Chaminade University of Honolulu

University Communications & Marketing

Transforming Data Into Visual Stories

For Zoey Kaneakua ’22, data and creativity are not opposites, they work hand in hand, and her talent contributed to developing the first Hawaii Crime Dashboard. The Hawaii Crime Dashboard allows users to explore crime trends through interactive visualizations and customized searches, and replaces traditional Crime in Hawaii print publications.

Kaneakua works as a research analyst for the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General’s Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, where she helps manage and analyze crime data used by policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and the public. Kaneakua enjoys transforming complex information into something engaging and accessible. It’s an approach that has helped shape both her professional career and her personal passions. One of her proudest accomplishments was creating the Hawaii Crime Dashboard, alongside three Chaminade Data Science, Analytics and Visualization student interns.

“To complete a dashboard of that size takes long hours, dedication, utilizing a lot of Data Science skills, and passion,” Dr. Rylan Chong ’10, data science program chair, said. “The reward for completing this project will impact Hawaiʻi greatly as it will provide data, results, and visualizations that can be used to make data-driven decisions.”

The Hawaii Crime Dashboard has been more than a technical project for Kaneakua. It has been an opportunity to share data that transforms complex information into something engaging and easy to understand.

“I’m a very visual person, so I find traditional black-and-white reports boring and difficult to follow,” she said. “I prefer to create colorful and accessible visuals that invite the user to explore the data.”

Before her career took off, finding her major took time, but with advice from her mom, she looked into the Data Science, Analytics and Visualization program. The choice was supported by the Hoʻoulu Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for Native Hawaiian and local students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and business degrees. With guidance from her professors, she decided to take a chance on a growing field.

“My favorite thing about Chaminade is how genuinely invested the faculty and staff are in their students’ success in and out of college,” she said. “Being a smaller school, professors take the time to get to know you and your goals, both personally and professionally.”

Along her journey, Kaneakua found mentors who helped her succeed such as Dr. Chong, whose guidance helped pave her path and provided her the opportunities to gain work experience before graduation.

“What makes our Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization program distinctive is our mission to build capacity and an ecosystem of data science leaders that want to work with communities to achieve their goals and make a meaningful impact in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, nationally, or globally,” Dr. Chong said. “In order to achieve this mission, our data science faculty and family created an environment that cares about students’ career development, empowerment, and their successes.”

In her free time, Kaneakua creates skincare, beauty, and travel content for social media, brands, and businesses. Her interest in digital media began in middle school, when she first started experimenting with photography, graphic design, and video editing. What began as a hobby has evolved into another outlet for her creativity and storytelling.

“As I’ve gained more professional experience throughout the years, I’ve also learned more about myself, my interests, and what motivates me,” Kaneakua said. “I’ve discovered that I enjoy blending creativity with technology and data, which has led me to explore creative opportunities outside of work.”

Looking ahead, Kaneakua hopes to continue building a future that combines both sides of her interests. She plans to expand her content creation work, develop her business skills, and explore new opportunities that bridge technology, communication, and creativity.

“Right now, I’m focused on continuing to grow professionally, staying open to new experiences, and figuring out how to build a future that combines my interests in data science and creative media,” she said.

For Kaneakua, success is not simply about analyzing information. It is about helping share data in new and creative ways so it can inform, inspire, and tell meaningful stories. The Hawaii Crime Dashboard is proof that data can shape and tell stories for the betterment of the community, when the right person helps lead the way.

The Gift that Gives Twice

“It is a gift and privilege to be able to pay it forward.” – Hoʻea Foundation

Eric and Lori Fujimoto want to level the playing field. With their heartfelt mission, dedication to servant leadership, and philanthropic support of Chaminade University, they are reducing barriers that prevent deserving students from accessing opportunity. 

“There are students that should be given the opportunity for college based upon their readiness and skill set, as opposed to whether they can afford it,” Eric said. “The weight of tuition can prevent them from the opportunity. So if the donors and the community can support Chaminade, we are leveling the playing field and making college accessible.”

