Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Hogan’s Heroes

Hogan Program Graduates and Inductees Share the Stage

Addressing attendees during the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Induction/Graduation Ceremony, Glenn Hogan said it is an honor to continue the legacy that his late parents, Ed and Lynn, began 21 years ago when they invested their time and knowledge, and shared their experiences with aspiring entrepreneurs at Chaminade.

“My parents always believed in giving generously,” Hogan said. “At an early age, our parents taught us our ABCs. As entrepreneurs, they defined it as A for Attitude, B for Behavior.  And being parents married for 65 years, they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but they always came together. And so the C, my mom believed that behavior resulted in Consequences, and my dad believed in behavior and Character.”

Hogan students have also learned another “Hoganism” known as the five Ds: Desire, Dedication, Devotion, Discipline and Determination. “Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business, though it’s that, too,” explains Hogan Program Director, Dr. Roy Panzarella. “Entrepreneurship is about acquiring the skills of success, and we try to teach those skills in the context of entrepreneurship.”

Drs. Roy Panzarella and Chaminade President Lynn Babington, and Christine and Glenn Hogan flank this year's Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Awardees.
Drs. Roy Panzarella and Chaminade President Lynn Babington, and Christine and Glenn Hogan flank this year’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Awardees.

Funded by the Hogan Family Foundation, the eponymous Entrepreneurial Program, aims to educate Chaminade students how to be successful in business through a series of lectures with experienced Hawaii leaders, study abroad missions, community service projects, academic coursework and mentorship. Each year, a new cohort of students from all majors, including undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, are accepted into the one- or two-year certificate program.

“This annual celebration is always a wonderful time to reflect on our students’ contributions to the common good,” says Chaminade President, Dr. Lynn Babington. “They represent our future leaders who will help transform society and make a huge difference in our communities.”

Poised to expand in the future, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, now in concert with the Suzie Martin & Vaughn Vasconcellos Leadership Institute, will train and mentor tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs. The education that students will receive will prepare them to lead with empathy, morality, compassion, and a drive to identify problems and create scalable solutions that can benefit individuals, communities and the globe. 

Christine and Glenn Hogan attended the Graduation/Induction Ceremony.

“My dad always liked to say, ‘Doing business things that make social sense, doing social things that make business sense,’” Hogan says.  “He believed in entrepreneurial practices that benefit the community.”

At the ceremony, the graduating Hogan students were honored for completing the program and the incoming Hogan students were inducted in front of their Chaminade community, friends and family. Four awards were presented, including the Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Outstanding First Year Student Award, the In the Arena Award and the Aloha Spirit Award.

“When I entered the Hogan program in the Fall of 2020, I wanted to learn more about social enterprises,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Realtor, Ciena Alagao, a Hogan graduate who won the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award. “I wanted to start a business that would make a positive impact in the community.”

Nankuli native Waioli Misajon won the Outstanding First Year Award, while Jacob Fernandez and Faith Chang were recognized with In the Arena and Aloha Spirit awards, respectively. Twelve students were inducted into the program, and a total of 17 students graduated, three of whom received their two-year certificates and the rest earning their one-year certificates.

“We would like to take this opportunity to give a special mahalo to the entire Hogan Family,” Panzarella concludes. “Significant contributions of time, counsel and financial support to Chaminade University for over two decades have allowed us to measurably impact the lives of more than 400 Hogan students as they embarked upon careers, ‘determined to become contributing members of society,’ as Ed Hogan would say.”

Viral Video

Chaminade alumna’s TikTok post viewed 15 million times

Even before the emergence of social media, Liz Rizzo was already documenting and sharing her life, snapping what are now largely known as selfies and keeping a diary for as long as she can remember. Then Facebook, Instagram and TikTok came along. The latter would help propel the Chaminade alumna to national and international stardom, attracting the media attention of multiple news stations across the country, 400 national and international newspapers, radio stations, “Inside Edition,” “Tamron Hall Show,“ “Good Morning America,” and even the U.K.’s “The Daily Mail.com.”

In a 49-second TikTok clip, Rizzo turned 82-year-old Carman Kelly’s life into a media sensation, taking her viral and being watched more than 15 million times. Due to health issues, Kelly has to use a cane—even when greeting shoppers at an Arizona Walmart.

