b' Scholarship FoundationHI IDHawaii Recipient Idaho Recipient Sivarat KhanalAmanda ElorrietaSivarat Irwin Khanal is inspiredby a quote from I love scienceand figuring out how and why things work theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking: Remember to lookthe way that they do, like a pacemaker regulating heart rhythms. up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make senseScience is so cool! wrote Amanda Elorrieta, the 2021 WPMA of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universeScholarship recipient for the State of Idaho. Amanda is the fifth exist. Be curious. Sivaret, or Irwin, as he is known by hisof five children of John and Toni Elorrieta of Eden, Idaho. She friends and associates, is the recipient of the 2021 WPMAapplied for the WPMA Scholarship through Black Oil Company, Scholarship for the State of Hawaii. The only son of Samirwhere her mother Toni works as a bookkeeper.and Saranya Khanal of Honolulu, Irwin applied for theHer love for the sciences helped Amanda graduate from Murtaugh WPMA Scholarship through Aloha Petroleum LTD in High School in May, ranked 2 ndin her class. Her many academic Honolulu, where his mother Saranya works as an honors included membership in the National Honor Society, list-accounting supervisor.ing on the Honor Roll every year, an Outstanding Achievement Born in Thailand, Irwin moved with his family to HawaiiAward in Physical Science and Math, Top Mathematician in Trig-when he was around 6 years old. When Irwin would askonometry, Most Outstanding Sophomore, Outstanding Student in his parents why they moved to Hawaii, they would answerUS History and Humanities and in Political Science, Top Student so you can have a U.S. education. This gave Irwin anin College and Career Readiness, MVP in Senior English, and understanding of how important higher education is, andAcademic All-Star. She was chosen to attend Girls State in 2020, of his parents sacrifices in his behalf. Both my parentsbut the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.came from poor backgrounds, wrote Irwin. My fatherIn 2018, Amanda was in a car accident that caused a brain bleed, was born in a very poor village in Nepal, and being thetaking 75% of her peripheral and night vision, along with memory son of a farmer, he would help tend to the fields. Howev- and self-worth. In 2019, she was selected as one of only 14 er, my father was devoted to his education. Through hisstudents nationwide to participate in the Youth for Understand-degree, he was able to get a job and help get our familying Japanese Exchange. That June she traveled to Tokyo, where out of the village. Thus, it is not an underestimate to sayshe began to heal from her loss of clarity and courage. She later that a higher education is the crux of ones future. It iswrote: I have learned that I can do hard things if I face chal-what gave my father the opportunity to travel abroadlenges with a cheerful attitude . I have chosen to be optimistic and meet my mother.in the face of adversity, to find hope in the darkness, and to not Irwin graduated from the Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu inlet others dictate my path. I know that I can reach any goal I set May, with a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.207. He workedbecause I have chosen to grow through what I go through.hard during his years at the Institute, securing a place on theActive in school organizations, Amanda was a member of Busi-Presidents list all three years of high school, and earning anness Professionals of America and FCCLA (Family, Career and International Baccalaureate diploma in both his junior and seniorCommunity Leaders of America), serving as a Freshman Rep-years. As a member of the International Baccalaureate Diplomaresentative, VP of Community Service, Secretary, and Chapter program, Irwin took many diverse but rigorous classes. HisPresident for her school, as well as Idaho District 4 Treasurer, predominant strength was in STEM classes, but the diversity ofSecretary, and Representative. As VP of Community Service, courses made him well-rounded, deepening his academic range.Amanda led activities to spread kindness at school through the His counselor wrote of him: Hes focused on his studies, excelsRandom Acts of Kindness project, and she participated in Project in his STEM courses, balances his life with healthy activities, Semicolon, a Suicide Prevention and Awareness Campaign. She and surrounds himself with strong role models. Hes taken on continued on page 10 continued on page 108 www.wpma.com / Summer 2021'