Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Four Chaminade Veterans Find New Paths After Military Service

Three Chaminade students and an adjunct professor reflect on their transitions from military service to college and new careers.

By Justin Siliva

For military veterans, leaving the service can mean adjusting to a different routine, returning to school, or preparing for a new career. 

At Chaminade University of Honolulu, four veterans have taken different paths after serving in the U.S. Army and Air Force. With Veterans Day approaching on Nov. 11, they share how their experiences have shaped their Chaminade education, leadership, and career goals. 

Victoria Francois (second from left and top photo).

Victoria Francois: Bringing Army Lessons to Chaminade

Victoria Francois, 40, grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she enlisted in the Army at 18 in April 2004. She served nearly 19 years before leaving in February 2023, reaching the rank of sergeant first class (E-7). Francois spent about 17 years of her military career as a surgical technician, assisting with operating room procedures.

The Army brought Francois to Hawaiʻi in 2017, where she was assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center. She later became the perioperative noncommissioned officer in charge, overseeing four departments: same-day surgery, the operating room, post-anesthesia care, and sterile processing. 

While she was still serving, Francois enrolled at Chaminade in 2019 and attended evening classes at Tripler. She began taking classes on campus in 2023. 

Initially concerned about returning to college as an adult learner, Francois has found opportunities to get involved. She served as a senior senator in the Chaminade Student Government Association (CSGA) and participated in the university’s Sustained Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program. 

Through the program, Francois met Dr. Abby Halston, who became her mentor. Halston later nominated Francois for the 2024 Sue Wesselkamper Award, which she won. 

Francois earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Chaminade in May 2024 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She also serves as president of Chaminade’s Psi Chi chapter, a psychology honor society, where she applies her military leadership experience to working with other student officers.

“I may know how to get things done and execute, because that’s just what the military has taught me over and over,” Francois said. “But collaboration is everything, right?”

Francois expects to finish her master’s program in May 2027. Then, she plans to pursue a doctorate in educational psychology while continuing to work as a behavioral health specialist with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. 

Jonah Martell (back row, second from left).

Jonah Martell: Finding His Way Back to School

Jonah Martell, 22, of Las Vegas, Nevada, joined the Army in 2023 and served as a cavalry scout at Schofield Barracks on Oʻahu. He reached the rank of specialist (E-4) before an injury led to his medical discharge in 2025, ending his military career after about two years. 

As a cavalry scout, Martell conducted reconnaissance, monitored potential threats, and provided security for infantry units. His training also included clearing buildings and operating as a gunner on a Humvee.

One of his most memorable experiences came during a five-day training exercise in Georgia. Martell spent four days in heavy rain, responding to simulated nighttime attacks with little to no sleep. The exercise ended with a 12-mile overnight march carrying a roughly 30-pound rucksack.

After leaving the Army, Martell decided to stay in Hawaiʻi and attend Chaminade because it offered a Sports and Event Management program; that option wasn’t available at other universities he considered.

Now a freshman, he hopes to work in the front office of a professional sports team or become a college athletic director. He also plans to add criminal justice as a second major, giving him another career option in law enforcement. 

Before joining the Army, Martell hadn’t seriously considered attending college. He said his military experience changed how he approached school, leaving him more focused on preparing for a career.

“So, ever since I joined, now I’m more focused and, like, okay, I need to get this done, to start my career, and help myself,” Martell said. “So I think the military really changed my mindset.”

Adam Haley (center).

Adam Haley: Discovering a Passion for Psychology

Adam Haley, 28, grew up in Madison, Alabama, and attended the University of Alabama from fall 2017 to spring 2018, studying management information systems. He left college to join the Army to gain job skills, travel, and avoid student loan debt.

Haley spent six and a half years in the Army working in communications and information technology. He achieved the rank of sergeant (E-5), then worked supervising junior soldiers and maintaining communication networks used during military operations. The Army brought him to Hawai‘i for his first duty station.

After leaving the military, he became a network engineer, putting the technical skills he learned in the Army to use.

