About Us - Augustine Educational Foundation

Founded in 1984, the mission of the Augustine Educational Foundation is to provide tuition assistance to help families with financial needs that count on Hawaii Catholic Schools for their children’s education.

It is our mission to provide grants to improve the quality of Catholic education without discrimination of race, ethnicity or religion. Today, those programs are referred to the Tuition Scholarship and Teacher/Curriculum Development Grant Programs.

The history of Hawaii Catholic schools dates back to 1840, when King Kamehameha III enacted a law designed to enforce education across the Hawaiian Islands. Today, 26 parish and private Catholic Schools on Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai, serve over 6,000 students ranging from preschool through high school with various ethnic and religious backgrounds. It is a system of schools that religiously, socially, racially and economically is one the most integrated educational systems in the world.

DID YOU KNOW

Tuition costs at local Catholic schools have more than tripled since the foundation was established. During this time, the Foundation distributed more than $14.7 million in tuition scholarships.

OUR STAFF

Making Quality Catholic Education Possible

It takes a team of passionate individuals to make the Augustine Educational Foundation possible. Our committed staff manages the tuition programs and raises funds needed to support distribution each year.

We value the relationships with our donors and maintain open and transparent communication as our key to success and the future of the foundation. With this knowledge, we’re able to better serve and provide opportunities for our donors to know the students in need of financial support.

Together with the support and encouragement of the Bishop of Honolulu, Larry Silva and Msgr. Gary Secor, Augustine Educational Foundation remains steadfast in our commitment to building our relationships with potential donors and raising funds in a timely manner to serve all in need.

SUE FERANDIN

| Executive Director
Since March 2000, Sue Ferandin has served as Executive Director of the Augustine Educational Foundation and has been an advocate for families who wish to pursue a quality Catholic education for their children. Her background in education and fundraising has been key to administering and distributing more than $10.8 million in tuition assistance to Catholic schools in Hawaii.

Sue is a graduate from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Early Childhood Education. She later obtained her teaching credentials from Sonoma State University in Northern California.

Sue is married with two children and has enjoyed living in Hawaii since 1993.

TONYA STEVENSON

| Associate Director
Tonya Stevenson originally joined Augustine Educational Foundation in 1996 as Associate Administrator, spearheading the Education 2002 Capital Campaign. With nearly 20 years in the development field, Tonya oversees the Foundation’s Tuition Scholarship and Teacher/Curriculum Development Grant Programs.

Tonya enjoys working closely with families and educating them about the financial support available to afford Catholic education for their children. It is also her mission to help Catholic Schools and principals meet their school’s mission through the Foundation’s resources, including scholarships and grants.

Tonya earned a Bachelor of Arts from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. She has a college-aged daughter.

SUPPORTED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

In the early 1980s, Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii gifted a modest $1 million to Augustine Educational Foundation from the sale of St. Augustine School in Waikiki. Thanks to generous contributions, Catholic education continues to be possible without financial support from the State of Hawaii – saving Hawaii’s taxpayers nearly $100 million each year.