JASC Scholarships – Program Overview

As a part of its efforts to preserve and promote a living legacy, JASC administers an annual scholarship program to support members of the Japanese American community to pursue education beyond high school. These JASC scholarships provide financial assistance to students who have demonstrated both academic excellence and community service.

We thank the many families and individuals who funded the scholarships and recognize the people for whom our scholarships have been named, both current and prior: Sam Fukaye; Fred Toguri; William T. Yamamoto; Frank T. Kambara; Jean E. Taketoshi; John (Jun) Iwaoka; Dr. Newton K. Wesley; Taketo (Tak) Tomiyama.

Congratulations to the 2025 Scholarship Recipients!

JASC awarded five scholarships this year supporting a broad range of fields of study. These dedicated and community-minded students were celebrated at our annual spring fundraiser Cranes & Cocktails. We are please to support the continued studies of these dedicated students.

The John (Jun) Iwaoka Scholarship recipient is:

Jacob Rohde | Jacob will be attending the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago.

The Taketo “Tak” Tomiyama Scholarship recipients are:

Evan Potijinda | Evan is graduating from Evanston Township High School and will be studying animal sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Rebecca Hamada | Rebecca is graduating from Niles West High School and will be studying industrial engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Sofia Ozaki | Sofia is graduating from Niles West High School and will be studying architecture at Ball State University.

Ayu Matsubara | Ayu is a graduate of Yokohama National University in Japan and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in school counseling at Roosevelt University.