Destination Hoover International, a nonprofit that promotes cultural exchange and international relations between Hoover and the world, recently named Hoover High School’s Elijah Burns and Spain Park High School’s Kodai Nakazawa as its 2026 scholarship recipients.

Scholarship Winners

Burns, a National Merit finalist, plans to attend the University of Alabama, where he will major in mechanical engineering and minor in entrepreneurship as part of the Randall Research Scholars Program. Nakazawa, also a National Merit finalist, plans to attend Auburn University, where he will pursue a degree in business with a focus on cultural exchange.

Both students have demonstrated strong work ethic, leadership, and commitment to serving others. Burns has a passion for increasing access to electricity and clean water in developing countries, while Nakazawa has experienced cultural barriers firsthand and learned how to overcome them through his passion for baseball.

Shelley Shaw, a Hoover school board member, expressed gratitude to Jubilee Joe’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant, which has funded DHI’s scholarships with proceeds from its annual Crawfish Fest since 2018. Kash Siddiqui, owner of Jubilee Joe’s, said his restaurant is proud to support DHI and help invest in the future of these students.

Original reporting: Hoover Sun — read the source article.