PRESS RELEASE: February 16, 2012

JAVA TO OFFER NINE $1500 SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2012;
LATEST ADDITION WILL HONOR MRS. BETTY SHIMA

“The JAVA Memorial Scholarship Program has grown some more! For 2012, we are honored to add a scholarship in the name of Betty Shima, who just passed away on Feb. 5. Mrs. Shima’s husband, Terry, is the Executive Director of JAVA.”

That was the latest word from Dr. Raymond Murakami, chair for the Program. He pointed out that, with the addition of this latest scholarship, a total of nine $1500 awards would be made.

Mark T. Nakagawa, JAVA’s Treasurer, had advised the Scholarship Committee that he had received a sufficient number of contributions in a week’s time to fund an award in Mrs. Shima’s name for this year. Given this information, the Program officials decided that, although the 2012 competition had already been announced, since it had just gotten underway, expanding the awards to include the Shima scholarship would be a wonderful addition.

As under the eligibility rules for the JAVA scholarship program only students who will be graduating from high school this year, and who can trace their ancestry to someone who has served in designated military units during World War II, or who otherwise served in the nation’s Armed Forces, or who is lineally related to a qualified JAVA member, may apply, Dr. Murakami pointed out that eligible applicants will have a distinctly better, and extra, chance to receive an award this year compared to other scholarship programs.

The applicable rules and the application form are posted on the JAVA website, i.e., [webadmin@javadc.org], and all eligible high school students are urged to apply. The application form should be downloaded. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2012. Complete rules and submission information will be found on the website. The awardees will be identified at a JAVA luncheon on June 9.

CONTACT:

JAPANESE AMERICAN VETERANS ASSOCIATION
(Amour, LLC; 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd; McLean, VA 22101)