MEDIA RELEASE

One hundred forty-five Hawaii students tried their hand at writing a creative commercial script that would encourage their peers to prepare for college and careers in the first-ever “Take Charge of Your Future Commercial Script Writing Challenge,” sponsored by GEAR UP Hawaii, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and Clear Channel Hawaii.

Hawaii public school students in sixth through 12th grade were encouraged to write a script for a 30-second commercial, which could be produced for television and radio. The contest received entries from 44 middle and high schools statewide.

GEAR UP Hawaii, a program under Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, whose mission is to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education, is proud to announce the following winners:

Grand Prize:
Leilani Pasol, Grade 10, Kauai High School

6th – 8th Grade Category:
First Place: Kellyn Murakoshi, Grade 8, Ewa Makai Middle School
Second Place: Kevin Zheng, Grade 7, Aiea Intermediate
Third Place: Camren Shardelman, Grade 6, Kealakehe Intermediate

9th – 10th Grade Category:
First Place: Leilani Pasol, Grade 10, Kauai High School
Second Place: Christopher Bouillon, Grade 9, Mililani High School
Third Place: Justin Doi, Grade 10, Kauai High School

11th – 12th Grade Category:
First Place: Shonn Hiranaga, Grade 11, Waiakea High School
Second Place: Kristan Jerald Daenos, Grade 11, Waipahu High School
Third Place: Lei Ann Manera, Grade 12, Kauai High School

First place students in each category will receive a new Apple iPad. Second place and third place winners will receive Dr. Dre High Performance Headphones and an Apple iPod Shuffle, respectively.

Grand prize winner Pasol, a junior at Kauai High School, will have her winning script professionally produced into a commercial to air on television and radio statewide.

“We want to congratulate all the students who participated in our contest,” said GEAR UP Hawai‘i Project Director Angela Jackson. “By taking the time to submit an entry, we know that these students are already on the right track in preparing themselves for their future.”

Media sponsors for the contest include: GEAR UP Hawaii, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Clear Channel Hawaii, Napa Auto Parts, Leavitt Yamane and Soldner, and Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union.

GEAR UP Hawaii, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federally funded program with the mission to significantly increase low-income students’ awareness of, preparedness for, and enrollment in postsecondary education.

Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, a statewide partnership led by the Early Learning Council, the Hawaii State Department of Education and the University of Hawaii System works to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve college and career success.

Hawaii P-20’s partners share a sense of urgency about the need to improve Hawaii’s educational outcomes in an increasingly global economy, and have established a goal of 55 percent of Hawaii’s working age adults having a two- or four-year college degree by 2025.

— Find out more:
www.gearuphawaii.edu
www.p20hawaii.org