FDSTL Awards Nitta Scholarships to Two High School Graduates

Awardees Are Jacqueline Aochi of San Jose and Jeffrey Nishida of OCBC; Aochi Is Featured This Month

Editor’s note: The BCA and FDSTL work to support our young adults, aspiring ministers and current minister’s continuing education.  Through your generous support of the Fred and Helen Nitta scholarship fund, the Dharma Forward campaign and our SFAP scholarship funds, we are able to help members of our Jodo Shinshu community realize their dreams.

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Upon their 25th wedding anniversary, Fred and Helen Nitta established a scholarship to honor and give recognition to outstanding Buddhist youth. 

Fred Nitta was instrumental in always assuring the Watsonville Buddhist Temple was a steadfast center for the Buddhist teachings even during the unexpected loss of the temple’s resident minister. 

Focusing on the temple youth was his passion as he often held discussions for the young Buddhists of Watsonville. In 1964, the Fred and Helen Nitta Scholarship was founded to feature our active BCA youth.

This year, the Federation of Dharma School Teachers’ League (FDSTL) is honored to announce the awarding of two $750 scholarships. The amazing field of 2025 graduating high school seniors made the selection process quite challenging as each applicant shined as a unique and amazing individual. 

The two awardees are Jacqueline Aochi of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin and Jeffrey Nishida of the Orange County Buddhist Church.  This month, we feature Miss Jacqueline Aochi. 

Jacqueline Aochi attended Dharma School in San Jose from preschool through high school, where she became a Dharma School teacher’s assistant.  

She also participated in the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin’s Scouting program and earned the Girl Scout Silver Award in 2021 with her project “Japanese American Incarceration Camp History Minecraft Video and Education.”

Not only an exemplary academic, Jacqueline also participated on the Santa Clara High varsity basketball team serving as team captain. Her athleticism didn’t end on the court as she utilized her athletic skills to design an obstacle course for the Coast District YBL Conference. This served as an interactive means of learning about Shakyamuni Buddha where participants learned to work together, listen and find meaning in their activities. 

The focus of her essay was on the topic of the BCA 2024 theme, “The Right Time Is Now,” and her understanding of this quotation from Rennyo Shonin. 

“The BCA theme and Rennyo Shonin’s quote, ‘The Right Time Is Now’ resonates with me because, as a Buddhist, I strive to be mindful and present in each moment, which can be challenging,” Aochi wrote. “I often find myself reflecting on the past or worrying about the future, which can lead to me being more hesitant to take action or speak up when needed.

Being mindful of the present and taking action are important to leading a meaningful life. 

“Last summer, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto and participate in the Hiroshima Peace Program, which is a two-day international event that memorializes those who passed away from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. 

“The Hiroshima Peace Program emphasizes the importance of world peace and humanity. During the program, I had the honor to meet and listen to the first-hand experiences of Mr. Mikio Saiki, a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor. His words brought the true horrors of war and nuclear weapons into light. Mr. Saiki had kept his painful memories to himself for 79 years, but decided ‘the right time is now’ to share his story after learning about Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Mr. Saiki has inspired me to be an active citizen in making the world a better place. 

“I am proud that I took action when I completed my Girl Scout Silver Award project. I am a fifth-generation Japanese American and grew up knowing that my grandparents were incarcerated as children during World War II. 

“In my history classes at school, I was surprised that not all of my classmates were aware of Executive Order 9066 and the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans. 

“For the project, my Girl Scout sister and I created an educational Minecraft video that takes a narrated journey into the past, starting with the issuing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 and showing the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast and the harsh conditions in the incarceration camps. Additional teacher resources are posted on YouTube and Teachers Pay Teachers as a free resource for classrooms nationwide. 

“In a feedback survey, many students expressed their astonishment and concern that these events happened. My Girl Scout Silver Award project reminded me that it is never too late to speak up against past injustices. When students become aware of these injustices, they can gain a deeper understanding and respect for all people, which will create a more peaceful society for everyone. 

“Recently, I took action in my community when I wrote a letter to the City of Sunnyvale Council Members to express my support for the construction of a Sunnyvale memorial dedicated to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The City Council had previously planned to create a Japanese American memorial, but it has been left to a vote for financial reasons. I hope that my voice, as well as others, will be heard in support of the memorial. 

“With my Buddhist perspective, I know that things are always changing, but by keeping in mind Rennyo Shonin’s quote, ‘The Right Time Is Now,” I will have the confidence to embrace change, take action when needed, and be mindful and grateful for the present.”

Jacqueline will be attending the University of California, Santa Cruz to pursue a degree in microbiology. 

She is planning to pursue a career in the biotech field, where she hopes to help people around the world live healthier lives.  

We look forward to her continued participation in the BCA through the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.

She has a passion for growing succulents, so every time you view a succulent, think of Jacqueline and share her confidence in the teachings, her mindfulness of the present and gratitude for the past. 

The FDSTL congratulates Jacqueline Aochi and all our 2025 high school graduates.