Liz Rizzo’s TikTok post of Carmen Kelly has been watched 15 million times.

And that’s where the story begins.

“I saw Carman, and she just cracked my heart open,” recalled Rizzo, who graduated from Chaminade with an Associate Degree (’00), BA in Psychology (’10) and master’s in Criminal Justice (’14). “I see this elderly woman with a cane, leaning on a shopping cart, and working. I just turned my camera on. I didn’t even think about it. I felt it was divine intervention.”

Rizzo stayed true to her word, promising Kelly that she would make sure that her TikTok post would go viral. And it did. In the post, Rizzo pleaded with viewers to help Kelly by donating to a GoFundMe account she had set up for the 82 year old.

“We talked afterwards and I asked her, ‘Do you have to work here?’” said Rizzo, adding that she asked Kelly for permission to share the video beforehand. “We did her bills and it came up to about $10,000, so that’s what I put on GoFundMe.”

At 82, Kelly is one of many Americans who are 65 and older and likely have to pay higher medical costs out-of-pocket, according to a 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency. Another report from the Kaiser Family Foundation also estimates that about 41 percent of adults have some kind of medical or dental bill debt, showing Kelly’s situation isn’t unusual.

Liz Rizzo and her late service dog Buddy at a “Save Our Beach Park” rally in Kailua.

To date, over 9,000 donations, totaling more than $133,000, have poured into the online fundraiser for Kelly, who had only $50 in the bank when she first met Rizzo.

“I’ve been having a really hard time money wise, medical wise and I’ve fallen quite a few times over the past year, and so I had some big hospital bills from that,” Kelly told “Good Morning America.” “My Walmart money, it helped me pay for food and gas and other things.”

However, now that she’s about to receive a big windfall, Kelly said she “still can’t believe it’s happened.”

“I’m going to be able to pay off all my bills, get a new place to live, hopefully [an] assisted living place to just help me with life,” she said. “I can never ever, ever thank her enough for doing this. I mean, she was a total stranger to me and it’s like God sent her to me. And I really feel that way because she has been absolutely wonderful.”

For Rizzo, doing good and helping others was instilled in her by her late grandmother, who used to instruct her to remove any pebbles from the sidewalk so older people wouldn’t accidentally trip. Kind, generous and empathetic help describe the 68-year-old music publisher. But what defines her are her actions.

“I’ve always approached life like a buffet,” quipped Rizzo, whose late service dog, Buddy, used to accompany her to classes when she was enrolled in Chaminade’s master’s program. “I want to sample everything—and I have. I’ve never wanted to work at a same job for 40 years, take a cruise and then retire. There’s too much to do, and people to help.”

Pain and Perseverance

Surah Healey ’23 succeeds and graduates despite health adversities 

Starting college is stressful enough with all its attendant challenges. Living away from home for the first time. Increased study load. New friends. And new surroundings. Add to that list a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, compounded by—not one—but eight surgeries. It was all too much for Surah Healey, whose freshman-year experience had no resemblance to the collegiate life portrayed in those glossy recruiting materials. 

As a baby, Healey was diagnosed with a congenital Ureteropelvic Junction (UPJ) obstruction, a condition where blockage occurs at the junction where the ureter attaches to the kidney. She underwent several surgeries as an infant before her condition finally stabilized in high school.

In the spring of her high school senior year, the California native was involved in a four-car collision that would imperil her health. She suffered a sprained back and severe whiplash, limiting her movement and possibly aggravating her UPJ. 

“I felt this chronic numbing pain on my right side so I went to see my doctor,” says Healey, a Ho‘oulu Scholar. “He told me the accident could be the reason for my pain, and prescribed some medication.”

Healey says because of her high threshold for pain, she ignored the consistent aching when she first arrived at Chaminade … that is until she could no longer. One early morning at 1, the discomfort became so unbearable that she knocked on her roommate’s door and told her she had to immediately go to the emergency room.

Surah Healey persevered through eight surgeries to attend Commencement.

“I was told it was a bad urinary tract infection (UTI),” Healey recalls. “I was given some medication and sent home.”