Eric and Lori both graduated from Pearl City High School and earned degrees from Chaminade, Eric with an MBA in 1994 and Lori with a BA in 2001. They have never forgotten the care and attention that their professors and advisors bestowed upon them, and how Chaminade’s close-knit, belonging community made the college experience meaningful and transformational. 

They give back to Chaminade in numerous ways, from philanthropic support to leadership and volunteerism. Remembering what it was like to be students who needed real world experiences, Eric and Lori started and provided the prize money for the student Silversword Business Competition through the School of Business and Communication each year.  They established the Eric, MBA ’94 and Lori ’01 Fujimoto Family Opportunities Fund as a perpetual way to support the University and they joined the Chaminade Fund Society, which is the University’s leadership giving group. Eric now also serves on the University’s Board of Regents.

The Fujimotos exemplify the spirit of giving that enables Chaminade to provide resources and scholarships to students, inspired to not only level the playing field but to also set an example for their own sons, Dylen, 24, and Camden, 20, to follow. 

Eric and Lori co-founded Hoʻea Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Hoʻea Wealth Advisory Group, the financial planning company that Eric leads. Hoʻea is also the backer of the annual Unity Prom, which celebrated its third anniversary this past November. The Unity Prom brings college students and special education high school students together for a special event complete with dancing, music, food and fun with the purpose of providing a prom experience that special needs students may not have. Chaminade business students and student-athletes have become increasingly involved with the event each year, finding just as much joy in the experience as the high school students who attend.

“I think the word unity is so powerful that it can mean 10 different things,” Eric added. “Because you go in thinking that you’re trying to provide unity for the student with special needs. But you exit, realizing that it’s unified, your Chaminade University, classmates, teammates are united too.” 

“The university students left with their hearts filled,” Lori added. “The special education students taught the university students something too, and that’s great. Itʻs like if you want to make a difference or feel good, give, give something. Give something to someone else. That feels good.”

Celebrating the Parish Health Program

Growing up, Nathaniel Leomite ’26 used American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with his grandparents, who were both deaf. It was a skill that he always appreciated having, but that he never really thought would apply to his chosen career in community and public health. That is, until he volunteered with Chaminade’s Parish Health program in his junior year. 

Leomite says one afternoon, he was wrapping up a day of service at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Kalihi when he spotted a man who appeared in need but unsure how to ask for help. When Leomite approached, he realized the man’s hesitancy: He was deaf.

Leomite switched to ASL and watched as the man’s expression of concern switched to one of joy.

“It was this full circle moment for me,” says Leomite, who offered the man a box of healthy food options to take home to his children and encouraged him to get a blood pressure check before he left. “He was the only deaf person and I was fortunate enough to help him. It felt really good.” 

The interaction may have been a small one, but it meant so much to the parishioner and to Leomite. And that, says Chaminade School of Nursing and Health Professions Associate Professor Sandra Bourgette-Henry, DNP, APRN-Rx, is exactly what the Parish Health Program is all about.

“It’s a win-win for the community and for the school,” she says.

Years of Service

The Parish Health Program, celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, gives students pursuing healthcare professions valuable in-person experience in health education while improving health equity. Students administer blood pressure checks, offer parishioners tips for eating healthy or preventing disease, and talk about medication management, exercise and much more.

Bourgette-Henry says the program, now offered at four Oʻahu parishes, allows nursing and public health students to better understand the unique health challenges of diverse communities and see the benefits of preventive health and chronic disease management first-hand. The program has also partnered with nonprofits so students can work directly with community leaders.

Since the program began, students have conducted outreach to more than 62,000 parishioners.

“We see people of all ages, little children all the way to elderly,” Bourgette-Henry says. “Students are teaching the patient and teaching the family. And you can’t be a shy person and be a nurse. This program really gets students out of their shell as they work one-on-one with parishioners.”

Father Jaroslaw Skrzypek, of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church, says the parish health program has transformed his church “into a place where both spiritual and physical health are nurtured side-by-side.” The health screenings and education, he says, are encouraging parishioners to take proactive steps to care for their well-being. And he’s been amazed to see student participants grow through the program, too, as they deliver compassionate care.

