Chaminade University of Honolulu

Alumni

Kick Off to the 2019-20 Season

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Hui Ahinahina Booster Club Members

Chaminade’s Hui ‘Āhinahina Booster Club kicked off the 2019-20 athletic season right this month, with good food and entertainment – and an exhilarating win.

Advancement held its annual kick-off celebration Sept. 6 to coincide with the first game of the women’s volleyball team, which enjoyed a record-breaking season last year.

Scores of people came out to celebrate with the boosters, enjoying pupu, spirits, entertainment and prizes on the Henry Hall Courtyard.

The night capped off with a big win for Chaminade. The women’s volleyball team, no. 2 in the PacWest pre-season poll, bested West Virginia in straight sets.

Sponsors for the big celebration included Hawaii Pacific Health, the official healthcare partner of Chaminade University Athletics.

Women's volleyball vs West Virigina

Also supporting the event: AT&T, Big City Diner, Kona Brewing and Pepsi, along with Chaminade faculty and staff, alumni and members of the community.

And two lucky winners took home the grand prize for the evening: Tickets to the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, a nationally televised event hosted by Chaminade every year.

The boosters club serves as the main source of fundraising support for Chaminade’s 10 sports teams and more than 140 student-athletes.

The club’s goal is to provide opportunities on the field – and in the classroom – for those who wear Chaminade’s sports team uniforms.

In years past, the organization has helped cover essential needs for University athletics, including equipment, scholarships, travel costs and meals. Those who join the booster club can make gifts to a specific team or to the athletics department.

Guam Alumni Gathering

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The Guam Alumni event was held on Friday, May 24 at  Roy’s Lounge at the Guam Hilton Resort and Spa in Tumon Bay.

Dr. Babington greeted 50 of our alumni, current students, prospective students and their parents and gave an update of the University’s past year, Athletics Highlights, and her vision for Chaminade. It was a great evening connecting with the Chaminade ‘ohana while enjoying delicious food and drinks.

2019 Guam Alumni Gathering

Chaminade Alumna Named Hawaii School Counselor of the Year

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Raemie Pagaduan ’06 found her calling during an internship at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School while she was getting her master’s at Chaminade.

Raemie Pagaduan '07 and family

“What drew me to school counseling was being able to be an advocate for students, being that voice for some students who might not have one,” Pagaduan said.

The Master of Science in Counseling Psychology alumna began her career at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School 13 years ago as a 7-12th grade counselor and is now the school’s college and career counselor. 

Pagaduan’s passion for counseling, commitment to helping students thrive and her instrumental role in Nanakuli High and Intermediate School’s Early College program made her an ideal candidate for the 2019 Hawaii School Counselor of the Year, awarded by the Hawaii School Counselor Association.

Since Pagaduan started counseling at Nanakuli, the number of students participating in Early College has increased from one percent in 2010 to 18 percent in 2018. The rate of student enrollment at a four-year college has been the highest in more than a decade, at 24 percent.

The Early College program, which allows high school students to take college classes on their campus for high school and college credit, has been an important initiative to Pagaduan because many of her students will be the first in their families to attend college.

“I am a very strong proponent of putting minorities in places of power so that they can affect change,” Pagaduan said. “I think [getting an education] opens doors.”

The Chaminade alumna found out she won the award at an assembly held before the school year ended in front of all her students and the principal who nominated her. She said the students’ reaction, their clapping and cheering, was the best part and that she is humbled to receive this recognition. In January, Pagaduan will travel to Washington, D.C. to be recognized by the American School Counselor Association.

“[Nanakuli is] such a great place and that’s where you really see change and that’s where you really understand what hope is when you’re working with these amazing, amazing students,” Pagaduan said. “I just want to highlight Nanakuli and the people of Nanakuli who’ve taught me so much and made me the counselor that I am.”

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

From Student to Servant: Chaminade Graduates Commit to a Year of Service in Ohio

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In May, Chaminade University celebrated the graduating class of 2019. Degree in hand, most graduates will go on to secure jobs and begin their careers. Others will continue to pursue higher education through graduate school. And a few will put their professional endeavors on hold and dedicate their post-graduate life to service.

Claire Riggan and Andrew Ines, 2019 Chaminade graduates, are part of the few.

Claire Riggan and Andrew Ines

At the end of July, Riggan and Ines will say goodbye to friends and family for a year of unknown challenges and transformative experiences in Dayton, Ohio, as volunteers in the Marianist Partners in Urban Leadership, Service and Education (PULSE) program.

PULSE is a post-graduate initiative geared toward graduates with a desire to grow as servant leaders, learn about social justice issues and positively impact an urban community. Volunteers commit to one or two years of service to a local Dayton nonprofit organization where they gain real-world experience in their field of study while being immersed in the community they’re aiding.

“To be able to serve the community, it’s best if you live in the community,” Ines said.

This is the first time the 22-year-old Kalihi native will be living away from home and he couldn’t be more excited. Ines and Riggan will be living in intentional community with 8-12 other PULSE volunteers, most of whom they don’t yet know from the two other Marianist universities, St. Mary’s University and University of Dayton.

