High School Senior Receives $13,000 in Awards
Photo courtesy of Citizen-Scholar Awards
Paying for college just got a little easier for Keala Montgomery. The Lanai High School senior is the recipient of approximately $13,000 in awards, including a 2023 Citizen-Scholar Award. That award is presented by the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, the Hawaii State Department of Education and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The award honors students who demonstrate excellence in academics, community service and extracurricular activities. Keala was selected from among the 42 recipients of this year’s awards to give an address at the ceremony honoring the students.
A triple-sport athlete, Keala played on this year’s Pine Lasses volleyball team and championship basketball and baseball teams. She was a first-team MIL Division II All-Star for volleyball and basketball and a two-time MIL Division II Player of the Year in softball. She has held numerous student government positions including President of the student body. Keala is also a member of Leo Club, a community service organization, where she participated in projects such as assisting a COVID vaccine clinic and making scarves for hospital patients.
To cap off an impressive high school career, Keala was inducted into the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor on Sunday, June 5, making her the first female athlete from Lanai to be inducted in the hall of honor’s 40 year history. Each year, a committee of current and former sports reporters, athletic directors and coaches from across the state select recipients based mainly on athletic achievement, with character, sportsmanship, academic record and community service also taken into consideration.
Photo courtesy of the Sanches family.
This fall she will be enrolling in Kenyon College where she plans to play for the softball team. The college is located in Gambier, Ohio, where the average high temperature in January is 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Keala knows what to expect, having visited this past January.
“I’ll miss my family and the sense of community that we have here,” she said. “When you walk down the street here, you know practically every person.”
Keala hasn’t picked a major, although she is interested in law and politics. She hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to return to Lanai and give back to the community.