Alumni

Congratulations to the Class of 2023

May 10, 2023

Inspiring words from Dr. Lynn Babington, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami and Selected Student Speakers

In his opening remarks to graduating students, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami ’01, reflected on his time on campus with his wife Monica and his own commencement. “As I look out into the sea of graduates, I see my own reflection in you,” said the 2001 Chaminade alumnus. “It makes me realize how quickly time goes by. But time is just a measurement, until it is filled with very special people who make tremendous impacts in our lives. And today, on this beautiful occasion, as you generously give me your time, each of you becomes a part of my life as well.”

The Commencement ceremony began with a special invocation from Fr. Martin Solma, Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President at Chaminade. President Dr. Lynn Babington then addressed graduates, acknowledging their accomplishments and sacrifices—especially in the face of global uncertainty.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington addresses graduates at Commencement.

“One of the distinguishing features of a Marianist education is a focus on adaptation and change—skills critically important in today’s challenging world,” Babington exhorted. “You have certainly become more comfortable with navigating the unknown. The ability to work with ambiguity means you’ll be able to face uncertainties, adapt to change and be flexible as the mysteries of life unfold.”

For many graduates, the ceremony is a time of reflection, pride and perseverance, especially with this particular graduating class, which endured a once-in-a-century pandemic, Covid protocols and restrictions, social distancing and a pivot to an online schedule before transitioning to a hybrid model.

“We’re all here today together, making it across that finish line,” said undergraduate speaker Eri Leong. “Through fears and failures, exams and assignments, break-ups and breakdowns, even through a global pandemic, no hurdle was high enough to keep us from walking this stage. Instead, we emerged triumphant over every adversity under the sun. And we’ll carry that unwavering resolve into the abundant opportunities that lie ahead.”

In Simon Bronner’s 1990 book “Piled Higher and Deeper: The Folklore of Student Life,” a chapter devoted to graduation explores how commencement has been celebrated across campuses and throughout the years.

According to the book, some colleges host 100-day countdowns to commencement, with a number of graduation-themed activities. At other schools, graduating seniors leave wills to underclassmen. Some institutions celebrate graduation with a balloon launch to symbolize students moving upward, while others have held ceremonial bonfires where seniors burn course materials or early drafts of their senior theses.

However, even with variation from campus to campus, the commencement ceremony itself remains very much a traditional event, a punctuation point to the collegiate experience with many customs deeply rooted in history, including the caps and gowns, university mace, and guest and student speakers.

“Commencements are a time to join as a community to celebrate the work of our faculty and staff who have supported you throughout your years of study with us, and we celebrate new beginnings,” Babington said in in her address to students. “You are leaving Chaminade University to go out and engage in the world as professionals, as neighbors, as citizens.”

Graduating with a Master of Arts in Teaching, Todd Sibley was selected by his peers to be the evening’s graduate speaker. Immediately preceding the pandemic, the native Californian worked as a social worker for a Hawaii nonprofit organization. When COVID spread across the islands, Sibley lost his job, and he decided to pursue his master’s in teaching social studies in secondary schools.

“Graduates, we have proven ourselves to be resilient, resourceful and resistant to giving up,” Sibley asserted. “The global pandemic would have been an easy excuse to have quit on ourselves and our dreams, but we didn’t. We persevered no matter the obstacle because that’s what we faced—obstacles not barriers.”

As Kauai Mayor during the pandemic, Kawakami confronted his own difficult decisions, turning camp grounds into Safe Zones, ordering shut downs and unpopular vaccine mandates. And through it all, he thought only of his constituents, responding to their needs in the most dire of times.

“What I got most out of my time at Chaminade wasn’t the correct way to structure a sentence or what I gained out of my statistics class; it wasn’t what I gained out of a book,” Kawakami said. “It was the importance of the human element, and the power that simple random acts of kindness can shape the future of one person’s life. That although certain things will fade overtime, the people who cared, the ones that shared, the ones that believed, and made you believe in yourself, will remain with you.

“I feel incredibly grateful to witness this commencement of your next step,” he concluded. “Fair winds and following seas, always be caring and always be trustworthy. Congratulations to this beautiful graduating class of Chaminade University!”

Dr. Lynn Babington presents diploma to graduating student

Student Athlete

Graduating Students

Father Chaminade

Sarah Robertson is all smiles, even with crutches

Janine Abad posed with her family and friends.

