Chaminade University of Honolulu

University Communications & Marketing

Hogan Students Learn How Culture and Business are Intertwined

Ramsy Tatum and Elena Farden
Ramsy Taum (President & Founder, Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific) and Elena Farden (Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student)

LAWE I KA MAʻALEA A KUʻONOʻONO.
Acquire skill and make it deep. This ‘Ōlelo No’eau, or wise proverb, outlines the path of success in becoming good at anything, you must immerse yourself in practice and learning until it becomes part of you. Serving as a guide on this deep journey of enlightenment, was our honored guest speaker, Kumu Ramsay Taum.

Ramsay Taum is the President and Founder of L.E.I, Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific that provides sustainability consulting, cultural impact assessments and facilitating community engagement and planning. Taum also leads the MBA Island Business concentration program at Chaminade University. Through his work in teaching students and helping companies understand the value-impact vs. the value add of Hawaiian cultural values in the workplace, he describes himself as a community lei maker.

Lei ‘imi na’au’ao (lei of seeking knowledge; enlightenment)
And like an expert lei maker, Taum selects each piece and explains its value to the lei, starting with culture.
“Culture is important,” explains Taum. With culture in place, this moves the conversation from a values-conflict space to prioritizing what’s truly important as a business leader. To successfully navigate this we must understand that we all come with a “supply-side thought”, or preconceived notions, experiences and biases. In business management, when everyone does this they can take weight of their collective principles, values and practices towards shaping things together for deeper impact in business and the community. As Hogan Entrepreneurs, this sentiment resonates with our motto of doing business that makes social sense, and social impact that makes business sense.

Lei haliʻa aloha (Lei of fond remembrance; often said of someone cherished, such as a beloved elder)
As graduate of Kamehameha Schools, US Air Force Academy and University of Southern California, this knowledge Taum shared with the Hogan program wasn’t just given to him, it was gathered and earned. Throughout his life, key mentors such as Papa Lyman, former Bishop Estate Trustee, and Pīlahi Paki, beloved kupuna and cultural expert, pushed Taum to deepen his worldview and identity as a Hawaiian.
Today, Taum is a kumu and mentor himself. He teaches the values he has learned to help local businesses align a place-based approach of people, place, and prosperity in the context and content of how they do business in Hawai’i.

Lei pilina (Lei of closeness; a woven relationship or association)
Above all, the culture that shapes us and the values that help define us are all driven by relationships. Taum explains that culture is the lens that gives us new eyes – new eyes to see and new eyes to see how success is measured. To that he closed the evening with a simple question to measure if you are successful as a leader and business: did you eat.
If you can feed your family, if your workers can feed their families, if your community has access to food and the means to feed others less fortunate in the neighborhood, then you are successful.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Elena Farden
Speaker Session with Ramsay Taum 4/19/17

The Fujitani Interfaith Program at Chaminade University Focused on Pathways to Peace

Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ph.D., the keynote speaker, asked the crowd to reflect in silence on their personal definitions of peace and peacebuilding.  The nearly 100 people in Mystical Rose Oratory obediently paused and reflected.  They had gathered on April 28 – a Friday night – for a presentation by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) Fujitani Interfaith Program of Chaminade University featuring “Pathways to Peace in the Workplace: How Practices of Faith Bring Peace within Diverse Career Fields.”

“All right, please share your thoughts.  We’ll do it popcorn-style,” said Soetoro-Ng.

People popped up with their definitions, ranging from personal peace, spiritual harmony, and working in harmony. She encouraged people to connect with strangers around them and share their definitions of peace.

Affirming everyone, Soetoro-Ng shared that the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution also defines peace as action and will work through public policies and innovative social projects.  The organization looks for “opportunities to nourish peace in the actions we take” as a way to develop peacebuilding leaders.

Soetoro-Ng serves as the director of Community Outreach and Global Learning at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and earned her doctorate at the University of Hawaii in multicultural education. She has taught multicultural education, social studies methods, and peace education for many years at the University of Hawaii’s College of Education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels

Soetoro-Ng told stories of her mother as a social-cultural anthropologist and as a bridge builder. Soetoro-Ng recalled the poignant story of her mother’s desire to have her ashes scattered in the ocean so that “Mom could share herself and connect with all the people she had ever worked with and loved in her lifetime.”

Soetoro-Ng also shared stories of compassion shown across diverse communities that she saw during her global travels. “The vast majority of the world are comprised of the faithful. What if people of all faiths mandated peace and peacebuilding as their goal? Can you imagine how expansive that embrace would be for the family of humans?” she asked.

