The Eni & Hina Faleomavaega Scholarship

Eni was born in Vailoatai, American Samoa to Eni Hunkin Sr. and Taualai (Manu, Tufaga, Samataua). Eni Sr. joined the U.S. Navy in 1951 and moved his family to Guam and then Hawaii (Pearl Harbor). Eni earned an associate degree from Church College of Hawaii and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. After serving in the armed forces (Vietnam), Eni earned a juris doctor from the University of Houston and a Master of Law in Letters from UC Berkeley. Every opportunity given to him, Eni encouraged all to pursue a higher education or to learn a trade because “education is the salvation of our people.”

(Antonina) Hinanui was born in Papeete, Tahiti to Dave and Léonne (Bambridge) Cave. After high school and in the fall semester of 1968, Hina also attended CCH (now BYU Hawaii). Eni and Hina met during the summer of 1969 at the Polynesian Cultural Center where they worked respectively as a canoe paddler and a tour guide; the center had only been open for six years. Hina graduated from BYU with a degree in linguistics and speaks 6 languages today. Eni and Hina have 5 children and 12 grandchildren.

The Eni & Hina Faleomavaega Foundation is a registered 501©(3) charitable organization that promotes academic excellence through student scholarships, innovative programs, and it supports other organizations that preserve and perpetuate culture in the Pacific Islands. The Eni & Hina Faleomavaega Foundation Scholarship will provide financial aid to offset the cost of tuition and fees for the University of Utah students who have demonstrated commitment and service to the Pacific Islands community, in addition to meeting the below-mentioned criteria.
Scholarship Criteria:

The recipient of this scholarship must also meet the following criteria:
• Students must be enrolled full-time
• 3.0 GPA
• Undergraduate students