55th Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry Blossom Festival General Chair: Catherine Toth and Sonya Kimura
Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce President: Jonathan Murai
55th Cherry Blossom Festival Court
Princess Julie Yoshioka, Princess Christin Sumida, 1st Princess Melissa Fujimoto, Queen and Miss Congeniality Richelle Nakata, Princess Tiffanie Luke and Miss Popularity Melody Yoshimura
57th Cherry Blossom Festival Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship Awardee
Melissa Fujimoto
"It was an honor to be the recipient of the Violet Niimi Oishi Scholarship Award in 2007. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Scott Oishi for his generosity and continuous support of the Cherry Blossom Festival. As a student in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa this scholarship has helped me pursue my goal of becoming an elemenatry school teacher. I am looking forward to my graduation in Spring 2008 and to pursuing my master's degree in curriculum studies. As a future teacher, I feel that my experience in the Cherry Blossom Festival will enable me to encourage my students to embrace their cultural identity and help them understand the importance of community service."