Soetoro-Ng then turned the discussion to the respondents.

Vima Lamura had led the audience in meditation earlier that evening.  As the audience meditated aloud, she orchestrated the diverse sounds into a chorus and pulled the participants into a harmonious choir.  Lamura spoke about the value of being at peace and in harmony in work with choirs and orchestras.  She had spent her life immersed in the traditional ancient wisdom of the Vedas, chant, sacred sound and mantra, which have inspired her creative works in music, speaking and writing.  She shared how meditation was useful for her inner peace and in building peace with the people she collaborated with on music tours, concerts, studio recordings, and operas.

Pieper Toyama, the founding head of the Pacific Buddhist Academy, spoke of integrating Buddhist values in an academic setting.  The school discipline, curriculum, and relationships between students, faculty, and staff needed to reflect these values, including the fostering of peace, pursuing inner peace and the practice of peace with others. Toyama has retired from Pacific Buddhist Academy, the first Shin Buddhist high school in the Western Hemisphere, and currently serves as president of Hawaii’s organization of Hongwanji’s 34 Buddhist temples.

James P. Walsh, Jr., the director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Honolulu, worked in Hawaii’s medical field from 1975 to 2009 in various executive positions at Straub Clinic and Hospital and with HMSA.  He has taught at Chaminade University from 1979 to 1999 as an adjunct Business professor. Walsh spoke about negotiating between employees and employers and practicing his faith through conflicts. He encouraged people to become more aware of what they are grateful for and challenged them to look for opportunities to correct inequities.

Soetoro-Ng asked the audience for their thoughts and questions, as well as to connect with others in the room. The discussion was robust.

In closing, Soetoro-Ng shared an Indonesian phrase she learned as a child that translates to “wash your eyes.” “Yes, wash your eyes; refresh your gaze,” she repeated. “Make a commitment to faith and peace in action. Remember small connections can build an organism that can grow to supplant major power. ”

The Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Reverend Fujitani Interfaith Program, established in 2003, brings together the Buddhist community with all other religious communities in Hawaii to promote interfaith dialogue and provide opportunities for understanding and action for peace and justice in our communities.

Chaminade’s Religious Studies program offers the student an opportunity for in-depth reflection into the nature of religious experience, the communities which arise in response to it, and their actions. Grounded in Roman Catholic theology and Marianist educational philosophy, this reflection is ecumenical and conducted in the context of a multicultural, interfaith dialogue, exploring the meaning of the faith and working for justice among many peoples and cultures. The program fosters an understanding of human responses to the sacred that invite personal and communal commitment to faith in action and spiritual growth.

Business Alumnus Juno Chung ’07 Relishes the Small Successes Leading Up to the Big Goals

Juno Chung Koa Cafe (B.A. Business '07)Drawn back to Chaminade University out of gratitude, the proud alumnus Juno Chung, B.A. Business ’07, accepted the invitation to participate in the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program Speaker Series this spring. “As an entrepreneur, you always have the freedom to do what makes you happy,” shared Juno, who during the last 10 years since his graduation has acquired much wisdom and experience.

Juno took over his family’s business on September 10, 2014, seven years after graduating from Chaminade University with a bachelor’s degree in Business.  He will always remember that day. His parents held a company party and announced to all the employees of the six Koa Pancake House restaurants in operation that they were retiring and turning over the business to Juno.

For many, it seemed like an automatic given, but in reality that Rubicon moment came after years of grooming, struggles, pushbacks, and challenges.  Juno grew up in the restaurant business from a very early age.  He remembered being nine or 10 sitting in the back of the cash register with his calculator.  People would come up to pay.  Always good with math, he would figure out the costs, take their money and give them their change.

In high school, he had liked cars and wanted to work as a valet.  Dad nixed that idea and told him firmly that if he were going to work anywhere other than at one of the Koa Pancake House restaurants, it would have to be at another restaurant.  So Juno took a job at Zippy’s.

Juno’s parents Il Man and Sam Soon Chung were immigrants from Korea who did not graduate from college, and Juno was their only son. Therefore, he was expected to carry on the name and take over their business. Mr. Chung did not think that college was necessary and wanted Juno to work full time at the restaurants so that he could teach his son everything he knew. Juno thought that at least he could go to Kapi’olani or Windward Community College.  However, Mrs. Chung, adamant on a four-year college for her son, stepped in and settled the discussion.