But he soon realized the work wasn’t as fulfilling as he’d expected.

While serving in the Army, Haley often found himself listening to fellow soldiers who came to him for advice or needed someone to talk to. As a noncommissioned officer (NCO), he held monthly counseling sessions but preferred talking to people over formal paperwork. He enjoyed those conversations and began to recognize his interest in understanding and helping people.

That interest eventually brought him to Chaminade, where he is now a junior majoring in psychology.

Haley chose the university for its smaller classes, psychology program, and opportunities to interact with professors. He hopes to become a psychologist and pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Compared with his previous experience at a larger university, Haley said he now enjoys being back in college and studying something he cares about.

“I never thought I’d be the type to say I love coming to school, love school, or anything like that, but I genuinely look forward to coming to Chaminade,” Haley said. “I really look forward to all my psychology classes.” 

Michael Rose: From the Air Force to the Classroom

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Michael Rose joined the U.S. Air Force in 2001 following the Sept. 11 attacks. He served for 20 years before retiring in 2021 as a senior master sergeant (E-8).

During his military career, Rose worked in special operations and completed several deployments. His service took him to 58 countries, where some of his most meaningful experiences involved providing humanitarian assistance to women and children in war-torn areas.

Rose said his time in the Air Force helped him develop leadership skills and changed how he viewed his responsibilities to others. After retiring, he initially pictured himself using those skills in the business world, possibly as an executive or someone managing a company division.

With family connections to Hawai‘i, Rose eventually made Oʻahu his home and enrolled at Chaminade to further his education in business and leadership.

During his graduate studies, Rose worked closely with Dr. Eduard “Eddie” Merc, an assistant professor of business analytics and supply chain management and director of Chaminade’s MBA program. Merc’s dedication to teaching and research encouraged Rose to explore opportunities in higher education.

Rose earned his Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Chaminade in 2023. From 2023 to 2025, he worked as a researcher at the university’s School of Business and Communication, studying technology, leadership, and business operations.

Although Rose initially planned to pursue a career in business leadership, he eventually found himself on the other side of the classroom.

He now serves as an adjunct professor at Chaminade, teaching EC 201, Principles of Macroeconomics, through the university’s Early College program at Sacred Hearts Academy.

Not too long ago, Rose was the one sitting in class, listening to lectures and preparing for exams. Now that he’s the one leading the lessons, Rose said the experience has shown him how much preparation goes into teaching, especially when students have questions he needs to answer.

As Veterans Day approaches, Rose hopes people remember the sacrifices military members make throughout their service.

“I think it’s just to not take it for granted,” Rose said. “And to really think about the sacrifice that military members make on a daily basis.” 

From Paper Fish to Banana Bread, Campus Marketplace has it all

From paper fish to shell bangles to banana bread, the Fall Campus Marketplace had a little something for everyone—and plenty of reasons to linger.

Held Wednesday in the Ching Conference Center, the annual event transformed the space into a lively collection of pop-up shops featuring crocheted bags, homemade baked goods, matcha making, thrifted T-shirts and more. More than 300 people stopped by to browse, shop and support student entrepreneurs. Some left with shopping bags full of goodies; others may have left empty-handed, but few could leave without a smile and a renewed appreciation for the creativity and camaraderie that make up the Chaminade community.

Promoting the theme “Campus Made, Campus Inspired,” the College of Arts & Sciences hosted its sixth annual Marketplace under the leadership of Sr. Malia Wong, who works tirelessly to bring this fun, family-oriented event to campus each year.

“Marketplace is unique because it really brings the entire Chaminade ‘ohana together, from students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff,” Wong said.

And what an ‘ohana marketplace it was. Forty sellers filled the conference center with their creations and carefully curated finds, sporting names as imaginative as the goods themselves. “Designs by Baibai,” “MJ Stickers,” “Something Fishy” and “She Shells Sea Sells” were just a few of the memorable names drawing shoppers in. When the Marketplace first launched six years ago, it featured just 23 pop-up shops. Today, that number has grown to 40—a testament to the event’s growing appeal and the entrepreneurial spirit thriving on campus.

