53rd Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry Blossom Festival General Co-Chairs: Robb Taone and Sandy Parilla
Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce President:
53rd Cherry Blossom Festival Court
Princess and Miss Popularity Kacie Takushi, Princess Nicole Fujiyama, First Princess Theresa Inefuku, Queen Brooke Hasegawa, Princess Brandi-Lyn Yasuoka and Miss Congeniality Tracyn Wong
57th Cherry Blossom Festival Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship Awardee
Brandi-Lyn Yasuoka
"The meaning and value of the Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship deepens as my involvement with the Cherry Blossom Festival and court grows. As the 2005 recipient of the scholarship, I want to publicly thank Dr. Oishi for his commitment and dedication to his mother, this festival, and philanthropy. As I stood on stage last March at Festival Ball, the words of my speech came out from the deepest part of me as I recounted how my mom and donors to educational institutions made sacrifices that opened a world of opportunities. Philanthropists have had an immeasurable impact on my life, and Dr. Oishi is one of those people.
At the conclusion of our reign as 53rd Cherry Blossom Festival Court, I will be using the Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship to do volunteer work in the developing world. I am currently seeking opportunities to assist nonprofit and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to increase access to education and health care for the world's poorest children and secure human rights for women. Through my experience in the developing world and my own work with nonprofit organizations in Hawaii, I will begin research for graduate school where I plan on focusing on improving efficiency and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations.
I am particularly grateful and proud to have received the Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship because it allows me to expand on the incredible experiences I had as a contestant and court member. The volunteer work that this scholarship enables me to do will forever become linked with the Cherry Blossom Festival and all it means to me - charity, goodwill, hospitality, and heritage."