Aqua Engineers Scholarship Giving Goes On

05/19/2020

Aqua Engineers, Inc. (Aqua) is pleased to announce the winners of its fourth annual Employee-Owner Dependent Scholarship Program. This year, eight sons and daughters of four Aqua Employee-Owners received scholarships in the amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500.

The 2020 recipients are: Anna-Malia Santos – Kapa’a High School & University of Portland, Ruth Santos – Kapa’a High School & University of Hawaii Manoa, Danielle Santos – Kapa’a High School & University of Hawaii Manoa, Serena Lum – Saint Francis High School & Menlo College, Dylan Lum – Saint Louis High School & Simpson University, Bryce Yoshida – Iolani High School, Andre Adams – Lanai High School, Jamahl Adams – Lanai High School & West Point Prep School.

The Aqua scholarship selection committee has awarded $40,000 to thirteen different scholars in the first four years of the Dependent Scholarship Program. The mission of the program is to provide financial assistance to the dependent scholars of active, full-time employee-owners in recognition of their academic achievement and their pursuit of higher education or vocational training.

Herman Santos, Treatment Plant Supervisor at Aqua – “This helps my girls with tuition, meals and books. I am glad that our company has this program, it helps with my kids dreams. Reading their personal statements through the scholarship submittal process makes me proud that they can dream of their future and think outside of the box.”

President & CEO, David Paul – “I’m pleased that Aqua is able to support our Employee-Owners’ goal to further their children’s education. Many of our recipients make the most out of their opportunities and being able to reflect on that is gratifying.”

In addition to its Scholarship program Aqua supports the community with a donation program administered by a committee of non-management Employee-Owners. Aqua has consistently landed on the Hawaii Business Magazine Most Charitable Companies list, donating over 1% of its gross revenue in both time and money to charities throughout the State of Hawaii, including many supporting higher education and programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). The success of Aqua’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) results in a robust benefit and profit-sharing program for its Employee-Owners. Sharing with community members remains at the heart of the Aqua Ohana culture.

Aqua is an award-winning water and wastewater services company, a 2016 & 2020 Best Places to Work company and in 2018 Hawaii’s ESOP Company of the Year. Aqua has been in business since 1981 serving numerous water and wastewater utility clients throughout the state of Hawaii including its acquisitions of the US Army sewer system on Oahu and Puhi Sewer & Water Company on Kauai.