Alumni

Nurturing Nurses

April 2, 2024

Answering the call for Hawaii’s need for more healthcare providers

Some graduates work at The Queen’s Medical Center while others are employed by Hawaii Pacific Health and Kaiser Permanente. A few work in telemedicine with Pali Momi and Straub Medical Center. Since the Hawai‘i State Board of Nursing officially gave Chaminade University the green light to launch a nursing program in Fall 2010, the School of Nursing and Health Professions (SNHP) has graduated more than 600 nurses who have contributed to our community’s healthcare needs in various settings, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics and other environments.

“Our nursing program has a highly distinctive approach to nursing,” says Chaminade Provost and Senior Vice President Lance Askildson. “Our graduates are well rounded and play an essential role in their communities to advocate for health promotion.”

Nursing stands as the cornerstone of the healthcare workforce, yet the demand for nurses is poised to escalate in the coming decade. Shifting population dynamics, advancements in technology and evolving healthcare models are set to catalyze an expansion in nursing roles, necessitating a highly educated nursing workforce. Compounded by the aging of the current nursing workforce and the impending wave of retirements, the United States is on track to face a significant nursing shortage by 2025, with Hawai‘i projected to experience a deficit of 3,311 professional nurses, according to an article published in Hawai‘i’s Journal of Medicine & Public Health.

This year's White Coat Ceremony included 119 nursing students who are now officially in their clinical stages of their education. — This year’s White Coat Ceremony included 119 nursing students who are now officially in their clinical stages of their education.

In their research titled, Hawaii’s Nursing Workforce: Keeping Pace with Healthcare, the co-authors Sandra A LeVasseur, Ph.D., RN and Kristine Qureshi, Ph.D., RN, FAAN conclude that as healthcare needs change, academic, healthcare and community partners must be prepared to respond by developing innovative educational delivery models, new specialty programs and diverse clinical placement opportunities to ensure a pipeline of competent nurses across the state.

“The school just went through an external review” Askildson says. “The purpose of the review was to examine the current curriculum, capacities and profile of the School in order to identify opportunities for strategic investment and change that will strengthen academic excellence and student success in keeping with our University mission and ethos, and the enduring values of our School of Nursing and Health Professions.”

In compiling their report on the SONHP, external reviewers Meredith Kazer, Ph.D., APRN, FAAN, (Team Lead), Beth P. Beckman, DNS, RN, FNP, NEA- BC, FAAN, Carrie M. Oliveira, Ph.D. and Marcia B. Proto, M.Ed, CAS met with faculty, staff, students and administrators, engaging stakeholders indiscussions that explored curricular issues, faculty and staff workload, the University’s commitment to ensuring a developmental approach to nursing and public health education, and exploring opportunities to further integrate SNHP programs in the service of Hawaii and its multicultural peoples.

Furthermore, the reviewers note that the supportive culture that has been created and maintained throughout SNHP and the University is a tremendous strength of the School, and provides a strong foundation upon which to build. Throughout all their meetings, reviewers wrote they found a “strong sense of teamwork and collaboration, and there is a strong mission-focus throughout Chaminade and the SNHP team that embodies the mission in their work.”

Presently, Hawai‘i boasts nine nursing programs dispersed across public and private universities and colleges. These programs have united in their efforts to align with the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for the future of nursing. Through strategic partnerships and collaboration, the nursing landscape in Hawai‘i is undergoing a transformation. Practice boundaries are expanding, diverse pathways to advanced nursing education are being established, and nurses are forging alliances with other stakeholders to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

To guide strategic planning efforts, the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing diligently collects and analyzes data on the nursing workforce. This ongoing assessment allows for informed decision-making tailored to the unique needs of the state’s population and healthcare landscape. Identified gaps in nursing specialty education, particularly in areas such as school health and mental health, are being addressed through targeted initiatives aimed at bolstering education and training opportunities in these critical areas.

“We want to continue to invest in our nursing program, which is one of the recommendations of the external reviewers,” Askildson says. “We want to continue to produce nurses without being transactional. Our nursing graduates are prized because they care deeply about their patients since they have a holistic approach to healthcare.”

PsyD Program

March 4, 2024

A counselor’s impact inspires Ji Su Park to pursue a doctorate

Since entering Chaminade’s Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program in 2021, Ji Su Park’s hair has grayed, her blood pressure has ticked up and her daily breakfast now consists of a serving of natto, the traditional Japanese food that is believed to have cardiovascular and cholesterol benefits because of its composition of whole soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis, a potent blood-clot dissolving protein.