The throbbing abated but quickly returned. So in January 2020, Healey would require surgery—the first of eight—to insert a stent in her ureter, between her kidney and bladder. In the meantime, the Bio-Chemistry major kept up with her studies as best as she could. With summer break approaching and COVID restrictions in play, she decided to return to California until the fall.

While home, Healey suffered another two medical setbacks. The stent that was first inserted needed to be replaced—twice. “Then in October, I had my fourth surgery because my ureter had slipped,” says Healey, with tears welling up in her eyes. “And in December, I was informed by my surgeon that my right kidney needed to be removed.”

Hospitalized for a week, Healey was unable to walk. She couldn’t laugh. She couldn’t cry. She couldn’t eat. She wasn’t allowed visitors because of the pandemic. And she could barely talk. 

“When I lost my kidney, I didn’t think it would be so painful because of my tolerance for pain,” Healey says. “But I was so wrong. Recovery was excruciatingly painful. It was something that I’ve never, ever experienced in my lifetime.”

By now, she was completely behind in her coursework, and relegated to online learning because of the pandemic. Mentally and physically struggling, Healey sought the advice of professors Jolene Cogbill, Ph.D., and Chrystie Naeole, Ph.D., on how to stay on track with her academics.

“They were really helpful,” Healey says. “They arranged for tutors to help me catch up, but I was still forced to take an incomplete in some of my courses, which I would have to make up if I wanted to graduate.”

After five surgeries and a lost kidney, Healey thought she could now focus on her studies, and that the worst of her medical problems was behind her. 

They weren’t. 

Another three surgeries would be required: one in the spring of 2021 to repair an umbilical hernia, probably brought on when her kidney was removed from her navel; a second in May 2022 to treat another invasive hernia; and the third this past January to remove kidney stones.

“By October 2021, I was totally depressed,” Healey says. “After the first hernia surgery, I was limited to what I could do for three to six months. And then two to three months later, I was told I had another hernia, but I had the option of not having surgery.”

Her mom Donna, though, had other thoughts. Although she supported her daughter’s decision to forgo the second hernia procedure, she was afraid that Surah’s hernia would one day rupture and lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening medical emergency.

“I just started as the president of the Scrubs Club and became the vice president of the Fitness and Adventure Club in May 2022,” says Healey, of the same time she learned about her second hernia. “I didn’t want to have another hernia surgery, but I understood the risks, and decided to have the surgery.”

Like the Greek god Sisyphus, who was condemned to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again once he reached the summit, Healey’s persistent struggle against her medical ailments seemed futile. Told by some to just quit, Healey became more resolute, stronger and braver.

“Each time someone would tell me that I wasn’t going to be able to do this (graduate),” says Healey with a voice of determination, “it would just make me fight even more, telling myself ‘Girl, you got this.’” 

In May, Healey will walk with her fellow Class of ’23 graduates, proving that perseverance and personal belief do indeed matter. Her advice to them: “Live everyday like it’s your last. Be Brave. Be Humble. And Be Kind.”

Hogan’s Hero

Haelee Tallett ’18 Champions Entrepreneurial Program

Before ceding the room to Haelee Tallett —or Haels, as she prefers to be called— Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program director, Dr. Roy Panzarella quipped that the Hogan Speaker Series is setting a new Guinness World Record tonight by inviting the youngest guest speaker ever.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to that,” Tallett joked about her age. “I’m not mysterious and I don’t put on any façades. I’m an open book with a story to tell and I’m glad to tell it.”

Tallett’s entrepreneurial achievements certainly belie her youthful age of 26. Owner and CEO of Ocean Creations, a custom jewelry company inspired by her love for the ocean, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program ’16 and Chaminade ’18 Business Administration graduate began her now-thriving business as a hobby when she was a young 16-year-old teenager.

“I just learned that when Haels was a freshman at Chaminade, she already wanted to enter the Hogan program, which wasn’t possible because entry requires students to be juniors, seniors or graduate students, but she was determined,” Panzarella told attendees. “It’s powerful what she has been able to achieve, and is now giving back to the community.”

Entrepreneur Haelee Tallet discussed her business, Ocean Creations, during the Hogan Speaker Series.

