Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Hogan Students Experience ‘Raw Glory’ of Entrepreneurism on Missions to China, India

Study missions to China and India gave Chaminade University students in the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program in-person looks at two of the world’s largest economies.

This was the 13th year of Hogan trips to China and eighth year of India visits. The journeys featured company visits, networking opportunities and tours of historical and cultural sites, plus internships in China.

Students prepared for the missions by attending seminars and other events exploring economic, political and cultural issues in China and India. They also raised funds for airfare.

“These annual trips to China and India are often life-changing experiences for students,” according to Dr. John Webster, Hogan program director. “The places they see, the people they meet and the cultures they encounter give our students invaluable perspectives on the evolving global economy.”

Hogan China and India Trip

Guiding eight students through China from June 10 to July 6 was Dr. Caryn Callahan, a Professor of Finance and International Business and Director of the Hogan International Entrepreneurial Study Missions.

“The major thing our students get out of the internships is an up-close and personal look at entrepreneurship in all of its raw glory,” Dr. Callahan said. “They get a chance to have face-to-face contact, working side by side with the Chinese.”

Jackie McGreal, a senior majoring in International Trade, said her internship shed light on the intricacies of importing and exporting.

“I shadowed a logistics specialist who showed me exactly what she does,” McGreal said. “I learned about how unexpectedly complicated it is to make shipping container measurements, since every inch of that container has to be used. Otherwise, there is a loss of money.”

Leading the India study mission from July 6 to 22 was Ginger Miller, assistant to the Hogan director. Miller and four students met with CEOs and managers at 15 companies while visiting Bangalore, Ooty, Coimbatore, Mysore, New Delhi and Agra.

Hogan China and India Trip

Stops included Titan Industries, the world’s fifth-largest watch manufacturer; Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing; New Delhi Television, the most-watched news and lifestyle network in India; and the Chhanv Foundation, which rehabilitates and provides employment opportunities for female survivors of acid attacks.

“Our four students were eager to absorb all they saw and did in this country of over one billion people,” Miller said. “They were real troopers when it came to obstacles like delayed flights and long van rides between most cities. But the long haul was well worth it when the end result was opening up doors of their minds to what this part of the world held for them.”

Desiree DePondicchello, a Business Administration major, said the two-and-a-half weeks she spent in India “changed my life for the better.”

“Having the opportunity to visit various businesses in different fields gave me motivation and inspiration to take risks doing what I am most passionate about in life,” DePondicchello said.

Underwriting the entrepreneurial program are Ed and Lynn Hogan, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Hogan Family Foundation. A Freeman Foundation grant helped pay for the China trip, and the India mission was supported by Gulab Watumull (President of Watumull Brothers, Ltd.), his wife Indru Watumull and Hogan advisors Mattson Davis and Rick Tanaka.

The Hogan Entrepreneurs Program is open to all Chaminade undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their majors. This one- or two-year certificate program provides students with tools, skills, business connections and motivation to succeed in entrepreneurial ventures. The program’s motto is: “Doing business things that make social sense. Doing social things that make business sense.” Information: chaminade.edu/hogan/.

Marianists Celebrate 200th Anniversary of Foundation

Members of the Society of Mary (Marianists) marked the 200th anniversary of their religious order’s foundation with an Oct. 2 liturgy at Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in downtown Honolulu. The ceremony also honored the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (Marianist Sisters) for their 201 years of service.

The cathedral, designated as a National Historic Landmark, was an appropriate setting for the bicentennial celebration, in that a Eucharist was held there in 1883 to give thanks for the Marianists’ safe arrival in Hawaii. The brothers and priests went on to staff and administer Saint Louis School on Oahu and St. Anthony School on Maui.

The Marianist family was established two centuries ago as the Roman Catholic Church struggled to rebuild following widespread persecution during the French Revolution.

Venerable Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon formed the Daughters of Mary Immaculate in 1816 in Agen, France, with a mission of caring for the poor.

The following year, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade established the Society of Mary in Bordeaux, France. The original community was comprised of seven young men who desired to “consecrate themselves to God and to Mary by the vows of religion.”

Two hundred years later, Marianists serve in 26 countries on five continents. Embracing education as a means of uplifting society, the Marianists founded the University of Dayton in 1850, St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1852, and Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1955.

Chaminade Holding ‘Prayer for Healing and Peace’ Interfaith Service in Wake of Las Vegas Massacre

To bring the Honolulu community together in the wake of the massacre in Las Vegas and natural disasters in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, Chaminade University will hold a “Prayer for Healing and Peace” interfaith service. This public event is set for 12:30 p.m. Friday, October 6, in the campus Mystical Rose Oratory.

“We invite everyone who was touched by these tragedies to join us in praying for the many victims and their loved ones,” said Chaminade Vice President for Mission and Rector Bro. Edward Brink, S.M. He described the gathering as “an opportunity for healing, reflection and comfort.”

“Blessed William Joseph Chaminade counseled that  ‘you will find peace for your soul through prayer,’” Bro. Ed pointed out. “Moreover, Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas reminded us this week to ‘stand together in the face of violence, because we cannot let hate and violence have the last word.’”

The prayer service is presented by Campus Ministry.

Click here for more info.

MBA Alum Adam Hoffman ‘09 Finds Balance Between Robotics Technology, Consciousness

Chaminade University graduate Adam Hoffman (BS Accounting ‘07, MBA ‘09) doesn’t worry about machines and artificial intelligence subjugating the human race. He’s convinced that as robots and automation become more sophisticated and commonplace, they’ll make our lives better – if we focus on the right things.