For fourth-year psychology major Evan Cepeda, the business model was refreshingly simple. His booth, “Everything $1:D,” offered a little bit of everything: T-shirts, books, highlighter pens, a neck massager and more. The price? One dollar. No haggling required.

A self-described thrifter, Cepeda said he believes in reducing, reusing and recycling rather than constantly buying new things from big-box stores.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” Cepeda said, proving the point as one of his classmates purchased a plastic bin cover for a buck.

Across the conference center, Adrienne Senining and Ava Walker helped showcase another kind of student talent: handmade ceramics. Senining, a nursing student who also serves as a teaching assistant in the ceramics department, explained that ceramics students create an inventory of bowls, plates and other pieces to sell at the Marketplace each year.

“This is a great opportunity for students to show off their talents,” Senining said.

And that is part of what makes the Marketplace more than just a place to shop. Behind every crocheted bag, ceramic bowl and secondhand find is an opportunity for students to share their interests, put their ideas into action and learn by doing. Running a booth can mean practicing communication, building confidence, managing money, thinking creatively and connecting with customers—all skills that extend well beyond the classroom.

Just as importantly, the Marketplace creates space for the Chaminade community to come together in support of one another. Students get to showcase what they can do, shoppers discover the people and stories behind the products, and the campus ‘ohana grows a little closer in the process.

Whether shoppers came looking for a bargain, a handmade gift or a slice of banana bread, they found something more: a celebration of student initiative, creativity and community. At the Fall Campus Marketplace, the merchandise may have been made by hand, but the connections made along the way were just as valuable.

Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Kicks Off 24th Year

The Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is now celebrating its 24th year mentoring students seeking independent business opportunities or leadership skills to help organizations succeed, both for-profit and nonprofit. On Wednesday evening, past and current Hogan participants, alumni, and business leaders gathered to launch another year of Hogan with an inspiring keynote address and opportunities to connect, network, share inspiring stories, and celebrate one of Chaminade’s most successful institutions.

Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., welcomed attendees to the celebration and thanked them for supporting the Hogan initiative over the years.

“It’s such a pleasure to be here with you this evening and again kick off the 24th year of the Hogan program,” Babington said.

“We are very proud of the Hogan program,” she said. “Linking students with community members enriches new ideas and opportunities here in Hawai‘i.”

This year’s Hogan Kick-Off Celebration, held at the Sullivan Family Library Lawn, featured music, good food, drinks, and time for attendees to mingle and socialize. The featured speaker for the evening was Melissa Crounse Kaufman, a renowned entrepreneur and Founding Executive Director of The Garage, a startup incubator at Northwestern University.

“Previous speakers have been terrific, but I think this is one of the best ones we’ve had that I can remember in my time,” said Roy Panzarella, Ph.D., Director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program.

Kaufman, who now lives in Maui and works as a school teacher, shared a story with the audience of how she once tested the entrepreneurial instincts of her students against artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

She split the class into two groups and asked each to develop an innovative idea for a new snack product. One group had unlimited access to AI tools; the other had to use their wits.

Upon conclusion of this exercise, the class determined that the best idea came from the “brain team” that was denied the use of any AI advantage. The winning team proposed selling hibiscus-flavored popcorn that comes in resealable bags.

Kaufman told the audience to take this lesson to heart.

“AI is a pattern matching machine,” she said. “It draws from what already exists, and it optimizes for what has worked before, in the past.

“The winning idea in my class didn’t come from a prompt. It came from a teenage girl’s lived experience.”

Kaufman said she owes her success not to building successful companies, but to building up people and helping them make personal connections they can translate into winning enterprises.

“Students cannot build judgment or persuasive speaking or interpret body language or build connections alone in their dorm rooms talking to Claude,” she stressed. “Students need to interact with real businesses and real business problems in real time.”

Panzarella said Kaufman’s message is poignant for the times as the rise of AI technology leaves everyone nervous for the future.

Kaufman pleaded with business leaders in the audience to deepen their engagement with Hogan students. The program’s long success lies not with technologies like AI, she said, but with the personal connections the program fosters.

