Jeremiah Jacinto of Baldwin High School was named the 2026 top male scholar at the Citizen-Scholar Awards luncheon on April 22. Pictured with Jacinto are Mufi Hannemann, Keith Hayashi, Denise Ching, family members and sponsors. Photo courtesy Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association

Jeremiah Jacinto of Baldwin High School was announced as one of the winners of the top two Citizen-Scholars Awards for 2026.

Altogether, 43 of the state’s top public school seniors were honored April 22 at the Citizen-Scholar Awards luncheon at the Prince Waikiki. In its 22nd year, the awards program is sponsored by the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, Hawaii Department of Education and Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Named the top male scholar, Jacinto is set to attend Harvard University.

Also included among the top Citizen-Scholars of 2026 was Aaron Omuro of Maui High School, who plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.

Each Citizen-Scholar received a $1,000 scholarship provided by the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association’s member-businesses. The Department of Education selects the recipients, and Southwest Airlines is providing a round-trip anywhere in the United States for every honoree.

Since the program’s inception, more than $900,000 has been awarded.

The program also welcomed a new campus this year with Kulanihakoi High School on Maui getting ready to celebrate its first graduating class.

Six of the seniors were singled out for special recognition — one representing each county, and one male and one female to represent the entire group of honorees.

The county honorees each received $2,500 in addition to their $1,000 scholarship, and the top male and female received $5,000 on top of their initial award.