“My husband is very supportive, but he is concerned about my health and level of stress,” says Park, who hopes to earn her PsyD degree by 2026. “Yet, he has never told me that I can’t do this.”

For the 31-year-old Australian-raised Korean native, there’s nothing that she can’t do. However, Park’s education journey has been a bumpy one. When her parents decided to move back to Korea when she was a teenager, Park lost all her friends—never easy as a high schooler—and was unaccustomed to the Korean education system. She could converse OK in Korean but the curriculum was foreign and difficult.

“I did really poorly,” Park says. “I knew after high school, I needed to move, and I decided on Hawaii because of its multicultural population.”

Dr. Sean Scanlan, director of Chaminade’s Psy.D. program, explains a concept to one of his students.

She first enrolled in an Associate’s program at Kapiolani Community College (KCC) then later transferred to the University of Hawaii–Manoa, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She would return to KCC, landing an administrative job in the Counseling Office with LaVache Scanlan. The experience marked an inflection point for Park who witnessed the transformative difference a counselor can make in a college student’s life.

“The counselors were so impactful,” Park says. “I wanted to be able to do that, and to have that much positive influence over a student’s academic experience.”

Ultimately, she was faced with a decision: apply to Hawaii Pacific University’s or Chaminade’s Master of Science in Counseling Psychology? Park chose the latter, citing the University’s close-knit campus feel that she sensed while visiting Kalaepohaku. She especially appreciated the school’s service orientation toward the community, the core values foundation that are inherent in a Marianist education and the sensitivity toward Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island cultures.

Transitioning, though, from an undergraduate education to a graduate level has its challenges, namely the required discipline and time. Park possesses the discipline, but time is more difficult since she was juggling, at that time, three part-time jobs. She also sought more hands-on experience to put her knowledge in practice. After completing her master’s, Park decided to slow down. Well, kind of.

“Now I just have two part-time jobs,” says Park with a wry smile. “I never feel like I don’t have down time. I’ve never felt that my life wasn’t balanced. I still feel I have a lot of a social life.”

Formerly hosted by Argosy University, which abruptly closed its doors and permanently suspended classes and programs in March 2019, Chaminade and the Hawaii School of Professional Psychology decided to collaborate in an effort to salvage Argosy’s PsyD program. One of only two programs of its kind in Hawaii, the PsyD is a five-year track that culminates in a professional doctorate in psychology degree preparing graduates for practice in psychotherapy and psychological testing.

“We’ve graduate 80 students in the PsyD program since we started,” says, Sean Scanlan, Ph.D., Director of the Hawaiʻi School of Professional Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu and Associate Professor. “A little over half are working in Hawaii, working in a variety of settings from community health centers, health and education agencies and institutions to forensic settings and private practice.”

Now in its fifth year, Chaminade’s program is the only American Psychological Association-accredited PsyD Program in Hawaii. Designed to prepare students for both contemporary and emerging roles in the practice of professional psychology, the program offers a five-year generalist program that supports the development of core competencies in psychological assessment, intervention, science, practice, foundations, and professional issues and roles. Training is provided so that students have the opportunity to be practitioner-scholars who are skilled in local and contextual investigation and problem solving.

“Ji Su is special because she is already licensed and working in the mental health field,” Scanlan says. “All her practicum reports have been excellent, indicating that she’s performing excellent clinical skills (i.e. clinical psychological assessments and clinical psychotherapy) in the field.”

Park is grateful for the unwavering support she receives both within and beyond the classroom.

“I do interact with faculty in the PsyD program in terms of receiving academic support, assistance in professional development and growth, and gaining knowledge and insight through their experiences and supervisions,” Park says. “Outside of our program, I receive a lot of support from offices like Financial Aid and the Counseling Center, where they are responsive to my needs to ensure my academic journey is supported by meeting other needs outside of the classroom. It’s a truly supportive community.”

Designing Women

March 1, 2024

Avery Solmssen ’04 and Lily Kanter collaborate to open full-service design studio

Avery Solmssen likens her first meeting with a potential client as a date, posing the question to herself: “Do we match?” Apparently, during her initial encounter with Serena & Lily CEO, Lily Kanter, the two immediately clicked. In addition to colors and textures, they talked about interior design and Solmssen’s approach to her own work, all the while developing a burgeoning close personal relationship.

“I really like to get to know my clients before I fully commit to a job,” says Solmssen, who graduated with her BFA in Interior Design from Chaminade in 2004. “Every project takes on a different life; no two projects are ever alike.”

Interior design has a timeless appeal as a profession, drawing talented individuals who possess a passion for creativity, aesthetics and transforming spaces into functional works of art. That appeal, in part, is the reason Solmssen pivoted from her first career in education. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado in 1998, Solmssen changed her mind about getting her degree in Special Education, choosing instead to pursue her BFA in Interior Design at Chaminade University.