So after graduating from Maryknoll High School, Juno chose Chaminade University with its rolling enrollment.  Both schools were small and had small class sizes. Chaminade was a small enough university that everyone seemed to know his name (in fact, he still stays connected to Chaminade classmates and faculty members).  The teacher to student ratio fitted him well.  Juno admitted to not being the best of students, but the faculty found ways to bring the best out of him.  With the family business always top of mind, Juno tuned into everything taught in class that he thought would be relevant for the restaurants. He remembered fondly on how his accounting professor, Wayne Tanna, reached out to his students.  Tanna was the one to first bring up issues of second-generation businesses including tax challenges and the need for a business plan. Juno appreciated Tanna’s business law and ethics classes.

As Juno moved forward, graduating in 2007, he sought his own way in the world.  His parents had their very traditional ways, and he had new ideas and new approaches. As the conflict peaked, Juno realized that it was time to strike out on his own and moved to New York.

Juno’s love and respect for his parents were clearly evident as he shared his story.  “I valued the relationship I have with them so much. Moving away was an opportunity to save that relationship,” he said.

In New York, he would develop his successful product and clothing brand MyOutlet, which grew out of life’s frustrations.  He included a non-profit aspect to his line and strived to be socially responsible in his business decisions and his profits. He also cofounded JCBL Products.It was a good enough life.

Then his sisters called him with their concerns about their parents’ health. They asked that he try to get their parents to sell the business and retire.  Juno reached out to his aging parents and found that they were both having health issues.  He asked them what they wanted to do. They shared that they had always meant to hand the business over to him.

Juno thought carefully about his decision.  His sisters did not want the restaurant business. Juno, who identified with the character Neo from the Matrix film series, felt that like Neo, he was “the one.” He accepted his destiny with one major stipulation.  Though his parents would be welcomed advisors, Juno would be in full control.    Happily and full-heartedly, they accepted their son’s leadership.  Since then, Juno has added two Koa Cafes and continues to run the other six Koa Pancake Houses.

Juno, like Neo, has moved through a personal metamorphosis that draws him back to the Matrix. He has wrestled with his destiny and has won. This is not to say that business did not have its ups and downs, or that Juno did not have doubts about whether he belonged in the restaurant business or not.  “‘Money doesn’t come easy. If it did, everyone would be rich. When you make mistakes, recognize them early,’ my dad used to tell me,” Juno recalled as he was going through a particularly tough business loss. “My mistakes are like I’m earning my master’s degree at an Ivy League school. This is part of the journey,” he said with inner resilience.

Juno’s parents and his fiancée are foundational reminders that he is where he was supposed to be. His parents are available as sage advisors, and his fiancée reminds him to be grateful.  The relationships are strong and loving. He has also found that noticing the small successes along the way to the big goal makes him happy and gives him encouragement for the long haul.

His enthusiasm for his alma mater continued to be unfettered. He humbly shared that Chaminade contributed to making him who he was.

If there was anything he would tell students, it would be to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at the school.  “Enjoy the friends and the faculty mentors along the way,” he said.

Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication offers a Master of Business Administration degree. Undergraduate degrees are available in Accounting, Business Administration, Communication and International Trade, along with a minor in Computer Information Systems. The school also offers undergraduate degrees in Management and Business Administration through the Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) online program.

National Student Nurses Association Convention Nurtures Leadership Skills for Chaminade Students

Each year students from across the nation who belong to the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) gather together for their annual meeting.  This year NSNA held its 65th convention from April 4-8, in Dallas, Texas and had more than 2,500 attendees.  Hawaii brought a total of 17 students — nine from the University of Hawaii–Manoa, five from Chaminade University, one from Hawaii Pacific University, and one Hawaii Student Nurses Association (HISNA) representative who also happens to be from Chaminade.

First-year students Brandon Aceret and Brooke Leslie and juniors Caitlin Marie Aningat, Krissie Morris, Mitnework Vanover, and Danielle Balajadia with professors Julie Elting, Ed. D. and Edna Magpantay-Monroe, Ed. D. attended from Chaminade University’s School of Nursing. Balajadia served as the HISNA representative at the convention. The HISNA sponsored Balajadia’s trip, the Ho`oulu STEM Scholarship program sponsored Aceret and Leslie’s trips, and the Chaminade Student Nursing Association sponsored the other students. Students participated in leadership and focus sessions, as well as in social events.  Recruiters for potential employers and graduate schools shared information in a massive exhibit hall.  Some students also presented poster boards, which provided insights on evidence-based practice from hospital to community-based care. The exhibit hall was full of resources for students and faculty members. Students could even get their resumes reviewed.

