Chaminade University of Honolulu

Alumni

Commencement Mass and Blessing of the Graduates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Legacy Lives On

Remembering and Honoring “Mr. I”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Silverswords Reunite for Fun Night

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hard Work Pays Off

At 19 years old in 2014, Jasmine-Kortney Young-Gusman ’26 began her journey in the health care field as a Medical Assistant and Technician at Straub Benioff Medical Center. After working there for nine years, she found out she was pregnant. The delivery was a harrowing experience for her. She needed an unmedicated, emergency cesarean section. During the surgery, a nurse stood by Young-Gusman, holding her hand, and ensuring she didn’t feel alone in the Operating Room.

“Having her [the nurse] there with me was a comfort in probably the scariest moment I’ve ever experienced,” Young-Gusman said. “After going through that I realized, I could be someone’s comfort and hold their hand and help them,” she explained.

That experience motivated her to apply to and start nursing school even with a ten-month-old son. 

“It took a lot for me to come back to school because I think if I didn’t go through that with my son, I would have just returned to my job,” Young-Gusman reflected. 

Her son is now four years old and will be cheering his mom on at Chaminade University’s Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony at the Waikiki Shell on May 9. She is graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and receiving Latin honors. She was also selected for Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, which has criteria of a minimum 3.0 GPA and being within the top 35% of their graduating class.

Young-Gusman says her biggest struggle in the past four years was balancing being a present mom for her son while also ensuring that she was meeting her goals in school. 

“I had a lot of doubts even though I’m a very confident person and I know I’m smart and I’m capable. It took a lot of sleepless nights, crying and praying,” she said.

There were times she had to miss bed time with her son or was unable to go to his baseball games because she had clinical or needed to study. She said it was very draining but she kept in mind that the sacrifices were temporary. 

“It all paid off because not only am I graduating with my bachelors, I was the first person in my whole family to go to college so I’m a first generation,” Young-Gusman stated. 

Completing nursing school can be daunting. Young-Gusman couldn’t have done it without her support system.  

“I‘ve had professors that have been so loving and supportive,” she said. 

While working towards her degree, Young-Gusman did her nursing preceptorship in the ER. She says she thrives in the ER environment because it’s fast-paced, very demanding and she loves it. 

Young-Gusman has already started working on the next step in her career. She has accepted a job offer from The Queen’s Medical Center – West Oʻahu for the Emergency Technician position and will start soon. She hopes to transition to the Queen’s Hawai‘i Nurse Residency Program in September or January.

She says she’s made life-long friends through Chaminade University. Her advice to incoming students is to believe in yourself, find people that believe in you and hold onto them.

“I didn’t think I could do this, and I did and it’s only because I found the right people. I found the right friends and the right professors who rally behind me,” she said.

A Student’s Second Chance

A Second Chance: From Prison to Master’s Degree

“Everybody deserves a second chance,” Kimmy Takata stated. Although she didn’t have an easy start, Kimmy beat the odds that were stacked against her. She went into prison at a third-grade reading level and it’s where she says her education journey began. 

She received her GED in 2007 when she was in prison in Kentucky. “What inspired me was the people that were locked up with me and locked down with me, they were getting valedictorian and I didn’t even know what that was,” Kimmy said. She said those same people supported her and taught her how to read, write an essay, math, English, and helped prepare her for her GED. 

Getting her GED helped change her mindset, self-image and how she spoke to herself. “When I got my GED, I thought to myself, wow, I am smart, because I always thought I was dumb, because my mother told me I was stupid,” she recalled. Her friends encouraged her to apply for community college. “I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m just going to stop at GED, because you have to be really smart to go to college,’ ” Kimmy said. She then went on to complete her Associate of Arts degree in Hawaiian Studies from Kapiʻolani Community College.

At that time, Kimmy was working for a nonprofit called the Pūʻā Foundation. There she met Brother Dennis Schmidt who wrote Kimmy’s character letter for Chaminade University. “I always thought that I wasn’t smart enough or good enough but my professors always made me feel at home and made me feel good about being here,” Kimmy reflected. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Chaminade University. She was a recipient of the Hoʻoulu Scholarship program for Native Hawaiian students which paid for her entire degree.