“At the time, I was a teacher with Assets School, and I really enjoyed working with the kids,” Solmssen says. “But I’ve always had an interest in interior design so I chose to change careers.”

Avery Solmssen and Lily Kanter have collaborated to open Averylily Design Studio in 2022 and Averylily Home Collection this past January.

When the term “interior design” comes up, it often evokes images of HGTV, room-makeover challenges or DIY decor projects on Pinterest. However, what they’re actually envisioning is interior decorating. Although decorating contributes to crafting functional and aesthetically pleasing living spaces, the role of an interior designer stands apart from interior decorating in significant ways.

Though there are areas of common ground between interior design and interior decorating, they are inherently distinct. Interior design involves the fusion of art and science to comprehend human behavior, thereby crafting functional spaces within a structure. Conversely, interior decorating focuses on furnishing or embellishing a space with decorative elements to achieve a specific aesthetic. In essence, interior designers may engage in decorating, whereas decorators do not engage in design.

During the pandemic, Kanter purchased a home on Hawaii Island that was move-in ready, replete with reclaimed wood and a natural palette of colors and varying patterns. After asking her realtor for the designer’s name, Kanter connected with Solmssen, who was then a senior designer at the Honolulu-based firm Philpotts Interiors.

“Meli James (co-founder of Mana Up and president of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association) introduced me to Lilly at an event,” Solmssen recalls. “We met in 2018 in Mauna Kea, and she has been a mentor to me ever since.”

She is now also a business partner, with the two collaborating to open their portmanteau Averylily Design Studio in 2022 and Averylily Home Collection this past January.

“It was all Lily’s idea,” Solmssen says. “She encouraged me to work on my own, which I knew would be different after always having worked for someone else for the past 22 years.”

One of the greatest motives for Solmssen’s willingness to open a design studio was to be able to keep jobs in Hawaii, and hire local talent. She believes that it’s important to support Hawaii’s future designers and to mentor them, like Kanter has mentored her.

“We do a lot of team bonding,” says Gerlie “Gigi” Valiente ’17, a fellow Chaminade alumna, whom Solmssen brought on to be a designer with Averylily Design Studio. “I’ve learned a lot from Avery who taught me that we need to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, and it’s not always about being right.”

Since opening their design studio and now a home collection that carries such household basics as linens, home décor, tabletop accessories and beach towels—all inspired by Hawaii’s natural beauty and designed in Hawaii—Solmssen and Kanter are able to offer a comprehensive interior-design service for both renovations and new construction.

“One of our main goals is to keep jobs in Hawaii,” Solmssen emphasizes. “We want our local high school and college students to be able to come to our studio, and to develop their skills and apply them in real life.”

Gala Benefit Dinner

February 28, 2024

An evening to honor donors and announce two new Hall of Fame inductees

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington gave the opening remarks before the Hall-of-Fame announcement of inductees.

Athletics Director Tom Buning and Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington flank Hall of Fame inductees, Chico Furtado ’80 and Teri Chong ’92.

Athletics Director Tom Buning and Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington pose next to Hall of Fame inductee, Chico Furtado ’80.

Teri Chong ’92 accepts her Hall of Fame award from Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington and Athletics Director Tom Buning.

Guests were treated to an evening of fine wines and delectable food.

Guests smiled and talked story.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington mingled with guests throughout the night.

Guests enjoyed each other’s company.

Musician Nick La’a serenaded the crowd.

Enjoying the evening conversations.

Gala attendees got to see the impact of their donations.

Chico Furtada, left, and Bill Villa engage in a conversation.

The evening’s menu featured a three-course dinner by MW Restaurant.

Guests enjoying themselves.

Cathy Ching listens to Dr. Lynn Babington’s opening remarks.

A group of longtime friends.

Chaminade’s Director of Development, Heidi Bow, shares a laugh with guests.

Attendees mingled outside Ching Hall during the cocktail reception.

Fr. Chris Wittman talks with Dr. Lynn Babington and her husband Dr. Randy Carpenter, and Tertia Freas.

Enjoying a cocktail before dinner outside of Ching Hall.

MW Restaurant’s executive chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka developed a creative menu.

Tables were elegantly set with a floral arrangement as the centerpiece.

The three-course menu was a delight for the senses.

The mood was buoyant as guests arrived and mingled before the start of the Silverswords Gala, a benefit dinner for student and athletic scholarships. However, beyond the laughter and good cheer, the gathering served a deeper purpose—a purpose woven into the fabric of education and opportunity.