MBA graduate Jeremiah Bautista poses with family and friends.

Provost Dr. Lance Askildson

Keynote speaker Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami

Graduate speaker Todd Sibley

Undergraduate student speaker Eri Leong

A promising message on a mortarboard

Emcee Kaipo Leopoldino

All smiles and laughs

BSN graduates with Student Athlete

Graduates’ family and friends attended the Chaminade Commencement at the Waikiki Shell on May 6.

Hogan’s Heroes

April 28, 2023

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.”

Upstream Battle

April 6, 2023

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.”

Counselor of the Year

March 9, 2023

Chaminade alumna recognized for her work and contributions

In a teary emotional speech she gave after returning from Washington, D.C. as the 2023 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year, Brittnie Caraulia thanked her Helemano Elementary School colleagues, expressing her gratitude for their support and all the work that they do for the keiki.

“This is the highest honor,” said Caraulia, MSCP ’15, on being honored with the 2023 Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) during its annual National School Counselor of the Year ceremonies in the nation’s capital. “This brings me the greatest joy in life, and I’m proud of everything that we do together.”

The ASCA School Counselor of the Year award honors professionals who devote their careers to advocating for the nation’s students and addressing their academic and social-emotional development, and college and career readiness needs. Honorees were judged based on their ability to create systemic change within the school counseling profession.

Brittnie Caraulia was recognized as Hawaii’s School Counselor of the Year.

“The role of our school counselors are so integral to the success of our students,” said Hawai‘i Department of Education Superintendent, Keith Hayashi, in a news release. “Now more than ever, we rely on their expertise and guidance in creating positive and innovative ways to enhance the academic and social-emotional needs of our students. The Department is grateful to have counselors like Ms. Caraulia in our schools, every day, working tirelessly to advocate for and support student success. She is a shining example of Helemano’s efforts to grow a ‘leaderful’ organization.”

A school counselor for grades 3-5 at Helemano Elementary since 2019 and a Hawai‘i State Department of Education school counselor since 2015, one of Caraulia’s greatest accomplishments has been establishing a data-driven Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) program within her school. The program takes a systemic approach to monitoring student success, creating school-wide, social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives that focus on quality teacher-student relationships. As a result of implementing this program, students’ perception of overall school safety improved from 56 percent to over 90 percent.

Caraulia also helped to establish a Helemano School Counseling Program, where she conducts quarterly training for staff on SEL interventions and classroom management, collaborates with teachers to incorporate SEL into their core curriculum, creates biweekly SEL lessons for all grade levels, and has designed a referral system to make data-informed decisions for all students. The school counseling program now serves as a foundation for student social-emotional, behavioral and academic success. Caraulia regularly trains staff on the program and has even shared the success of this program with other elementary schools across the state.

“Ms. Caraulia is an indispensable resource to our school—providing an excellent counseling program, a fierce devotion to students and teachers, and an innovative method of vastly advancing the social and emotional needs of our students,” Helemano Elementary Principal Ernest Muh said. “She advocates vigorously for all students at our school by collaborating with parents and teachers to determine the most beneficial course of action to assist each individual student.”

Caraulia’s passion in serving her school community is felt individually and collectively throughout the school by both teachers and students. In addition to helping the students, Caraulia has cultivated a nurturing environment for teachers, focusing on their mental health and wellness needs. She has an open-door policy for any staff needing to share personal or professional concerns and has spearheaded activities that promote and prioritize staff well-being.

“My proudest accomplishment during my time as a school counselor at Helemano Elementary has been establishing a data-driven MTSS and school counseling program,” Caraulia said. “What I find most rewarding about being a school counselor is the relationships I build with my students, staff and families.”

HPA Board Appointments

March 9, 2023

Psychology faculty members gain HPA board seats

The Hawai‘i Psychological Association (HPA) members have elected several Chaminade University faculty to its 2023-2024 Board. Sean Scanlan, Ph.D., becomes the society’s next president-elect. Also appointed to the HPA Board are Lianne Philhower as Secretary, Katie Chun as Clinical Division Representative and student representative Kendyl Oshiro.