The point wasn’t lost among attendees and Tallett’s support network of 10 employees and close friends, including her former Chaminade classmate, Brandon Espiritu, ’16. “She has always worked hard so I’m here to support her,” he said. “It’s nice to see Haels achieve so many milestones and I’m super proud of her.”

Tallett’s modest beginnings started with her brother’s passion for diving and bringing home shells of all shapes and sizes. Initially, she would turn the shells into whimsical jewelry for herself, but she would eventually give them as gifts in hopes of saving money. Then the compliments and requests came in.

“I wanted to make jewelry that was affordable and made young women feel good,” says Tallett, who recently expanded Ocean Creations with a second location at Ala Moana Center. “I wanted to empower young women to be the best of themselves.”

Tallett credits Chaminade for shaping her as an entrepreneur, and teaching her what she calls the necessary “soft skills” to run a business. “The professors here taught me confidence building and effective communicating,” said Tallett, who opened her first brick-and-mortar shop at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei. “They told me about challenges that an entrepreneur will face and how to meet them.”

Haels, though, isn’t the first generation of Talletts to attend Chaminade, Panzarella pointed out. “I believe her grandfather came here [Willibrord “Willie” K. Tallett ’61] and also her aunt [Theresa (Tallett) Edwards ‘89].”

“I’ve always been super interested in Chaminade because of my grandpa,” the younger Tallett said. “And I’ve always wanted to be in the Hogan Program. My relationship with the faculty still stands out as very special because my professors were so committed to helping us along the way. They would always go the extra mile, and my classmates and I knew we could count on them to help us, even if it wasn’t directly related to our classwork.”

As for the future, Tallett hopes to grow her business and to continue to have the opportunity to support young women. Standing in front of the class, the young entrepreneur encouraged the budding MBA students to pursue their dreams.

“When I was in your position I had no idea I would have two stores in two of Hawai‘i’s largest malls,” she said. “I wake up sometimes and I feel like I have impostor syndrome, and I ask myself, ‘How did I get here?’”

Culture Week

Events celebrate campus diversity

Bring your appetite, warns Andrew Ancheta, referring to the 5th Annual Taste of Culture. This food-like festival celebrates the cultural diversity of our campus by coming together as a community and bonding over food.

“This year will be the first time since the pandemic that our students can have a choice to cook—rather than order from a restaurant—their specialty dish,” says Ancheta, activities coordinator for the Office of Student Activities and Leadership. “Each club will be responsible for at least a dish and maybe a dessert and drink.”

Inspired by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Cultural Week, Chaminade’s inaugural event of the same name provides an opportunity for the campus community to deepen their understanding of cultural diversity. Hawai‘i has long been considered a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, as confirmed by an analysis released by WalletHub that ranks Hawai‘i first in the nation for racial and ethnic diversity.

“On the subject of diversity, Chaminade’s Office of Student Activities and Leadership offers more than 30 active student clubs,” says Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington. “Whether you are looking for a group to celebrate your cultural heritage, share your passion for different hobbies, or just looking to meet new people, it’s easy to find your ‘ohana while at Chaminade.”

Students in the Hawaiian Club performed hula at last year’s Extravaganza.

The Taste of Culture will run April 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Zuberano Courtyard. Participating clubs include the Chaminade Student Programming Board (Egyptian Lemonade); Student Organization of Latinx (Enchilada Verde); Office of the President (Corned Beef and Cabbage); The Filipino Club (Lumpia, Cascaron, Puto); Ka Ipu Kukui Me Ka‘ie‘ie (Kalua Pig, Lomi Salmon, Po)i; Lumana’i O Samoa; Restauranteers Club (Japanese Takoyaki); Micronesian Club; and Hallyu (Korean) Club (Meat Jun).

A spring tradition at Chaminade, the April 14 International Extravaganza is also part of Culture Week. Student-led performances of dance and song highlight the evening’s program at the Sullivan Library Lawn from 6 to 10 p.m. (or until performances conclude). Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., with performances starting at 7 p.m.

Five cultural clubs with 150-200 participants will share their talents with the campus community. Organizations will include the Filipino Club, Ka Ipu Kukui Me Ka‘ie‘ie (Hawaiian Club), the Student Organization of Latin X, Lumana‘i O Samoa (the Samoan Club) and the Micronesian Club.

