Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Commencement Mass and Blessing of the Graduates

Graduates, faculty, staff, family members and friends gathered at the Mystical Rose Oratory on May 7 for Chaminade University of Honolulu’s annual Commencement Mass and Blessing of Graduates, a longstanding tradition that celebrates academic achievement while giving thanks for the journey that brought students to commencement.

The liturgy brought together the Chaminade community in prayer and reflection ahead of commencement exercises, highlighting the university’s Marianist and Catholic traditions. The Mass was presided over by Bishop Larry Silva, with Rev. Christopher Wittmann serving as concelebrant.

In welcoming those gathered, Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington offered warm congratulations to the graduates and their families, recognizing the dedication, resilience and perseverance required to complete their academic journeys. She also acknowledged the support systems that helped students reach this milestone, including faculty mentors, loved ones and the broader Chaminade community.

During his homily, Bishop Silva shared reflections on growth, change and enduring love. He spoke about how people evolve throughout their lives, often becoming very different from who they once were in earlier chapters of life. Using the example of a couple happily married for 60 years, he described how the husband continued falling in love with his wife through every stage of her life — as a carefree young woman, a mother, a professional, someone navigating middle age and eventually a senior.

Bishop Silva noted that authentic love means embracing the person someone becomes over time, even as life changes them in expected and unexpected ways. He encouraged graduates to remain open to transformation in their own lives and to recognize that growth, maturity and new experiences will continue shaping who they are long after graduation.

The message resonated with graduates preparing to begin new careers, continue their education or embark on other life paths beyond Chaminade. His reflections underscored the importance of faith, compassion and openness to change as students move into new chapters of adulthood as he and the congregation blessed the graduates.

Music throughout the liturgy was provided by the talented voices and musicians of the Mystical Rose Choir, whose performances added beauty and reverence to the celebration. The choir’s music helped create a joyful and reflective atmosphere within the oratory.

Following the Mass, graduates gathered with Bishop Silva for commemorative photographs, capturing a meaningful moment before commencement festivities continued. Students and guests also enjoyed fellowship and refreshments, including cookies hosted by Chaminade’s Office of Advancement. Thanks was extended to the Office of Campus Ministry for organizing the annual celebration and coordinating the details that made the evening possible.

The Commencement Mass serves as both a spiritual and communal tradition at Chaminade, offering graduates an opportunity to pause and reflect before officially crossing the commencement stage. Rooted in Catholic Marianist values, the celebration emphasizes gratitude, faith, service and community — ideals that graduates carry forward in their personal and professional lives.

As the Class of 2026 prepares to leave Chaminade and begin new journeys, the evening offered a meaningful reminder that education is not only about academic achievement, but also about personal growth, relationships and becoming the people they are called to be. The commencement ceremony for graduate students take place today, May 8 and for undergraduates tomorrow, May 9. Congratulations to all. 

Chaminade in HOME RUN Initiative, Education Award for Healthcare Students

University to receive $5 million over five years for education awards supporting healthcare professionals serving rural Hawaiʻi.

Chaminade University of Honolulu is participating in the statewide HOME RUN initiative, a major effort to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s healthcare workforce in rural and underserved communities through education awards, training and workforce development opportunities.

As part of the initiative, Chaminade will receive approximately $5 million over five years to support students pursuing graduate degrees in healthcare and behavioral health fields. The funding comes through Hawaiʻi’s Rural Health Transformation Program award, announced earlier this year by Governor Josh Green. The state received nearly $189 million in federal funding through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services RuralHealth Transformation Program to improve healthcare access and outcomes across rural Hawaiʻi.

HOME RUN — Hawaiʻi Outreach for Medical Education in Rural Under-resourced Neighborhoods — is designed to help recruit and retain healthcare professionals in communities facing workforce shortages. Students who receive HOME RUN education award support must commit to serving in a rural Hawaiʻi community for five years after completing their degree.

Students interested in receiving scholarship support should apply for the HOME RUN education award at the same time they apply for admission into an eligible Chaminade program.

Current eligible programs include (additional programs may be added in the near future):

  •   Master of Science in Counseling Psychology
  •   Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
  •   Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy
  •   Master of Science in Nursing
  •   Doctor of Nursing Practice
  •   Post-Graduate Nursing Certificates
  •   Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology

“This initiative represents an important investment in Hawaiʻi’s future healthcare workforce and in the well-being of rural communities across our state,” said Lynn Babington. “Chaminade is proud to help prepare compassionate professionals who are committed to serving communities where access to healthcare and behavioral health services remains limited.”

According to the Governor’s Office, healthcare services in Hawaiʻi remain heavily concentrated on Oʻahu, leaving many rural residents with limited access to specialty care, behavioral health services and emergency treatment. The initiative seeks to address those challenges by building a stronger local workforce pipeline and supporting students committed to remaining in Hawaiʻi after graduation.

The initiative aligns closely with Chaminade’s mission of service and community engagement. Through graduate programs in nursing, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and educational psychology, the university prepares students to serve diverse communities throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

The HOME RUN initiative is one of six components included in the state’s five-year Rural Health Transformation Plan, which also includes investments in telehealth expansion, emergency response systems and healthcare infrastructure modernization.

