Much has been said in recent months about Tua Tagovailoa, the athlete. His latest endeavor shows that his philanthropy figures to be just as important to his legacy as his on-field accomplishments.
The Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback announced on Tuesday, on behalf of the Tagavailoa Family, the establishment of a $300,000 scholarship endowment to benefit his high school, Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The school is also the alma mater of Raiders QB Marcus Mariota, who served as a mentor to Tagovailoa growing up.
“My hope is that these scholarships will give deserving Hawai'i students the same opportunities Saint Louis School gave me,” Tagovailoa said, according to the official press release. “It is a blessing to honor my family and high school through this gift.”
The release also highlighted the distribution of four scholarships that will be awarded to students from Hawai'i over the next four years. Each scholarship will be named in honor of his grandparents: Seumaninoa Tagovailoa, Taulia Fa'avi, Leaniva Tagovailoa and Pa'iau Fa'avi.
"On behalf of the entire Saint Louis School family, we thank Tua for his incredibly generous donation," said Glenn Medeiros, president of Saint Louis School. "Tua Tagovailoa is a shining example of our motto, Mindful and Faithful. Mahalo nui loa, Tua; you make our community proud."
In 2017, the then-19-year-old solidified himself as a four-star recruit and the top football prospect in all of Hawai'i. Now, two months after being selected fifth overall and witnessing one of his wildest dreams come true, the 22-year-old will help the next generation achieve theirs.