Woodbury President Dr. Luis Maria R. Calingo presents Speaker Joseph M. Souki with the Distinguished Alumni Award. |
For his many
accomplishments and service to the people of Maui and the State, Woodbury
University presented Speaker Souki with its Distinguished Alumni Award at a
dinner honoring him earlier this past weekend in Honolulu.
"Speaker Joe Souki is the embodiment of the
Woodbury alumnus that we seek. He has demonstrated
his entrepreneurial skills in his profession as a realtor. He
has demonstrated design thinking when he initiated the Maui Economic
Opportunity wheelchair accessible bus service, the senior citizen discount
card program, Meals on Wheels, and Youth Transportation Services that help
young people today to have fun and be productive. His civic engagement is
best evident in his advocacy for the women and children who
are victims of domestic violence,” said Woodbury President Dr. Luis Maria
R.Calingo.
“Representative Souki has transcended disciplinary
boundaries by applying his organizational and management skills to
political leadership as Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives.
Entrepreneurship, design thinking, civic engagement,
and transdisciplinarity – these are the Four Pillars of
Woodbury Education, all epitomized in the Honorable Speaker Joseph M.
Souki,” said President Calingo.
Speaker Joseph M. Souki with Woodbury President Dr. Luis Maria R. Calingo and University Relations Vice President Gregory S. Krikorian |
“I am extremely
honored to receive this award from my Alma Mater Woodbury University. Never did I imagine when I first traveled to
Los Angeles to pursue my education, that such a recognition would be possible
for me. Back then I wasn’t sure that I
would even make it through,” joked Speaker Souki.
“Every phase in a
person’s life begins with a significant moment and decision. For me, one of
those moments began with the decision to attend Woodbury, and I am very grateful
to have been given the opportunity to further my education at such a fine
institution,” said Souki.
Woodbury University
is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern
California. Founded in 1884, Woodbury
offers bachelor’s degrees from the School of Architecture, the School of
Business, and the School of Media, Culture and Design.