“You have to help in this mission because we can’t do it alone,” she said. “You need to share your time, your expertise, and your network with the students by serving as a mentor or a guest speaker.”

In addition to raffle prizes, the event presented two awards recognizing present and future entrepreneurial success.

Kai Cowell was honored with the Hogan program’s “In the Arena” award for her success with Ka‘iulani Spices, a healthy foods and flavoring company selling products at major retail outlets. The $1,500 student award went to Liliyah-Joy Quel-Kaina, a Hogan junior juggling two majors and minors who recently landed a coveted internship opportunity. 

The latest Hogan kick-off celebration comes at the midpoint of the semester and also lands in the middle of Chaminade’s first Wellness Week, a series of events aimed at helping students pause and reset.

Panzarella said the timing for the 24th Hogan Kick-Off is deliberate. He finds participants are more engaged and primed for action at this point in the academic year compared to the beginning of the semester or in the summer.

“We wanted to take time to let the semester sort of breathe a little bit,” he said. “We found that people are much more amenable to celebrating, to community building.”

He said the 24th year of the Hogan program won’t be delivering any major new surprises, but the year will still feature plenty of exciting gatherings and inspiring speakers. He said the team is planning new leadership initiatives, including one that may happen at Pearl Harbor.

Much of this year will be spent planning for the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program’s 25th anniversary year, coming up in 2027. Panzarella promised great things to come as the Hogan program rings in 25 years of incubating new business ideas and preparing young entrepreneurs for success.

“25 is going to be big,” he said.

Chaminade’s First ‘Back to School Bash’ is a Smash Hit

A new tradition delivers music, food, and fun to the Chaminade University community.

Chaminade’s first ever Back to School Bash was held on September 25 with great success. The Bash was organized as a way for the university to welcome everyone back to campus after the summer break.

The festivities went on as scheduled and the crowd turned up in strength despite the potential for inclement weather with Hurricane Nolo’s approach.

Hundreds of Chaminade students stayed on campus Friday evening, joining alumni, faculty, and staff to celebrate the new academic year while enjoying good food and good music. Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. thanked the crowd for coming and indicated that plans are already in the works for many more such occasions to come.

“We hope this is the first of many Back to School Bashes,” she said.

Vice President for Advancement Jill Higashi said planning for the first Bash had been underway for several months. She said the organizers aimed for the Bash to help foster a better sense of family and belonging.

“It really came out of the desire or the goal to engage the Chaminade community, the current students who live on campus, but also the commuters,” Higashi said. “Something that would keep them on campus so they can mingle and build relationships with those that are dorming as well as with some faculty and staff, and alumni, too. So that was kind of the hope.”

She said Chaminade has hosted one-off gatherings for students and alumni in the past, but never at this scale.

This very first Back to School Bash was held on the lawn next to Sullivan Family Library and featured local musical talent. Denny Ono got things rolling, followed by Sons of Yeshua right around sunset. By nightfall, Kapena took to the stage to close the concert out.

Local food truck vendors parked nearby, while Chaminade’s golf team set up shop, serving up burgers and chips. Higashi said she hoped other student groups will be inspired to become involved at the next Back to School Bash.

Some lucky attendees were awarded with door prizes as the celebration kicked off.

More students turned up as the sun went down for the evening of food and entertainment. By nightfall, Sons of Yeshua put the crowd in the mood for some dancing.

Chaminade’s 2026 Back to School Bash was a welcomed break from classes and textbooks. The university ‘ohana is already looking forward to next year’s Bash.

“We’re talking with those that came, and also reaching out to some students from different areas for feedback, to see what worked well or what they would change a little bit,” Higashi said.

Hawai‘i Professionals Attend Networking Event With Business Students

University business students understand the value of networking–building relationships with potential employers–prior to graduation. The trouble is, busy young scholars rarely have time to leave campus to visit offices and make those needed connections.

To get around this problem, one Chaminade University professor decided to bring the office networks to the campus instead.

