FDSTL Awards Nitta Scholarships to Two High School Graduates

The Federation of Dharma School Teachers’ League (FDSTL) Fred and Helen Nitta Scholarship Committee received 11 excellent applications this past winter. 

Without reservation, each high school applicant struck us as intelligent, active and thoughtful leaders at their respective temples. It was not an easy decision, but we are pleased to announce two wonderful high school seniors as the 2026 Nitta Scholarship awardees: Nicholas Arai of Oceanside and Kylene Kubo of Fresno. Each awardee receives a $1,000 scholarship. 

Arai is featured this month and Kubo will be featured in the August issue of the Wheel of Dharma. 

Nicholas “Nick” Arai graduated from Valley Center High School and lives in Oceanside, California. He attends Vista Buddhist Temple, where Rev. Jon Turner serves as Supervising Minister. He is the son of Stanley and Tomoko Arai.

At Valley Center High School, Nicholas was a very well-rounded honor student and leader in numerous organizations, including his volleyball team, soccer team, jazz band and student government. 

At Vista Buddhist Temple, Nicholas is involved in both temple and district-level Jr. YBA, taiko and Boy Scouts. Last year, he received his Eagle Scout award, which included building and donating two signs to improve Vista Buddhist Temple’s public outreach. 

He plans to attend the University of California at San Diego to study aerospace engineering, where he said he can “innovate, solve problems, and contribute to a growing field of space exploration and technology.” 

Nicholas wrote in response to the following prompt: Share what you feel was a Buddhist lesson or teaching that you received from someone or something that was not even Buddhist.

“Realizing the Dharma and practicing its teachings was something I had least expected to find on the soccer pitch. From the grueling workouts that make your calves cramp, to the aggressive physical contact that is a part of this sport, this environment seemed to foster the exact opposite of what I’d learn from the Dharma. But to my surprise, even amidst the rough and competitive nature of this sport, I found the Buddhist lesson of compassion and learning to let go of one’s ego. 

“It was this past winter season that I received a Buddhist lesson from my soccer coach, Coach JG. He told the team once that when he played soccer, he would never talk to his teammates, not even his friends, after suffering a heavy loss. He would tell them, ‘Don’t talk to me now’ — a cold and distant gesture out of anger from the game. At first, I didn’t think much of this, nor realized any correlation to a Buddhist teaching. It was simply an account from my coach trying to make us take the game seriously. But after experiencing a similar anger, and struggling to suppress my ego, I realized a lesson in the words of my coach. 

“There was one instance in a game when I accidently fouled an opponent. Of course, I had meant no harm in my actions, but my opponent took it as a sign of foul play. As the game progressed, there was more contact between he and I: shoves, elbows out and pulled jerseys. I tried my best to deescalate the situation by keeping my hands down, but my opponent thought differently. 

“The game finally ended in a tie: 1-1. I remember having mixed feelings after the game, both relieved it was over, and frustrated with my opponent. My friends had come to watch me since it was my senior night, but still shaken from the game, I wasn’t in the mood to talk to them. ‘Don’t talk to me now,’ I thought, voicing the words of my coach. 

“I realized ‘Don’t talk to me now’ was not only a way for my coach to suppress his anger, but to suppress his ego as well. Taking my own experience for reference, I can see how our egos can blind us to achieve superiority through unnecessary means. My opponent and I had different motives: He was on a higher division team; for me, it was my senior night. 

“We were both blinded by our egos to beat the other team rather than play a good game. Though neither of us got hurt, I still remember having a bitter taste in my mouth for my opponent, especially after he refused my handshake. 

“In Buddhism, anger is one of the three poisons as it can misguide us and cause suffering. It can be found that when speaking from anger, you breed more anger in others. There’s this saying that ‘giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin and what you give is what you receive,’ highlighting our interconnectedness. In my case, my foul caused more fouls. But at the same time when you speak from compassion, you breed more compassion. You give what you receive. 

“Anger can also be fueled by our egos — as seen in my soccer game altercation — where a bad image of ourselves can lead us to make unwise decisions. This is exactly why compassion was the best possible response my coach gave because the first step in overcoming one’s ego is by accepting humility. 

“I believe compassion is one of the hardest things to give because it requires humility and letting go of one’s ego. My humility was starting the foul in the first place. The disillusionment that my opponent was my enemy made it especially difficult to find compassion. 

“But the Sutra teaches us that even to our enemies we bid them well, ‘May my enemies be happy and well,/May no harm or difficulties come to them,/ May they live in peace and harmony’ (Palo Alto Buddhist Temple reading). 

“Although my opponent refused to shake my hand, I no longer see him as my ‘enemy.’ I realize now that though it may be difficult to find compassion for others, it is nonetheless a necessary component of life that we must all share in this interconnected world. I am grateful for the Dharma lesson I received and I hope my insight and compassion brings light to those around me.”