Additional information about eligibility requirements and application timelines will be released as the initiative is implemented. For more information about Chaminade’s graduate healthcare and counseling programs, visit Chaminade University of Honolulu.

A Legacy Lives On

Remembering and Honoring “Mr. I”

The Chaminade University family is celebrating the life and legacy of a popular professor who left an indelible mark on his students and the campus community and who exemplified the high standards of academic excellence that is part of the University’s promise.

Ronald M. Iwamoto was a long-time biology professor at Chaminade. “Long-time” is putting it rather mildly: Mr. I, as his students called him, called the university home for 47 years, or nearly five decades. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he helped mold the university into the place it is today in very real, tangible ways.

Sadly, Iwamoto passed away in October of 2025, but his legacy endures both in the memory of Chaminade’s alumni, in the fund organized in his honor, supporting a teaching fellowship that bears his name.

Chaminade alum Angela Maroun ʻ76, who majored in biology during her time as a student on campus, remembers Iwamoto fondly. She says she first met “Mr. I” after enrolling in his Biology 203 course.

“It was his class that made me decide to be a Biology major and love science,” Maroun shared with us. “He made biology fun. He was a tough but fair and caring teacher.”

Iwamoto graduated from Punahou School in 1959, earned a BA in history from Northwestern University, and later an MS in Zoology and an MEd with a focus on Educational Foundations from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He joined Chaminade’s faculty in 1967, barely a dozen years after the University’s founding in 1955.

The long track of his academic career means Mr. I literally touched the lives of thousands of Chaminade University students, mentoring them through their studies and coursework and lining them up for successful careers post-graduation.

Though she originally hails from Syracuse, New York, Maroun said Iwamoto helped her experience the best of Hawaiʻi and its natural beauty as a local would. He went out of his way to help me feel at home, she said.

“He went the extra mile to both challenge and support each student so that they could succeed,” she recalled.

Maroun said she took other biology courses that he taught and also worked as a laboratory assistant for several of his classes. She babysat his children and introduced Mr. I to her family when they visited from Syracuse. In fact, he shared time with her and her family on a number of occasions. “He always made time for lunch, dinner, or just a visit,” she said.

Maroun said she especially remembers the island adventures Mr. I took her and her classmates on for his ecology course, the ultimate experiential learning opportunities.

“Ecology was a favorite since we went on many field trips, hikes, and ocean adventures,” she recalled. “Through him, I experienced nighttime on the reef collecting specimens for the lab, catching crabs in the mangroves, and walking during low tide for a picnic.”

Iwamoto was recognized for his excellence by both students and faculty alike.

He was honored with a prestigious Heritage Award during Founders’ Week 2000, bestowed with the Chaminade Award that year by his fellow faculty and staff members. 

Later, Dr. Iwamoto helped establish a legacy that would endure well past his own lifetime.

In 2018, he and other Chaminade community members formed a committee and established the Ronald M. Iwamoto Teaching Fellowship in Biology, the first teaching fellowship established at the university.

Donors came forward to seed the fellowship with a $50,000 endowment. The fellowship was first awarded to Chaminade Assistant Professor Frederique Kandel in 2019, recognized for her commitment to professional development in teaching and pedagogy.

Ron Iwamoto left our world on October 21, 2025, but he lives on through the mark he left on Chaminade University, his legacy establishing the university’s science curriculum, and in his students and colleagues’ cherished memories.

“He was just so much fun and a joy to be around,” Maroun said. “How lucky I was to cross paths with Mr. I.”

If you would like to make a gift in support of the Ronald M. Iwamoto Teaching Fellowship in Biology, please click here.

Silverswords Reunite for Fun Night

Graduating seniors in the Class of 2026 and recent alumni gathered on May 1 for ALUMNIGHT, an evening of connection, laughter, and friendly competition at Dave & Buster’s, transforming the popular entertainment venue into a hub of Silversword pride. The event drew recent graduates eager to reconnect with classmates, meet fellow alumni, and unwind over games, food, and shared memories.

As guests filtered in, the energy quickly picked up. Alumni greeted one another with excitement—some reconnecting after only a year apart, others reuniting for the first time since graduation. 

The program began with a warm welcome from Director of Student Engagement Andrew Peter Anchetta II ’21, who thanked attendees for staying connected to the university and to one another. He emphasized the importance of the young alumni community and encouraged guests to make the most of the evening—not just by enjoying the activities, but by strengthening the relationships that began on campus. Following the welcome, Fr. Martin Solma, SM offered a prayer, grounding the gathering in gratitude and shared purpose.

Guests made their way to the food line, as alumni shared updates about careers, graduate school, and life beyond campus. Alumni enjoyed classic arcade games, basketball shootouts, racing simulators, and interactive challenges. The step-and-repeat photo area was a popular feature throughout the night, as friends captured moments together. 