Pamela Estell, Ph.D. is Chaminade’s Assistant Professor of Management, Human Resources, and Organizational Behavior. On September 11, Professor Estell hosted the first of what will become a series of casual breakfast gatherings between Chaminade students and Hawai‘i business professionals.

So far, the response from attendees is very promising.

Derenza Iriarte ‘27 Business Administration, said she went to the networking event with a clear sense of what she wanted to get out of it.

“Going into the event, I hoped to learn more about career opportunities, build my confidence in speaking with professionals, and gain advice that I could use as I prepare for life after college,” Iriarte said. “I definitely feel like I was able to get that out of the experience.”

Prof. Estell said she was inspired to organize Chaminade’s inaugural business students-professionals networking event by her own college experience, back when she was required to attend a much larger and more formal business networking series. She remembers how awkward that was.

“Students in general at this age tend to find the networking situation difficult,” she explained in an interview. “It puts them out of their comfort zone a little bit. So, I was looking for ways to make that more accessible but still meaningful to the students.”

Though she was forced to don business attire to attend college networking sessions during her student days, Estell said she deliberately designed her networking gathering to be more informal, to put all participants at ease.

Though the networking events she attended as a college student sometimes involved up to 300 participants, Estell’s information-sharing event involved only about two dozen of her Career Development students and five professional mentors.

“I figured, what if I did something like a networking breakfast but at a much smaller, intimate scale,” she recalled. “That would make it more informal, more easily accessible to the students, and provide opportunities for one-on-one connections with local business professionals.”

“So, that’s how I had this idea for this.”

The first event in what will become a series of such gatherings featured professionals from Bank of Hawai‘i.

Groups of students took turns rotating among tables in a campus conference room. Each rotation saw four students sitting down with one Bank of Hawai‘i employee. The five-way conversations lasted 25 minutes.

Each session was followed by a five-minute break, giving everyone a chance to refresh with coffee and pastries.

The student groups rotated through all the tables, giving everyone an opportunity to connect with one-another.

Caleb Kim, a student participant, said two of the professionals he interacted with helped put him at ease about his future plans.

“They answered all my questions, and the thing that stood out most was both professionals did not know what they wanted to do after graduating but found a passion,” Kim shared. “It gave me peace of mind cause I feel in a similar situation as them.”

Estell said she had prepared papers listing possible ice breaker questions that students could pose to the BOH team. This was just a fallback, and Estell said she was pleasantly surprised when many of the students skipped over her suggestions, having come armed with their own questions.

“A lot of students didn’t use those and I was really pleased with that because I wanted it to be organic,” she said. “I wanted them to ask the questions that they’d thought of, or talk to the mentors about things that were important to them.”

Chaminade alumni Rita Aponte, Business ‘24, now Senior Manager of Bank of Hawai‘i’s People Services Center, said the students she interacted with were well prepared.

“They asked great questions,” she said. “They asked about AI and how it affects the work we do, how automation has changed the way we process new hires, how important networking is for a potential candidate, what roles we offer at the bank.”

“They were really interested in what they can do to give themselves a leg up in the job market,” Aponte added.

Iriarte said the BOH employees were receptive and extremely helpful. “They were very open and willing to answer my questions, which made the conversations feel comfortable rather than overly formal,” she said.

Estell is already planning follow-up sessions, determined to keep the new tradition going. She’s hoping to win commitments from Hawaiian Airlines and the State of Hawai‘i, among other employers. She’s especially interested in getting health care professionals involved. “I think a lot of business students don’t realize that there are a lot of business professions within health care, and health care is a very big part of our employment here in Hawai‘i.”

The next networking opportunities for her business students are already in the works. Professor Estell says she’s organizing two more sessions for October and November.

Aponte said she wouldn’t mind participating again.

“I have a son around their age, so it was great to see and hear what things might concern them related to their futures outside of college.”

Iriarte said she is likewise looking forward to the next chance to network with Hawai‘i’s business community. “I would absolutely participate again because it was a great opportunity to network, learn from professionals, and make connections outside of the classroom.”