As we celebrate the Pauahi Foundation’s 30th anniversary, we reflect on the thousands of haumāna who have received scholarship support over the past three decades. In revisiting the stories shared in our very first annual report, we reconnected with one of our earliest scholarship recipients: Jonathan Kua.
Kua spoke then about balancing school, work, and raising a young family, and how Pauahi Foundation scholarships helped him move toward a more stable future. His story, captured at the Foundation’s inception, now offers a window into the enduring impact of those early scholarships.
Before returning to school, Kua worked in construction, a field he genuinely enjoyed and found rewarding. As the industry evolved and opportunities shifted, he began exploring new paths that would provide greater long-term stability for his family. With encouragement from his older brother and guidance from KS counselor Alan Tenn, he decided to pursue higher education. A scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation, about $1,500 per semester, helped keep his family afloat during those financially challenging years.
Kua went on to build a meaningful career in education, joining Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i in 2013 as a math teacher and transitioning to his current role as a woodshop kumu. In many ways, his journey has come full circle, from construction worker to math teacher to woodshop kumu, weaving together hands‑on learning, applied math, and real‑world construction skills.
Now well into his teaching career, Kua helps lead KS Hawai‘i’s partnership with the Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship and Training program, opening doors for students to explore careers in the trades.
He finds deep fulfillment in guiding and encouraging students who show promise in the trades and helping each haumāna see their own potential. Beyond the classroom, his ‘ohana is thriving too. With nine mo‘opuna whom he adores and can give to in ways he could not afford when his own children were young, Kua feels the full, generational impact of the opportunities he received.
“Mahalo to the Foundation,” Jonathan shares, “I’m just so grateful. I want to say mahalo for helping me through the rough times in my life…to become the person I am today, for being there not only for me, but for my family. If it wasn’t for Ke Ali‘i Pauahi, the Foundation, and all the donors, I don’t know where I’d be. Mahalo for the love and support.”
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