While deciding her next move, she accepted an invitation to a luncheon at Chaminade University. That choice impacted her life more than she could have anticipated. She shared her story with one of the donors and told him about her desire to go back to school for her master’s degree. He heard her and encouraged her to apply for a scholarship at Chaminade. A week later she started classes. Kimmy received her Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies from Chaminade University in fall 2025 and will be walking at the spring 2026 commencement ceremony.

Her passion is helping people navigate parole and find housing, food and other resources. She’s been providing peer support since she came out of prison in 2013. Kimmy is a certified peer support specialist and does peer support training. She also helps advocate for more peer support. “I’ve done research in my criminal justice program on prisons that have good programs and they do a lot with the individuals in custody,” she said. She chose to study criminal justice because she wants to help implement changes in the criminal justice system. She knows that improvements aren’t always easy to pass but she’s been writing to the state legislators at the Hawaii State Capitol, senators and representatives to add lived experience to the table when they’re making policy decisions. Her goal is to open a program for men and women coming out of prison to provide the support they need. 

Kimmy works with a lot of people that have transitioned out of prison and she helps them find resources. She used to work for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission as the Reentry Oversight Specialist for the Attorney General’s Office. “That’s pretty unheard of because people that have a past, you don’t see them getting hired for state jobs but my boss Christin Johnson really fought for me. I’m still on parole so she fought even harder,” Kimmy explained. 

In her free time, Kimmy helps feed the homeless. A woman that was in prison with Kimmy has since opened a restaurant in downtown Honolulu and together they pass out meals every month. “I was there before, how can I forget? I’ll never forget where I came from,” Kimmy said. She uses the opportunity to have regular conversations with them, checking if they’re alright and have the resources they need.

She has overcome self-doubt and continuously raised the bar in every step of her education. Kimmy has struggled with imposter syndrome but hasn’t let it stop her from achieving her goals. She is also looking to further her education with the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology degree program from Chaminade University. “I got to watch some of the graduations and I’m really proud to be a part of this school, Chaminade rocks!” Kimmy exclaimed.

Alumni Office Hosts San Diego Reunion

More than 80 alumni and prospective families gathered on a beautiful San Diego waterfront for a special Sunday brunch on March 8 that brought the Chaminade spirit to the mainland in a meaningful way. Against the backdrop of the harbor, the event offered a warm and welcoming space for Silverswords to reconnect, share stories, and celebrate their enduring ties to the University.

Attendees traveled from across the region—and beyond—to be part of the occasion. Many alumni made the drive from throughout California, while one dedicated alumna even flew in from Arizona specifically to attend. Their efforts underscored the strength of the Chaminade community and the lasting impact of the relationships formed on campus. Whether reconnecting with classmates after years apart or meeting fellow alumni for the first time, there was a shared sense of pride and belonging throughout the gathering.

President Dr. Lynn Babington joined the group and spent time connecting personally with alumni and guests. She offered updates on the University, highlighting continued growth, new academic initiatives, and the ways Chaminade is evolving to meet the needs of today’s students while remaining grounded in its mission and values. Her remarks reinforced the University’s commitment to fostering a close-knit, purpose-driven community—one that extends far beyond the shores of O‘ahu.

The event also created opportunities for prospective families to engage with alumni and learn firsthand about the Chaminade experience. Conversations flowed easily between generations, with alumni sharing stories about their time on campus, the friendships they built, and how their education has shaped their personal and professional journeys. For prospective students and their families, it was a chance to see the lasting value of a Chaminade education come to life through these authentic connections.

Adding to the festive atmosphere, attendees enjoyed Chaminade-themed swag and participated in a drawing for prizes, bringing an element of fun and excitement to the morning. Chaminade magazines were also available, offering a deeper look at campus developments, student success stories, and the continued momentum of the University community.

Events like this serve as a powerful reminder that the Chaminade connection does not end at graduation—or at the edge of the island. Instead, it continues to grow and thrive wherever alumni gather. The San Diego brunch was more than just a reunion; it was a reflection of a vibrant and engaged alumni network that remains deeply connected to the University and to one another.