National Student Nurses Association convention
Nursing students: Brooke Leslie, Danielle Balajadia, and Brandon Aceret

Balajadia attended with extra responsibilities. “As the new incoming president of the Hawaii Student Nurses Association, I wanted to open myself to new opportunities and expand my networking relationships with the nursing profession.  This convention offered numerous networking opportunities with nursing students from different states, vendors, graduate schools and healthcare facilities from across the nation,” she said. “The most valuable takeaway from the convention was learning about how to become a successful leader in our nursing schools and our profession. The convention also allows us to be a voice and be agents of change in the nursing community.” From Guam, Balajadia plans to stay on Oahu after graduation, specializing in pediatrics, and eventually return to Guam to work in her home community.

Chaminade’s Student Nurses Association vice president Aningat loved everything about the NSNA convention and considered it a “once in a lifetime experience.” She shared, “I was given the opportunity to meet and network with other nursing students from various nursing schools across the country while gaining leadership skills and expanding my resume.” From Maui, Aningat was glad that she chose Chaminade’s School of Nursing and was grateful for this added value available to her and other students. “This convention helped me grow as a leader while learning more about myself,” she said. “I truly am pursuing the right career. I love everything about nursing.”

Dr. Magpantay-Monroe pointed out that by expanding students’ minds and exposing them to new learning experiences, students’ horizons were broadened, and this would help them become better nurses in the long run.

Dr. Diane Mancino, Executive Director of NSNA sharing time with Chaminade students
Dr. Diane Mancino (Executive Director, NSNA) talking with  Brooke Leslie and Danielle Balajadia

For Aceret and Leslie, it was their first time to a professional convention as well as to be so far from home. For Aceret, it was even his first time to a museum. The two Ho’oulu scholars took advantage of the focus session titled, “Learn to think like a Nurse.”

Leslie was impressed with the quantity of information and resources shared at the breakout session, especially in preparation for the NCLEX. “They talked about how to pass the NCLEX exam and the boundaries of our licenses.  It was filled with a lot of information about what having a nursing license to practice meant.” She took copious notes.

Aceret was also impressed by the focus session. “I learned that our brain can change, and that we have the power to grow our brains. As a nurse, I will be learning a lot.  So through studying and repetition, I will build my existing neural network,” he said. “My nursing knowledge plus critical thinking are two must-have components that I need to make good clinical judgments.  Correct clinical judgments equal a safe, effective nurse,” he emphasized. By the end of the convention, Aceret knew the type of nurse he would like to become and felt that the ER would best fit his personality and skill interests.

Chaminade students at NSNA Convention

NSNA also presented its annual student awards at the convention. State president and Chaminade senior Jeramae Marcellano received the Isabel Hampton Leadership Award for her work with the Hawaii Student Nurses’ Association. This is the second time a Hawaii student has received this national award in the past three years.  Presented to the current or immediate past student nurses’ association state president whose leadership characteristics most resembled those of Isabel Hampton Robb, the award esteems student leaders for their visionary work and organizational skills.  Mrs. Rob was well known for her pioneering work in establishing nursing organizations which became the American Nurses’ Association (ANA), the National League for Nursing (NLN), and the International Council of Nursing (ICN).

Dr. Magpantay-Monroe had served as Hawaii’s faculty consultant and advisor since 2014 when her Chaminade students first asked her to help them resuscitate a Hawaii chapter of the NSNA. Though Chaminade students took the lead, Dr. Magpantay-Monroe highlighted the collaboration among Hawaii’s three schools of nursing. “There is a true sense of collaboration and partnership among schools,” she said. “I have been humbled working with students…Our state student leaders are very creative and truly exemplify characteristics of future leaders.”

Chaminade’s School of Nursing is a four year, full-time undergraduate program that offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The unique program immerses students in nursing preparation with educational curriculum, human-patient simulations, community outreach projects, and service-learning and supervised clinical experiences. The curriculum for our undergraduates program is consistent with the Baccalaureate Essentials of Nursing produced by the American Association of Collegiate Nursing. The nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Alum Shares His Journey from Employee to Business Owner

Brittain Komoda and Grelyn Rosario
Brittain Komoda (Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student) and Grelyn Rosario (B.A. Business ’94, McDonald’s Franchise Owner)

It was a privilege to hear from Chaminade alumnus, Mr. Grelyn Rosario, owner and operator of Maui McDonald’s of Dairy Road, Kahana, Kahului, Lahaina, Pukalani, and Wal-Mart of Kahului.