“Because of the pandemic sidelined these student activities, we’re having to rebuild these events and remind current students about them,” Ancheta says. “There’s a high interest among students, and they really work hard, practicing at least three times a week for two to three hours.”

Other scheduled events during Culture Week include an “Identity Panel” presented by the Marianist Leadership Center on April 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., and an Open Mic on April 12, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Both will take place on the Zuberano Lawn.

“Student clubs and organizations drive these events,” says Ancheta, who will oversee all the programming logistics. “This is the first year that we’ve combined all these events into a single week.”

Upstream Battle

Freshmen students help in Palolo Stream cleanup

Empty bottles and cans. Cartons and styrofoam containers. A neon pink plastic ball. These were just some of the debris littered along the banks of Palolo Stream. Huddled below a large banyan tree above the flotsam and jetsam, John Watase and Hideki Kimukai said they’ve seen worse—even in just the past couple of days.

Pointing to a group of Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones’s ENV 100 students as they climbed down a slope to reach the banks of the stream, Kimukai said, “they have no choice,” referring to students’ responsibility of being good stewards of the aina.

“They represent the future,” said Kimukai, an Education Specialist + Japanese Education Program Lead with Sustainable Coastlines. “They’re the ones inheriting this earth. They’ll be the ones to fight for climate change, and they’ll be the ones affecting and writing policies.”

Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones and her ENV100 students help with the cleanup efforts along Palolo Stream.
Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones and her ENV 100 students help with the cleanup efforts along Palolo Stream.

An environmental teacher with Saint Louis School, Watase is urgently sounding the alarm bells, not only about the stream but the state of the environment. “I don’t know what people are thinking when they’re tossing their trash,” said Watase, who graduated from Saint Louis in 2006. “I’ve seen so much waste that’s simply inexcusable.”

Before setting off along a wooden path that Watase helped build, Ruiz-Jones instructed her students to grab some gloves and trash pickers, warning them of the challenges they might encounter during the hour-long cleanup, including large pieces of debris and the foul stench.

“In this short amount of time, you can make a difference,” said Ruiz-Jones, encouraging her students to participate in other cleanups around the island. “It’s not easy work; it’s hard, but you’re contributing to the solution, and helping to prevent rubbish from making its journey to the ocean.”

A 10-year service member and veteran of the Army, LaVelle White ’26 quickly filled his bag with plastic bottles, aluminum cans and other rubbish even before he reached the banks. “I’ve volunteered on a couple of cleanups around the island,” said White, a freshman who is using the GI Bill to earn a Chaminade degree. “And I’ve also participated in cleanups in Oklahoma and San Antonio. It’s my way of contributing to the community, wherever that may be at the time.”

In her ENV 100 class, Ruiz-Jones introduces students to rudimentary environmental issues, providing them theory in the classroom and practicum outside the campus with such experiential opportunities as the Palolo Stream Cleanup, a Beach Cleanup in Waimanalo and internships with nonprofit organizations.

“At the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center, for example, students are collecting data and using their findings to help restore the fishpond,” explained Ruiz-Jones, whose passion for the environment was sparked when she attended a Bioneers Conference in Northern California when she was in high school. “This is what service learning looks like. It connects student learning in the classroom with real-world experiences in the community.”

At Saint Louis, Watase teaches his students all about composting, from permaculture to vermicompost. It’s a matter that’s close to his heart since he runs his own farm in Waialua. The Palolo Stream is also spiritual for him, which is the reason he leads his students on regular cleanups along the banks.

“The ultimate goal is to restore the path and manage the debris in the stream,” Watase says. “We’re also trying to rid of the invasive fish to give ‘o‘opu (the Hawaiian word for fish in the goby family) a chance to thrive. The last fish cleanup we did in the stream, we caught 1,700 fish in a few hours. And of the 1,700, only four were ‘o‘opu and the rest were tilapia, small-mouth bass and lots of catfish—all invasive.”

As students scaled back to the top of the embankment, Kimukai commented that he wants to teach students “to re-learn what they’ve learned.” “I enjoy talking story with students of all ages, from K to K—keiki to kapuna,” he said. “We try to inspire the kids and be inspired by them. They can change the future, as long as they have the mindset.”