“By interacting with our diverse parish family, the students develop the empathy and communication skills needed to be truly holistic healthcare providers,” Skrzypek says. “The fact that so many parishioners, even those without specific health concerns, line up just to check their vitals shows how much the community trusts and values this service.”

And while he’s seen many “wins” through the program, one story stands out. He says a parish family began visiting the Chaminade students weekly for blood pressure checks and one of the family members was flagged for dangerously high readings. That parishioner followed students’ advice to see a doctor, Skrzypek says, and now is on necessary blood pressure medication.

“Our parishioners are very happy to have these young students among us; they even feel a sense of pride in ‘helping’ the students learn,” Skrzypek says, adding the program is a blueprint for holistic parish ministry. “It’s a beautiful exchange where everyone feels comfortable and cared for.”

Catholic Marianist Mission of Service

Reign Morales ’25, DNP ’28 worked with the Parish Health program in spring 2025. She says the experience inspired her to pursue a graduate degree at Chaminade to become a nurse practitioner. “This program taught me a lot about connecting and making a difference within a community instead of just the individual, and the importance of preventative services,” she says.

She says during one interaction through the program, she met a mother with her children and encouraged her to participate in a free blood pressure screening. The woman’s reading was very high, which the woman had been unaware of, and Morales and her peers educated her on the risk of uncontrolled high blood pressure and how she could improve it with diet and exercise.

It was during that exchange the woman explained she’d been adding lots of salt to her meals to gain a little weight, not realizing how detrimental that could be to her health. “A few weeks later, she returned for a follow-up blood pressure check, which showed a significant improvement,” Morales says. “She also reported making dietary changes, including eating less fast food.”

Morales says serving parishioners where they are is about healing people and communities. 

“This program aligns with Chaminade’s mission of service since as Catholics, we learn to be disciples of Christ and I feel as if we are doing God’s work to show up for our fellow brothers and sisters,” she says. “As nurses, it is crucial to immerse yourself in the community you serve to be an advocate for patient needs.  It is important to understand why people come into the hospital and how preventative services and early intervention can completely change a health trajectory.”

Morales adds she hopes Chaminade continues to expand the program so students destined for healthcare professionals understand how they can make a difference, beyond the hospital and the classroom. “This may inspire some students to pursue community-focused work,” she says.

Bourgette-Henry says that’s certainly a goal.

“High blood pressure, they call it the silent killer. I always thought, ‘Why wait for people to come in before we treat them?’” Bourgette-Henry says, adding that during most of her career before joining Chaminade she worked with patients who had advanced heart disease.

“That’s why I wanted to gear toward preventing diseases,” she says. 

Preventive care through the parish program is also focused on kidney health as untreated hypertension is a leading cause of kidney failure in the islands. “Curing kidney disease is not about building more outpatient dialysis centers,” she says. “It’s about preventing disease, including doing more blood pressure screenings. Most people don’t know they have hypertension.”

Additionally, the program has partnered with several local organizations, including the American Heart Association, which provided students with food vouchers that they could give to parishioners who were struggling to afford healthy, fresh food options. 

Bourgette-Henry says one of the things that she truly loves about the program is the care and creativity that Chaminade students bring to every interaction. In addition to one-on-one screenings, students put together fun games and interactive presentations.

“Students are pulling everything they’ve learned together to reach the community,” she says.

That’s what Leomite, the Public Health major, did. He says his training in cultural competency at Chaminade proved particularly useful as he worked with parishioners from all different backgrounds. And in addition to using ASL, he also switched over to Samoan.

For Leomite, it was all in a day’s work. 

The California native says his family came from American Samoa, and so it hit home when he helped parishioners “who looked like me” and were struggling to afford food. “It made me want to stay and help out more,” he says. “In my culture, service is big, especially to our elders.”

Leomite says on reflection, he was especially grateful to the Parish Health program for helping him “be of service while keeping my faith strong. There’s a lot of rough roads that we can walk, but I believe God is always going to provide the shoes we need to walk those roads.” 

For Leomite, the program even proved pivotal in helping him determine his future career path. After graduation, he says, he plans to pursue a future in social work and community health. “I want to serve less fortunate communities,” he says, “and hopefully, be part of the solution.”

This story appeared in Chaminade Magazine, Spring 2026.