Adam Hoffman, MBA '09

Hoffman and his team work with PartnerX Robotics, a manufacturing company in Shanghai, China. PartnerX created buzz at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by introducing a new line of robots focused on early childhood education and retail markets. These products enable students to build and program robots using easy-to-assemble components.

In his role as Director of Platform Architect, Hoffman identifies new technologies and develops strategic partnerships from his home in Austin, Texas.

“Our mission is to demystify robotics,” Hoffman explained, so parents “have confidence in their child’s ability to adapt to the technology. Our purpose is to make as many people comfortable with the transition as we possibly can.”

Working with PartnerX was a big move for Hoffman, but his Chaminade MBA and a five-week trip to China with the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program gave him the confidence to pursue an international career.

“We are living in a very special time,” Hoffman said. “Exponential growth in hardware, software and connectivity are changing how information and data are being shared.” And these amazing technological advances, he said, are producing “a rise in consciousness.”

“We are becoming more aware, we are moving into our heart space,” Hoffman said. “I believe it is important to live in the present moment and be in alignment with your heart and mind. It is important to feel good!”

Looking back at his college days, Hoffman noted that he won a scholarship to Chaminade while attending Archbishop Riordan High School, a Marianist institution in San Francisco. Chaminade’s intimate atmosphere was a selling point.

“The connection you get with your Chaminade professors in small class settings is truly priceless,” Hoffman said. “From that experience, these are not only my professors and mentors, but my good friends I still stay in contact with.”

Hoffman’s career advice for future graduates? Don’t be afraid of failure.

“Get yourself outside of your comfort zones, be willing to put yourself on the line,” he counseled. “It’s OK not to have all the answers, but just keep pushing, keep innovating, keep evolving.

“We are entering a very interesting space,” he pointed out. “Never settle.”

Hogan Students Learn About Overcoming Fear, Soft Skills and Leadership

It was an honor to hear from Col. Ray L’Heureux, author of Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter and former Commander of Marine One. He opened his presentation with a video that shows the daily life of a marine pilot. He then spoke about the importance of overcoming your fear, having soft skills, leadership, and discipline.

Antonio Bonnetty andith Col. Ray L’Heureux1. Overcome your fear—it is okay to fail. Keep aiming high and eventually, you are going to hit.

2. Practice soft skills—hone your beak-to-beak skills and take advantage of the networking opportunities. Col. L’Heureux added that when applying for a job, do not rely heavily on the electronic piece such as your resume. Instead, focus more on the face to face aspect; the interview. How you present yourself and interact is what will get you hired.

3. Leadership and discipline—a great leader is someone who can get people to do what they do not want to do. Encourage teamwork and have good values. You must be able to figure out how to do things. If you are given a mission, get your requirements and find the re-sources to accomplish the mission.

Col. L’Heureux ended his presentation with a story of his mountain bike adventure with former President Bush. His “never say no” demeanor flourished into something one of a kind—a longtime friendship with the former President.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Antonio Bonnetty
Speaker Session with Col. Ray L’Heureux 9/20/17

Nursing Student Chante Carter’s Road to Success Powered by HCF First Generation Scholarship

Chante Carter ‘19 holds down a job and raises a young child in addition to her full-time studies at Chaminade University’s School of Nursing. The Kahuku High School graduate is also the first person in her family to attend college.

All these factors – plus a strong GPA – combined to earn Carter the First Generation Community Scholarship from the Hawaii Community Foundation. The non-profit organization, which awarded more than $6 million in scholarships this year, recognized students and donors August 5 at a statewide ceremony.

“My family is very proud of me, but they aren’t able to afford to support my education,” Carter explains. “So every dollar that I received in scholarships has helped support my dream of becoming a nurse one day.”

Carter also obtained funding from the Pauahi Foundation and a Hoʻoulu STEM Scholarship from Chaminade and Kamehameha Schools.

“Affordability for college is always a struggle,” Carter says, “especially when you’re pretty much on your own when it comes to paying for it. My process is a little easier now that I’ve had some experience. I literally Google words like ‘Native Hawaiian scholarship’ and many pop up.”

After identifying scholarship possibilities, Carter begins the application process by asking professors “way ahead of time” to proofread her essays and write recommendation letters.

“It may seem like a lot,” Carter says, “but there are so many professors that offer to help.”

Carter says it “feels really good” being a first-generation college student and “setting a good example for my younger cousins.”

“They all look up to me and ask me for advice when it comes to applying for scholarships and getting into college,” Carter says. “And that makes me want to work even harder for them so they can also believe in themselves.”

The future nurse describes her upbringing as “a little complicated.”

“When I was ten years old, my dad’s sister adopted me because of drug-related reasons my parents were going through at the time,” Carter says. “My auntie always encouraged me to stay in school – the sky’s the limit. She always acknowledged my hardships as a child, but she always told me to not let the past get in the way of my success. And I believed her!”

Carter says she chose the nursing field “because I love working with people.”

“I believe this is a job where you can really be a part of your community and make a difference in it,” she says. “Having a job that helps others makes my life worthwhile.”

Carter says she enrolled at Chaminade because “the professors are awesome” and they truly care about helping students succeed.

Her biggest takeaway from nursing classes? They’re certainly not easy.

“It’s a tough curriculum,” Carter points out. “But if you believe in yourself enough to think you are that right person who can make a difference in this world, then that’s when you know this is the career for you.”

Carter’s advice for future nursing students?

“When you fall, get up again and again until you get there,” she counsels. “Don’t ever think because you have a setback that it will change your path to success. It does not matter how long it took you to get there. As long as you get there, that’s what matters most.”