May 2025 Gleanings
Now in its 59th year, your Big Island Press Club is still going strong! We're a nonprofit, and our continuing mission is to promote openness in government and grow new journalists to keep us informed -- needed now more than ever. Our monthly board meetings are continuing via Zoom, and all members can attend our next one at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 7, by using this link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/4314000295 . Questions? contact Secretary Nancy Cook Lauer at nclauer@gmail.com
President's Message
It was so good to see so many of you at the recent scholarship dinner. I am really excited about the scholars chosen this year, and I am so grateful to the Arballo family and all the businesses that donated to our online auction to raise funds to be able to give out $6,000 to five worthy applicants.
I just want to wish everyone a great summer filled with plenty of adventure.
When we get back from our travels, board members and I will start hammering down a plan for our December Torch of Light luncheon.
I also hope to plan for a member’s retreat in the fall. The retreat vision is to have a focus group work on some long range planning and goal setting for the club. Please let me know if you want to join us for this retreat. We need as much membership input and buy-in as possible.
Aloha, and Happy Summer!
Tiffany Edwards Hunt
BIPC Ushering in the New Generation of Journalists
By Maya-Lin Green
Photos by Maya-Lin Green and Royelen Boykie
"Intellectually stimulating," "Great food," "We moved the cars!" – these were some of the exclamations echoing around the room during the Big Island Press Club's fantastic 2025 scholarship dinner.
This year the press club returned to Kenichi's to celebrate five scholarship recipients. The dinner included remarks from special guest speaker Chelsea Davis, a Hawaii News Now journalist and Maui native. The atmosphere was festive and exuberant over a BYOB buffet-style meal, BIPC President Tiffany Hunt served as the Master of Ceremonies. The scholarship recipients who could attend in person gave their remarks, while those who could not participate sent family and loved ones to accept the award on their behalf.
Meet our 2025 scholarship winners
Best friends and Hilo High School seniors Rianne Empaynado and Rhyan Rimmer each took home $1,000 in pursuit of their academic goals, which include leveraging the power of multimedia, specifically art, to share local news.
Rianne Empaynado
Empaynado spoke of her passion for animation and videography and how they drove her high school interests, namely serving three consecutive terms as President of KVIKS—Hilo High School's student-led media and technology non-profit. Empaynado will pursue art at UH Hilo. While serving as KVIKS President, Empaynado participated in media competitions like SHOOTS Summit Hawaii, Olelo Youth XChange, and the Na Leo Youth Challenge, earning several awards for her PSA animation submissions. "My ultimate goal is to create art that pushes the boundaries of creativity and offers new perspectives to viewers.”
Rhyan Rimmer
Rimmer has big plans to attend Northeastern University in Boston, focusing on creative media and communications. Rimmer helped revive the tradition of having a Literary Magazine in 2023-2024 during her junior year and contributed art and poems to the magazine. Rimmer remarked, "Although I have a special love for the arts, I also plan on using my career to educate and provide information that is necessary to keep our democracy alive and functioning properly."
Hilo High School alum Kai Hayashida received $1,500 via the Bill Arballo scholarship toward college tuition expenses. Hayashida is a freshman at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. He hopes to one day report on high-profile events like March Madness and the Super Bowl. “I want to be able to represent Hawai'i on a national level and showcase my talent to the rest of the world of what I am capable of when trying to enhance a viewer's watching experience.”
Kamehameha alum Tabitha Pacheco also took home a $1,000 scholarship award. Pacheco will graduate from UH Hilo in Fall 2025 with a double major in English and Administration of Justice with a Certificate in Creative Writing. As a staff writer for Ke Kalahea, the UH Hilo student-led news publication, Pacheco is passionate about uplifting the voices of the voiceless. “After years of working in the publishing house, I hope to create a publishing house in Hawaiʻi that promotes minority voices to mainstream media.”
Elena Berenzney
Last, but certainly not least, Hawaiian Preparatory Academy junior, Elena Berenzney, took home a $500 scholarship which will go towards expenses to attend the New York Times summer program, NYC Summer Academy. During this 10-week program based out of their New York City headquarters, Berenzney will explore topics in journalism, media, technology, arts, culture, and more. Berenzey shared, “I feel privileged to attend the New York Times Summer Academy later this year, and I am confident that the experience will not only benefit my skills as a young writer but also expand my potential work in journalism.”