Chaminade Hosted L.E.A.D. With Mary Immersion Experience

With mud between their fingers and toes, students stood at the loʻi patch taking in the fresh air, lush scenery, water, history of the loʻi and the warmth of aloha. They were part of the L.E.A.D with Mary cultural immersion experience which brought students from across the country and Hawaiʻi together in the spirit of the Marianist founders to learn more about Hawaiian culture. 

“We learned a lot about what it means to honor the land,” said one student from San Antonio, Texas as she stood in the loʻi or taro patch. “If we take care of the land, it will take care of us.”

Chaminade University hosted the week-long L.E.A.D. with Mary for the  first time this summer. Now in its third year, the program was previously hosted by St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. These institutions, along with Chaminade, are the nation’s three Marianist universities.

Each university selected four students through an application process to participate in the program. The immersion experience is designed to help students learn more about the Marianist tradition through the culture of the host school’s location. 

The Hawaiʻi experience was planned by Scarlett Ford, Campus Minister, and her team at Chaminade. The team included individuals born and raised in Hawaiʻi, to ensure that each activity and location was culturally appropriate and respectful of the islands’ sacred places and natural environment.

Each activity was tailored to Hawaii’s unique environment and the Marianist values. L.E.A.D. with Mary offered students the opportunity to deepen their faith while learning more about both Hawaiian and Catholic spirituality.

After the out-of-state students arrived on Wednesday afternoon, the program began early Thursday morning with a sunrise hike and morning prayer at Makapuʻu. The group also stopped at Halona Blowhole Lookout before making their way to Iolani Palace for a docent-led tour. The evening concluded with dinner at Kahala Hotel & Resort, a dolphin show and an evening prayer.

Friday’s main experiences were Hanauma Bay snorkeling in the morning after prayer and a guided tour in the afternoon of Hawaiian Hall at Bishop Museum, home to the world’s largest display of Polynesian cultural artifacts.

“Yes, it’s fun but there’s also a deeper purpose of growing an understanding of God’s creation and why it’s important to take care of it,” Ford said.

That focus on faith, reflection, and stewardship continued throughout the weekend. It was filled with prayer, Bible study and optional group activities from shopping to hiking Mānoa Falls and visiting Ala Moana beach park. On Saturday, the group took a trip to a loʻi patch, where they tended to the taro patch in knee-deep mud. On Sunday, there was Mass and the group prepared for one of the most anticipated experiences of the week.

At 7 a.m. on Memorial Day, the group left campus and headed for the airport to begin their journey to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokaʻi.

“We’re going on small, nine passenger planes,” Ford told the students to prepare them for the flight and landing on the short runway.

Kalaupapa is a significant place in Hawaiʻi’s history. People with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) were forcibly isolated there. More than 8,000 people, primarily Native Hawaiians, have passed away on Kalaupapa since 1866. 

Kalaupapa was also home to the two Catholic saints who helped those affected by Hansen’s disease. One was St. Damien de Veuster, a Belgian priest who arrived in Kalaupapa in 1873. He passed away from Hansen’s disease in 1889. St. Marianne Cope, a German-born Franciscan nun, moved to Kalaupapa in 1888 to assist Father Damien in caring for those affected by Hansen’s disease. She died of natural causes in 1918.

Today, Kalaupapa is home to a small number of cured patient-residents and visitation is only offered by guided tours. The L.E.A.D. with Mary group was able to include Mass on Kalaupapa in their tour before returning to Oʻahu later that evening.

Tuesday was their last full day, and they used it to help the community. They prepared care packages and lunch for people experiencing homelessness.

“It’s an opportunity to learn more about the Marianist charisms through acts of service,” Ford said. “We’re going to a homeless shelter to help out.”

They ended the day by participating in Mass with a final prayer.

As the week came to a close, students gained a deeper understanding of Marianist values and Hawaiian culture. Through prayer, reflection, service and immersion in local history, students experienced firsthand the values that unite the nation’s three Marianist universities.

Victoria Hanes: From Mililani to Healthcare Leadership

When Victoria Hanes ’02 arrived at Chaminade University from Mililani as an only child with aspirations of becoming a therapist, she never imagined her path would lead to the executive suite of one of Hawaiʻi Island’s largest healthcare organizations.