“Through your generosity, we can provide scholarship support for many students at Chaminade to help them achieve their academic goals and set them up for successful careers in their communities,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., in her opening remarks. “We are very grateful to you all for believing in and supporting our mission.”

In a video presentation, Chaminade senior Audrey Pilar ’24 described how she cried for an hour after learning that she received a scholarship. “These scholarships are way more than just a financial burden lifted off someone’s shoulders,” the forensics major said. “It’s way more than just money to a person because to me, I think you’re giving someone hope and you’re giving someone a chance.”

A sophomore Communications major, Easton DelaCruz ’26 said nothing would be possible without the scholarships, without all the financial aid that he has been able to receive. “When you think of college, the next thing you think about is the financial burden that it puts on everybody,” he said. “And with these scholarships, it helps relieve the financial burden for myself and my parents.”

In this landscape of financial uncertainty, scholarships emerge as powerful catalysts for change. These financial awards, often based on academic merit, financial need, or a combination of both, play a pivotal role in dismantling barriers to higher education. By providing financial assistance, scholarships enable deserving students to access resources, facilities and opportunities that would otherwise remain beyond their grasp.

In addition to thanking donors for their support, the Gala served a secondary purpose: the opportunity to grow the Silversword Hall of Fame with two new inductees: Thomas “Chico” Furtado ’80, an outstanding basketball player who still ranks as the third best all-time assists leader with 486; and Teri (Bertulfo) Chong ’92, who holds Chaminade Volleyball’s all-time career kills at 1,487.

“Tonight, we get a chance to recognize two former Chaminade student-athletes who made their sport matter for their teams,” said Athletic Director Tom Buning, before inviting Chong and Furtado to the stage to join him.

“These esteemed inductees into our Athletic Hall of Fame are individuals whose remarkable achievements serve as a beacon of inspiration for generations to come,” added Kahala Kabalis Hoke ’05’ MS ’07, the Women’s Volleyball coach and the evening’s emcee.

Among the sponsors were KemperSports Management, Kitty and Buzz Wo, The Queen’s Health Systems, Saint Louis School, Aramark, Becker Communications, CKW Financial Group, Edward Enterprises, Marianist Center of Hawaii, Maryknoll School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Saint Francis Healthcare.

“Education transforms lives,” Babington said. “Our students set out to change the world—they are making a difference.”

Ocean Protection

February 22, 2024

Martina Sagapolu ’88 helps enforce ocean regulations

When she first entered Central College in Pella, Iowa, in the early 1980s, Martina Sagapolu’s interest was largely in political science. However, as she quickly found out from one of her professors, she was woefully behind in her knowledge of current events, and it would require a lot of hours to get on par with most of the other students on campus.

“I grew up in American Samoa so our AP News and television broadcasts were all pre-recorded and two weeks late,” says Sagapolu ’88. “So, when I arrived on campus, I learned for the first time that a woman (Kathryn D. ‘Kathy’ Sullivan) had just gone to space, yet that happened at least a month prior to my arrival.”

Sagapolu, though, wasn’t late in choosing a major. Because her heroine was the fictional teenage sleuth Nancy Drew when she was growing up in Pago Pago, she decided to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. After spending a bitterly cold winter in Iowa, the American Samoan native decided to leave Central College for Chaminade University of Honolulu.

“Central College was in the middle of nowhere,” Sagapolu says. “I remember there were only 19 minorities on the entire campus. One of the first mornings I woke up in the dorm, I could smell someone cooking SPAM and rice, and I knew that person had to be from Hawaii. It turned out there were three girls from Kauai and we’ve all kept in touch ever since.”

NOAA's Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement helps enforce ocean regulations in the Pacific Islands region. — NOAA’s Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement helps enforce ocean regulations in the Pacific Islands region.

Now wholly committed to the Criminal Justice major, Sagapolu decided to participate in a U.S. Department of Justice co-op program that the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had just rolled out. The program was designed to attract talented individuals—particularly college students—to gain work experience and potentially pursue careers in government service as civil servants. Students were provided with opportunities for internships or part-time employment during the academic year, as well as full-time employment during summer breaks.

“The pilot program started in San Diego and then came to Chaminade,” Sagapolu recalls. “There were seven of us who decided to participate, and we first had to travel to Arizona for a one-week training period.”

With the mentorship of such professors as Dr. Greg Mark and Dr. Mel Masuda who helped Sagapolu with her writing skills, the future Criminal Justice graduate was well on her way to becoming part of the law enforcement field. Meanwhile, she was nearing graduation and eyeing a position with INS. Because of her participation in the co-op program, she could be fast tracked through the usually slow federal hiring process, skipping the civil servant exam, interviews and other required bureaucratic steps.

