Zoey Fox feels very connected to Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii’s first and arguably best Olympian. It’s a connection that goes beyond sharing a love of the water and water sports.

“He was such an amazing person, such a humble person,” the recent Kaiser graduate said. “He loved his culture and brought the spirit of aloha and a smile everywhere he went.”

Fox now shares something else with Kahanamoku — having the honorary title “Ambassador of Aloha.”

The Cal Poly-bound Fox officially received the $15,000 scholarship that is connected to the title at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation reception on Monday at the Outrigger Canoe Club. It was one of some 90 scholarships and grants amounting to $205,000 awarded by the foundation to individuals, teams and events that represent sports associated with Kahanamoku: swimming, surfing, water polo, outrigger canoe paddling and volleyball.

Fox, who competed in swimming and water polo for the Cougars while maintaining a 3.99 GPA, said she will limit her collegiate athletic participation to club water polo at the San Luis Obispo campus. Much of her time will be spent as a cadet in the school’s Army ROTC program.

“My goal is to serve my country abroad with aloha, just as Duke did,” said Fox, who plans to major in architectural engineering. “Then I’d like to return home and build affordable housing for our kupuna.

“Having this title is such an incredible honor. I know what it represents.”

The first person Fox told when she learned of her scholarship was older sister Kira, who won the award in 2013. Kira, a rising senior and swimmer at the University of Hawaii, is currently studying abroad in Italy.

All Hawaii high schools are eligible to nominate one outstanding graduating senior for the Ambassador of Aloha Scholarship. The committee has the discretion to award “The Spirit of the Duke” scholarship when there are multiple standout applicants.

Two “Spirit” awards of $8,000 went to Kahuku graduate Kai Phung, who will attend Brigham Young-Hawaii, and Lanai graduate Nicholas Niimi, who will attend the University of Washington.

“When I was in sixth grade, we had to write a paper about a hero and I chose Duke Kahanamoku,” said Phung, who played volleyball and paddled for the Red Raiders. “Knowing about him and his accomplishments … this is such an honor.”

Runners-up receiving $3,000 each were Sophia Spengler (Le Jardin graduate attending Wagner College), Lisa Namatame (Kalani graduate attending Pitzer College) and Kainani Gruspe (Hawaii Baptist graduate attending Cal Poly Pomona).

Although not one of the larger award winners, Punahou graduate Ka’onohi “Ohi” Lapila said she was grateful for her scholarship and the opportunity to represent her culture at Washington. She will row for the Huskies this coming school year, apparently the first native Hawaiian ever on the UW crew team, which is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Huskies men’s crew that won Olympic gold in 1936.

“It’s such a privilege and honor,” said Lapila, hoping to study environmental law. “I’ve paddled for Hui Nalu, which Duke Kahanamoku helped found. Like him, I’d like to compete at the Olympics and want to be part of the push to make outrigger paddling an Olympic sport.”