Today, Hanes is preparing to take on a new role as Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Island Community Health Center, effective Nov. 1, 2026. Earlier this year, she was also recognized by Hawaii Business Magazine as one of its “20 for the Next 20,” honoring emerging leaders helping shape Hawaiʻi’s future.

For Hanes, the journey began at Chaminade, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and discovered a community that would leave a lasting impression on her life.

“Coming from Mililani Town as an only child, I was suddenly surrounded by a vibrant, diverse group of peers from all over the world who quickly became like an extended family,” Hanes said.

She credits Chaminade with providing both the academic foundation and personal support that helped shape her future.

“Chaminade created a nurturing and supportive environment, especially for those of us living on campus, and it allowed me the space to mature into a young adult,” she said. “Those moments and lessons have stayed with me, and I will always cherish that unique period of my life.”

After graduating, Hanes continued her studies in psychology and behavioral health, earning advanced degrees while pursuing her passion for helping others. Her professional path led her to the Rural Hawaiʻi Behavioral Health Training Program at I Ola Lāhui, where she completed an internship and postdoctoral fellowship serving communities across the state.

That experience introduced her to Kailua-Kona, where she found both a professional calling and a place to call home.

In 2010, Hanes joined Hawaii Island Community Health Center as a licensed clinical psychologist. Over the next 16 years, she helped guide the organization through significant growth, serving first as Behavioral Health Department Director and later as Executive Vice President of Administration and Operations.

Today, HICHC employs nearly 500 people and provides care to approximately 40,000 patients across Hawaiʻi Island through medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and school-based health programs. The nonprofit, federally qualified health center was founded to ensure access to quality healthcare regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

“One of the most meaningful parts of my work is watching our employees grow with the health center, much like I did,” Hanes said.

Her appointment as CEO reflects both her deep institutional knowledge and long-standing commitment to community health. In her new role, she will work with the board of directors to advance strategic priorities, expand healthcare access across Hawaiʻi Island, strengthen financial sustainability and support the organization’s workforce and patient-centered mission.

“I didn’t initially set out to pursue a career in healthcare administration,” Hanes said. “My early work as a psychologist in community health centers, however, showed me both the profound impact of direct patient care and the systemic barriers that often limit access and equity.”

Those experiences ultimately inspired her to pursue leadership as another way to serve.

From a psychology student eager to help others to the leader of an organization providing care for tens of thousands of residents, Hanes has built a career defined by service, compassion and a commitment to expanding opportunity. Along the way, she has demonstrated how a passion for helping individuals can grow into a broader mission of strengthening the health and well-being of entire communities.

For more information about Hawaii Island Community Health Center, visit HICHC.org.

US ED Under Secretary Nicholas Kent Visits Chaminade

The US Department of Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent visited Chaminade University this past Tuesday, impressed by the innovations and programs that the University offers as well as the high caliber of instruction.

As a first-generation college student and a respected education policy expert with more than two decades of experience, Kent serves as the nation’s top federal official for higher education. As Under Secretary, Kent oversees the Department’s postsecondary education, career, technical, and adult education, and federal student aid programs. This includes managing the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio and the over $30 billion Pell Grant program.

During his three-hour visit to Chaminade, he met with the Montessori Preschool Lab School, Data Science, Analytics & Visualization Lab, the Nursing Simulation Center, the Interior Design Studio Lab, and the Forensic Sciences  “Crime House” Lab. Each visit showcased the distinctiveness and rich experiences that Chaminade provides to students.

He also exchanged ideas with senior leadership of Chaminade during an informal lunch in the President’s Conference Room. Learning about Chaminade’s Catholic Marianist foundation and why being the only private Catholic institution of higher education in the Pacific is vital to our region was another highlight of his tour.

Provost Dr. Lance Askildson presented Kent with a gift from the University to commemorate the auspicious visit. The Chaminade community is thankful for his interest in our campus and programs during his visit to Hawai’i and looks forward to continuing the momentum of providing students the skills, knowledge and experience to further their careers and community.