Mr. Rosario is a second generation owner of McDonald’s franchises. In 1969, his mother moved to Oahu from the Philippines and started working at McDonald’s. Mr. Rosario also worked at McDonald’s at the age of 16. After graduating from Aiea High School, Mr. Rosario’s mother moved to Maui to open her own franchise. Mr. Rosario stayed back in Oahu to attend Chaminade University. He continued to work at McDonald’s throughout his undergraduate and graduate career and was able to learn more about the ins and outs of the company. After receiving his MBA degree, Mr. Rosario moved to Maui and attended Hamburger University. With timing, luck, and preparation, he opened his first franchise in Wal-Mart on Maui. Today, he owns and operates six McDonald’s on Maui.

Mr. Rosario shared with us McDonald’s “three-legged stool.” McDonald’s foundation is based upon three “legs”: franchise, corporation and its suppliers. The balance and relationship between the three legs is vital to McDonald’s journey to success. Mr. Rosario also emphasized the importance of serving the community. He has served the community through supporting educational projects, feeding needy children and providing the necessary materials to upkeep church in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Serving the community provides the opportunity to positively impact the society, especially the community around you.

Lastly, he ended his talk with a very memorable phrase: “fire in your belly!” This means finding your motivation, your muse, and your inspiration. Mr. Rosario’s “fire in his belly” was his mother. She motivated and inspired him to be the success that he is today. He also told us that it is okay to fail because that’s how you learn and succeed. It doesn’t matter what you want to do in life, just be the best at it.

“Failure is success in progress,” – Albert Einstein

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Brittain Komoda
Speaker Session with Grelyn Rosario 4/12/17

What Do Psychotherapy and Yoga Have in Common?

Combining modern psychotherapy techniques with ancient yoga practices isn’t a stretch for Chaminade graduate Christina Soo Hoo ’18. In fact, it’s as natural as breathing.

Christina Soo Hoo, MSCP '18

Soo Hoo was earning her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology while serving as an instructor with CorePower Yoga, which operates three studios on Oahu. She says lessons learned at Chaminade make her a better yoga teacher, and wisdom gleaned from yoga will make her a better therapist.

“I find similarities between yoga and counseling all the time,” Soo Hoo says. “The skills that I learn from both will be great for people who need help.”

It’s all about becoming more mindful, she explains. And skills for achieving this self-awareness can be developed in various ways, including psychotherapy sessions, yoga classes and meditation.

“Those are skills, depending on the type of client you have, that you try to inspire within them,” Soo Hoo says. “Because if they have that awareness, that ability, they typically will have more ingredients to find a path toward healing.”

Obviously, there are many differences between psychotherapy principles and yoga philosophy. But Soo Hoo also encounters a remarkable number of similarities – both on campus and on her mat.

For instance, psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed the human psyche consists of the id, ego and superego. Yogic philosophers also divide the psyche into three parts: the conscious mind, unconscious mind and intuitive mind.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs progresses from physiological necessities to self-actualization. Yogis believe in a similar path, beginning with body awareness and culminating in a blissful state of spiritual enlightenment.

Moreover, certain therapists treat victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder using techniques that calm the body and mind. That’s a lot like yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, which produces a deep state of physical relaxation without a loss of consciousness.

Soo Hoo’s group therapy classmates know all about yoga nidra. With Chaminade’s encouragement, Soo Hoo guided them through this meditative exercise with the goal of increasing mindfulness. Most students remained awake during the session but a few dozed off.

“The ones who fell asleep had dreams and visions,” Soo Hoo says. “One of them actually drew me a picture of what he saw. Then one or two of them talked about seeing lights. It was really interesting.”

Soo Hoo, an Arizona native, seems well suited for blending East and West, ancient and modern. Her father is a physician specializing in occupational medicine. And her mother is a traditional healer focusing on spiritual growth.

After graduating from Chaminade and becoming a licensed psychologist, Soo Hoo wants to take her holistic therapy approach to the next level. She hopes to open a wellness center that unites a wide range of health practitioners, including Western medical doctors, Native Hawaiian healers, Ayurvedic professionals, acupuncturists and, of course, yoga therapists.

After all, Hawaii is a melting pot of cultures. And a treatment that helps one client may be inappropriate or off-putting for someone else.

“The ultimate goal is to empower the person and provide them with a safe environment where they can grow,” Soo Hoo says.

“You are your best teacher,” she adds. “Other teachers push you in the right direction, but they know this is your journey.”

The Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) program is part of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. The program includes three concentrations: School Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage and Family Counseling. MSCP prepares graduates for careers in community and school settings. Graduates assist children, youth and adults in adapting to various educational, family, organizational and societal demands. The program includes the foundational use of standards established by the National Board for Certified Counselors and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.