Dr. Scanlan is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and is the Director of the Hawai‘i School of Professional Psychology. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and is licensed as a clinical psychologist in Hawai‘i. He has held several psychology-related administrative positions since 2000 and has served as the program’s director since 2014. His interests are in child and adolescent psychopathology, assessment and treatment. For more than 20 years, Scanlan has worked with hundreds of Hawai‘i’s children and adolescents as a therapist, behavioral consultant, parent trainer, treatment program director, teacher and coach. His specialty is in autism spectrum disorder and externalizing behavior disorders.

Dr. Philhower, Psy.D., M.P.H., is an Associate Professor and licensed clinical psychologist. Her diverse professional background includes working in public health environments, outpatient community mental health programs, private practice, school consultation and education. She utilizes a developmentally-informed, Cognitive Behavioral perspective that is highly compatible with Health Service Provider in Psychology’s (HSPP) aim to educate and train students employing a practitioner-scholar model. As a scholar, Philhower has provided community trainings, consultation and presentations, and has supported the research projects of countless students. She continues her own education and scholarship by pursuing a Ph.D. in Integrative Medicine.

Jeff Stern, Ph.D. has been appointed to the State Board of Psychology.

Dr. Chun is an Associate Professor who earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco Bay campus. Upon returning to Hawai‘i, she worked in child maltreatment and family trauma as a Hawai‘i-licensed clinical psychologist. After working at a nonprofit community mental health center, she went into private practice, providing assessment and therapy services to children, adolescents and adults in individual, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and family therapy, as well as emotional and behavioral consultation. She also worked as the psychological evaluator at a K-12 independent school. Chun is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA Division 5, and HPA.

As the leading resource for psychological health, research and policy in the state, HPA’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Hawai’i by encouraging, integrating, applying and communicating the contributions of Psychology in all its branches. The organization also seeks to strengthen public relations, advocate for a psychologically healthy community, develop solutions for mental health care, be responsive to the multiple cultures in Hawai’ i, promote the highest standards of professional ethics, and to diffuse psychological knowledge through meetings, conventions and publications.

In other faculty news, Dr. Jeffrey Stern was recently appointed to the State Board of Psychology, which oversees licensing laws and professional conduct among other issues. Stern received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and has been a licensed psychologist in Hawaii for more than 15 years. He is a past president of the Hawaiʻi Psychological Association and has been an HPA board member for more than a decade. Besides maintaining a clinical practice and teaching full time, Stern is the clinical director of the Hawaiʻi MCHLEND (Maternal Child Health – Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) program, supported by a Federal training grant. He has served as an expert witness in due process hearings, frequently writes testimony as a member of the HPA Legislative Action Committe, and chaired the committee that drafted the continuing education statute for psychologists in the state. His research interests and current activities are focused on children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and their families and workplace well-being.

Scholarship Luncheon

February 10, 2023

Students thank donors for their continued support

More than 80 donors, students and staff attended this year’s Mahalo Scholarship Luncheon on February 9, 2023, in-person and online. Dr. Lynn M. Babington, President of Chaminade University of Honolulu addressed the audience and expressed her gratitude for the support of our students. Dr. Babington shared how Chaminade offers more than 100 scholarships that have been generously established by individual donors and foundations. Many of them are endowed, and several are renewable investments that are replenished each year. This year alone, students received nearly $2.3 million in donor-funded scholarships.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to thank and to let donors know how much their support has made a difference in their educational journey,” said Jimmy Tran, Stewardship and Scholarships Manager in the Office of Advancement. “Our donors see how their support helps fulfill our students’ dreams of obtaining a quality college education and to go on to successful careers.”

Chaminade juniors Caitlin Bocobo and Aleeyah Lemons shared their appreciation for their scholarship. “Words are not enough to express how grateful we are for your gifts that made our scholarships possible. I am here today to offer my sincerest gratitude and appreciation to you all,” said Bocobo ’24.

“Donors allow students, like me, to get the most out of their college experience—to grow, mature and make a difference in this world,” said Lemons ’24. “The Silversword ‘ohana is grateful to have you all. I am grateful to have your support and faith.”

Dani Masuda, Assistant Vice President for Student Success shared with the gathering how the scholarships can be the difference between attending college or not. “Scholarships contribute to a student’s wellness and the reach goes far beyond just the individual student. Mahalo nui loa to our donors for your continued generosity, commitment, and investment in our students,” said Masuda.

If you would like to support a student attending Chaminade University, contact Jimmy Tran at [email protected]