Congratulations
We are so proud of our scholars and for the support of our board members, volunteers, and community members who supported the Press Club hosting a successful event. We can't wait to see what our scholarship winners go on to accomplish in their pursuit of media literacy, journalism, multimedia, entertainment, and beyond!
Guest Speaker, Chelsea Davis
Journalist Chelsea Davis graciously flew out from Maui to inspire our scholarship recipients with her personal journey in media journalism. She shared how she was impacted by the reporting on 9/11 and how that allowed her to see the impact and trust journalists have in a crisis. She spoke about the loss of her mother and how much family and community drive the work she does.
She highlighted the importance of tenacity and determination—whether juggling multiple un-paid media internships as a college student or being turned down in person 26 times before finally receiving her big break at a station in Lubbock, Texas. Among the captive silence, Davis' ability to command and inspire an audience was apparent.
Special Acknowledgements
To Chris Leonard, who took home the award for BIPC member of the year, and to Kevin Dayton, winner of the ʻOʻo Award for in-depth reporting, for work done in 2023. Both received their awards in 2024, but were given the awards during the 2025 scholarship dinner.
BIPC Board Members Out in the Wild
Treasurer Robert "Bob" Duerr flexed his acting chops during the Hilo Community Players' Ke Kauā O Ka Lāhui: The Life of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaiʻanaʻole Piʻikoi. The play was written by Victoria Nālani Kneubuhl and directed by Jackie Pualani Johnson.
"In this show I play I sixteen characters. These include King Kalakaua who fought annexation and John L. Stevens who was the American Minister who brought it on. Always a pleasure to be in and see director Jackie Pualani Johnson’s work. Forty years ago she cast me as Happy in “Death of A Salesman.” Kuhio- the show is a fascinating look at a Hawaiian prince who was imprisoned while battling for fair treatment of Hawaiians and successfully getting the Hawaiian Homestead Act passed in 1922," Duerr said. Check out the website: https://hiloplayers.org
Board Member and UH Hilo senior Maya-Lin Green was awarded the Gilman Scholarship to attend a four-week creative writing course at the University of Stirling in Scotland in June. Stay tuned for updates on her time abroad!
BIPC Director and former CIA operations officer John P. Atwell wrapped up his teaching schedule at HCC, and will teach three classes this fall: Intelligence Analysis and Security Management, Introduction to Border and Transportation Security, and Criminology. Atwell's op-ed on the state of democracy today was published in the Hawaii Tribune Herald in May.
Board President and scholarship committee chair Tiffany Hunt attended the Hilo High School Awards Assembly and provided lei and cards to our awardees Rhyan Rimmer and Rianne Empaynado.
2025 Big Island Press Club Board
Please feel free to contact any board members with your suggestions, or if you wish to volunteer!
President: Tiffany Edwards Hunt, former journalist, middle school teacher
newswoman@mac.com
Vice President: Jim Wilson, retired publisher, Hawaii Tribune-Herald jimwilsonvolcanocottage@gmail.com
Secretary: Nancy Cook Lauer, retired journalist, UH student publications advisor, blogger www.allhawaiinews.com <nclauer@gmail.com>
Treasurer: Robert Duerr, filmmaker and journalist, Hawaii Fishing News <surf77@me.com>
Immediate Past President: John Burnett, journalist, Tribune-Herald <jburnett@hawaiitribuneherald.com>
Director: Patsy Iwasaki, professor, University of Hawaii-Hilo<piwasaki@hawaii.edu>
Director: John Atwell, former CIA Senior Operations Officer, columnist, editor <jno.p.atwell@gmail.com>
Director: Maya-Lin Green, education and communications team member, Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center <mlgreen@hawaii.edu>
Director: Megan Moseley, journalist <mm321606@ohio.edu>
Director Emeritus: Ross Wilson, PR, Current Events <rossw@current-events.com>