“I graduated on December 8, 1988,” Sagapolu recalls, “and I was sworn in on January 3, 1989. There was no time to holoholo.”

Five years in as an INS agent, Sagapolu received a call from one of the students who also participated in the same INS co-op program, asking if she was interested in working in the Field Office of the National Fisheries Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in American Samoa. Returning home had always appealed to Sagapolu but she had her reservations about moving from one federal agency to another.

“It was going to be a huge learning curve,” Sagapolu says. “I was going to go from chasing illegal immigrants to investigating infractions in the ocean. Going to fisheries was definitely intimidating.”

But as dedicated Sagapolu was to INS, she has been fiercely entrenched with NOAA for more than two decades. As the Administration’s Assistant Director for the Pacific Islands Division’s Office of Law Enforcement, Sagapolu oversees the protection and management of the largest geographic area of NOAA’s five divisions. The Pacific Islands, comprised of American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. Pacific Islands, span a total of 583,000 square miles of ocean, teeming with marine wildlife and dotted with sanctuaries, including Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

“In concert with the Coast Guard, and other federal and state agencies, our mission is to ensure the laws and regulations protecting and conserving our nation’s marine resources are followed,” Sagapolu says. “I also serve as an enforcement advisor to domestic and international stakeholders on enforcement-related matters.”

She’s now also updated on the world’s current events.

Entrepreneurial Endeavor

February 15, 2024

Recent graduate looks to open future businesses

Peterson Boyer’s decision to flee his home country of Haiti wasn’t based on a singular event but a confluence of factors: Political instability and civil unrest. Cratering economy and infrastructure recovery from a devastating earthquake that struck in 2010. Arriving on the shores of southern Florida, the then-25-year-old new emigree enlisted in the Army, eventually rising to the ranks as a logistics specialist and team leader.

“My military experience instilled in me a deep sense of discipline, resilience and commitment to excellence,” says Boyer ’23, during an interview from his Colorado residence. “I used the very same traits to achieve my bachelor’s degree with honors finishing with a 3.71 GPA.”

Ambitious and a fearless leader, Boyer established Enterprise Collision & Auto-body Repair LLC during his senior year at Chaminade and it continues to thrive. Crediting his parents for his business instincts, the 32-year-old entrepreneur also holds a marketing interest in the Rocky Mountain Region, though he was coy to reveal any details.

“When I was a student, I did this incredible marketing internship with Makana (Craig, Director of Chaminade University Online),” Boyer says. “I learned so much. I helped boost brand awareness by developing creative marketing strategies and campaigns. And I helped military personnel understand Chaminade’s online Flex program.”

Boyer’s interest in business stems from his parents’ own experience as retail shop owners in Port-au-Prince, where his mom and dad still maintain their business interest amid the turmoil and gang violence. After seeing his parents struggle with accounting principles and marketing strategies, Boyer decided that in order for him to succeed in establishing his own business, he needed to get his business degree.

After hearing praises about Chaminade from his Sergeant, Boyer decided to look into the University, unsure about the flexibility of the hybrid online classes necessary to obtain a degree in business administration.

“My professors challenged me and I think they prepared me well for the business world,” Boyer says. “(Richard) Kido had a great way of teaching accounting that helped students understand the concepts.”

By developing and improving his skills and having a better grasp of the market, Boyer says he has become a better, more effective leader. “Chaminade is a very good school compared to some of the other programs I looked into,” he adds. “The courses were super intense, but we got some good supporting materials that really helped in my understanding of what it’s like to run your own business.”

Like most non-traditional undergraduate students, Boyer juggled between his responsibility to the Army and his full-time job with an electrical engineer company, Prime Power, in Schofield. And, of course, he needed to dedicate time to attend his online classes, which required at times for him to come to campus for in-person learning. Despite these challenges, Boyer brought his valuable life experiences, maturity and motivation to his studies.

“Everyone here is so supportive,” Boyer says. “I owe Chaminade because the University empowered me with the spirt of leadership and service. And the way I want to pay Chaminade back is with my success.”

While the odds of succeeding as an entrepreneur can be daunting, many successful entrepreneurs have faced setbacks and failures before achieving success. Learning from mistakes, seeking mentorship and guidance, and being willing to adapt and innovate are essential for increasing the chances of success in the entrepreneurial journey.

“I absolutely think that Chaminade is one of the best schools I could have ever attended,” Boyer says. “I am a better person for it and I am super grateful to be part of the Chaminade family.”