Ines first heard about PULSE through Campus Ministry in 2017 when two of his friends from Chaminade were participating in the program. After hearing about the impact that they were making on the Dayton community and gaining first-hand insight into the program, Ines knew that when his senior year came along, he would apply.

“I’m most excited to learn about other people and social issues that are being dealt with in Dayton, just to broaden my perspective on the world,” Ines said.

The business administration major and computer information sciences minor will be putting his degrees to good use at his nonprofit assignment, Brigid’s Path, where he will be volunteering full-time as a communications and marketing intern. Brigid’s Path is a recovery center for newborns suffering from opioid addiction, which is a common issue in Dayton. Ines’ primary roles will be to connect with donors and spread the word about Brigid’s Path through its website and social media.

In addition to working at their assigned nonprofits, Ines and the other PULSE volunteers are expected to share meals and meet for prayer, live in solidarity with the marginalized Dayton community, participate in a Marianist formation program held every week and share their experience with a spiritual mentor.

Ines hopes to walk away from his year in Dayton with a refined ability to empathize with others without any biases. He expects that his time at Brigid’s Path will help to solidify his future career goals, and is currently considering using his degree for community outreach once his year of service comes to a close.“When I bring the spirit of aloha from Hawaii to Ohio, I hope that people will get the chance to have their voices heard and people will get the chance to receive opportunities that they probably never thought they could,” Ines said.

Three Journeys, Three Generations; One Family, One Chaminade

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The physical appearance of Chaminade’s campus has undergone tremendous transformation and growth over the last half-century, but some things have remained the same.

Haelee Tallett '18, Willibrord Tallett '61 and Theresa (Tallett) Edwards '89

“As a student,” notes Haelee Tallett ’18, “my relationship with the faculty there 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.”

Her grandfather, Willibrord “Willie” K. Tallett ’61 agrees. “Back in the day, everything was small. We didn’t have dormitories, just temporary student housing where the Mystical Rose Oratory now stands. Our teachers were excellent. The real value of what I got was advancement of my knowledge in business and accounting,” allowing him to go on to a successful career as a senior executive at C Brewer and Company, Ltd., one of the so-called “Big Five” companies that was one of Hawaii’s largest corporate landowners.

With a quiet smile, Willie’s daughter (Haelee’s aunt), Theresa (Tallett) Edwards ‘89, recalls her pathway that led to Chaminade and on to a career in educational administration and serving those with  development disabilities in her role with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. “What was exciting for me was being able to be a part of creating something new, beginning during my time as a student. I was getting my degree in Early Childhood Education with a certification in Montessori Teaching. My student teaching was done first at Haiku Hale ‘o Keiki and then later we opened another lab school for Chaminade students to teach at which was the “Bamboo Shoots” program in downtown Honolulu.  I valued the experience and the dedication of those involved in the program – and remember, this is the early days of focusing on the importance of the early developmental years of children.”

Willie grew up in Hilo and attended St. Joseph’s (a Marianist school) before coming to Chaminade where values about education in the family spirit and adapting for change took root. Another value he learned was the importance of giving back. His several decades of service on the board of the Chaminade University Educational Foundation and also as a Chaminade Regent gave him ample opportunity to support and guide the growth of the small college he’d attended. During his years of service, he created and endowed a scholarship, became an active booster to support the growth of the athletics program and provided funding for the development of the Carlson Fitness Center locker rooms in Kieffer Hall.

Theresa doesn’t hesitate when asked about her favorite memory of Chaminade. An avid basketball fan, she insisted her parents and three brothers attend the 1982 basketball game against Virginia to see the fabled Ralph Sampson. They didn’t know they’d be seeing history in the making as one of the all-time biggest upsets in sports history would take place that night when Chaminade toppled the giant.

Haelee, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a budding entrepreneur with a successful island-themed jewelry business she started in high school, is effusive about her student experience. “Once I skipped an accounting class but got a phone call from my professor with the whole class on the line demanding that I come in…and I did,” she laughs. “I felt that I was spoiled with love the entire time at Chaminade.”

The three alumni seem to agree on one thing: Chaminade University will always holds a special place in the Tallett home.

Chaminade Alumni Return for Reunion Weekend

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On April 5–7, Chaminade University alumni of all ages and classes gathered on campus for the 2019 Alumni Reunion Weekend.

2019 Alumni Reunion

The theme of the reunion was A Weekend to Reminisce and offered alumni an opportunity to visit the campus and recall fond Chaminade memories with classmates and professors.

The reunion kicked off on Friday evening with a Welcome Reception in the Loo Student Center where alumni reconnected over drinks and appetizers. They were then invited to enjoy a night at the Mamiya Theatre with an opening performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

2019 Alumni Reunion

Saturday, alumni were given the opportunity to tour the campus and view new expansions like the renovated Hale Hoaloha building and the new Silverswords Athletic Training Center and Locker Rooms.

Then came a night to remember under the stars at the Alumni Paina in Henry Hall Courtyard, complete with drinks, dinner and a live musical performance by local band Kapena. The event was open to alumni and their families.The weekend concluded on Sunday with mass in the Mystical Rose Oratory where alumni could renew their marriage vows. Finally, university president Lynn Babington hosted brunch where she shared her vision for Chaminade’s future and honored the class of 1969 for its 50th graduation anniversary.