Door prize drawings were an exciting and fun part of the evening with prizes provided by the Office of Admissions, Office of Advancement, and Office of Student Engagement. Items included Chaminade-branded bags, a commemorative 70th anniversary Yeti water bottle, and exclusive collaboration pieces from Aloha Collection. Each prize reflected both school pride and appreciation for the alumni community.

The alumni event at Dave & Buster’s was more than a night of games and good food—it was a celebration of community, shared experiences, and the enduring ties that continue long after graduation.

Wilde’s Comedy Comes to Loo Theatre

Chaminade University’s Loo Theatre welcomed audiences this past week for the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest, offering a thoughtful and engaging take on Oscar Wilde’s well-known comedy. The production brought the play’s humor and characters to life with audiences laughing and cheering.

Set in Victorian England, the story follows two young men who assume alternate identities to navigate social expectations, leading to a series of misunderstandings and witty exchanges. The Chaminade cast leaned into both the humor and structure of the script, focusing on timing, character development, and collaboration.

Andrew Erwin played John Worthing, J.P., also known as Jack, portraying the character’s sense of responsibility alongside moments of uncertainty. Kevin Mayorga took on the role of Algernon Moncrieff, bringing a relaxed and conversational approach that complemented the rhythm of Wilde’s dialogue. Together, the two leads established a steady foundation for the production. (In Sunday’s matinee Ava Cuellar Bettray played the role of Algernon with a brilliant performance.)

Supporting roles were shared across a range of student performers. Victor Rivas-Ramirez appeared as Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D., while Emily Cooper and Ava Cuellar Bettray portrayed Merriman and Lane, the household servants who observe much of the action. Each contributed to the overall pacing and tone of the performance.

Randrielle Yola’s portrayal of Lady Bracknell stood out for its clarity and control, capturing the character’s firm presence in key scenes. Jayde-Emaree Ramos played Gwendolen Fairfax with confidence, and Nathalie David’s Cecily Cardew brought a lighter, more playful perspective to the stage. Amalee Magallon rounded out the cast as Miss Prism, helping to carry several of the play’s more reflective moments.

The production also reflected the efforts of students working behind the scenes. Costumes and staging were kept relatively simple, allowing the dialogue and performances to remain the focus. The Loo Theatre’s close setting gave audiences a chance to experience the play up close, emphasizing the actors’ delivery and interactions.

For the students involved, the production offered an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom in a live performance environment. Rehearsals focused on developing consistency, understanding character motivations, and working as an ensemble—skills that are central to theatre but also transferable to other areas.

Chaminade’s staging of The Importance of Being Earnest is part of the university’s broader commitment to providing opportunities in the arts. Productions like this give students a chance to engage with classic works while developing their own approach to performance and storytelling.

Opening week drew a supportive campus audience, with friends, faculty, and community members coming out to see the show. The production provided a chance to experience a familiar play through the perspective of student performers, while also highlighting the continued activity of the university’s theatre program.

The production also extends a heartfelt mahalo to Diamond Head Theatre, The Actor’s Group, and Manoa Valley Theatre for generously opening their costume shops and prop stores. Their spirit of collaboration and support was invaluable to the production. In addition, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Palolo Chinese Home, further connecting the production to the broader community.

Bravo to all who make this production possible. Tickets are still available for shows.

Supporting Tomorrow’s School Leaders

Kathy Jaycox dedicated her career to advancing education as a high school teacher, university professor and community college administrator. Now in retirement, she’s proud to continue that support, including with a new scholarship that honors her uncle—a longtime educator himself.

The Andrew J. Penn Endowed Scholarship at Chaminade’s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences targets aid to students pursuing a master’s degree in education. While many scholarships are for undergraduates, Jaycox said it was important for her to help graduate students who are returning to school and looking to build on their skills and advance as leaders in education.

Jaycox says her “Uncle Andy,” who passed away in 2010, inspired her to pursue a career in education and often spoke about how he taught school during the day and earned his master’s degree at night. Penn served as a principal in Chicago for more than two decades.

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Penn, who started teaching in the 1950s, was also a Korean War veteran and something of a big brother to Jaycox. “He was a really big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she explained.

“He put other people ahead of himself so much.”

Jaycox and Penn not only shared a passion for education. They also both fell in love with Hawaii, visiting for vacation and vowing to move there someday.

That’s exactly what they did in the early 1990s during a particularly chilly Chicago winter. Penn was retired by that time and Jaycox was able to secure a position at Honolulu Community College focused on continuing education.

Jaycox served at the University of Hawaiʻi for nearly 20 years and also led the Hawaiʻi P-20 Initiative to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood to postsecondary education.

She said during her years in education leadership, she learned about Chaminade and its service-focused mission. Penn also supported the University as a donor. Jaycox said the endowed scholarship not only celebrates her uncle’s legacy, but her own pursuit of lifelong learning.

“I know this scholarship is what Uncle Andy would have wanted,” said Jaycox, who returned to Chicago after her retirement.

“He would often talk about how important it was to help people who wanted to do something more. As a lifelong learner myself, it’s nice to help somebody do that.”