai Ola, I am able to write stories and report on issues directly affecting my community, from Native Hawaiian art exhibits to the dire need for affordable housing for our community.
I am so extremely thankful for the Indigenous Journalists Association and Asian American Journalism Association for believing in me and helping fund my journalistic endeavors. It is because of them that I am able to do more of what I love.
Will you donate to support other Pacific Islander journalists and improve our community’s representation in news media? Go to https://naja.wildapricot.org/Donate to make a tax-deductible contribution and don’t forget to specify you’d like to support the Pacific Islander fund. If you’re not in a position to give money, no worries — we’d also appreciate your help simply spreading the word that the 2024 IJA-AAJA Pacific Islander Journalism Scholarship application is open.
Our stories matter. Donate at https://naja.wildapricot.org/
Donate if you’d like to help us tell them.
Mahalo piha, Hi’ilawe Neves
