Alumni

Amy Thompson of Mattel

November 3, 2023

’98 alumna shares her role with a leading global toy company

A word of advice from Amy Thompson: be open. Open to new ideas. Open to diversity. And open to equality and inclusion. As executive vice president and chief people officer for Mattel, the ’98 Chaminade alumna oversees all global human resources functions, including compensation and benefits, organizational design and leadership development for the company.

Speaking virtually to students during the Dean’s Speaker Series, Thompson shared her impressive employment history. Before joining Mattel, she served as chief people officer for TOMS Shoes, where she successfully developed and implemented organizational plans to scale the company globally by elevating talent and direct-to-consumer capability. She also founded TOMS Leading Ladies, an organization dedicated to empowering and inspiring women leaders.

Prior to TOMS, she held several global HR leadership roles at Starbucks Coffee Company, as well as led HR teams and departments at Ticketmaster Corporation and Citysearch.com.

Amy Thompson addressed students during the Dean’s Speaker Series.

“I believe my formative experiences, including at Chaminade, shaped my future,” Thompson told attendees. “I came to Chaminade on a full athletic scholarship and, as an athlete, you have to be disciplined.”

The Dean’s Speaker Series is designed to bring private, nonprofit and public sector leaders who have achieved recognition in their respective fields to share their expertise and insights on a broad range of timely issues, as well as share the highlights, challenges and turning points of their individual career paths.

“The Speaker Series is intended to extend classroom learning,” said School of Business and Communication Interim Dean Annette Santos. “It’s a co-curricular experience where the integration between theory and practice is reinforced and realized.”

Another intention of the forum is to bring a diversity of social, cultural, economic and other business-related perspectives to the Chaminade community in order to engage in ways that inform and encourage sustainable business for good.

“One of Mattel’s external recognitions that I’m really proud of is its standing with the Human Rights Campaign,” Thompson said. “In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, Mattel received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey that measures corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.’”

As chief people officer, Thompson is guided by several key questions: “Do employees feel supported? Can they be authentic? Do they feel that they belong?”

“We have three values that are foundational to Mattel,” Thompson pointed out in her PowerPoint slide. “Collaboration, Innovation and Execution, which leads to our pillars of leadership: build and drive culture, manage performance, support career growth, promote wellbeing and growth mindset.”

School of Business and Communication Senator and Intern, and United Nations Association of Chaminade University (UNAC) President, Jasmine Mondelo could clearly sense that Thompson immensely cares for Mattel’s culture and talent. She also believes that Mattel offers a prime business model that fosters and values employee relations.

“As a college student who will set out on my own career path after graduation, Amy Thompson and Mattel’s message of inclusivity, fairness and commitment to personal and professional growth is inspiring to me,” said Mondelo after attending the lecture. “Wherever I work, I would want to feel valued and respected as an employee, motivated to achieve success for myself and the company, and capable of continuously improving myself.”

Santos hopes that students will have several takeaways after attending and listening to these guest speakers. “1) I hope that students would be inspired by the personal and professional journey of the featured speakers in ways that enhance their educational experience,” she said. “2) Understand that personal and professional growth is a process that involves challenges and turning points on the way to wins and transformation; and 3) this event also provides opportunities for students to build their network, possibly creating meaningful connections with speakers or those in attendance.”

Educator Award

October 31, 2023

Chaminade Alumna named West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year

One of 16 finalists for the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year recognition, Jennifer Ilaban ’05 said she actually had no desire to become an educator when she was younger. But a volunteer experience while she was a college student changed her career trajectory.

“In my early college years, I began pursuing a degree in business and travel industry management,” said the Kahakai Elementary English Language Arts teacher. “I had internships with Sheraton, and I also worked during the winter and summer break at Four Seasons. While those were fun experiences, I did not have much fulfillment in making a difference.”

As a stipulation of one of her scholarships, Ilaban was committed to do volunteer work for the Pauahi Scholarship and volunteered at Ala Wai Elementary school in its afterschool program, where she tutored students. She also volunteered at a preschool where she found a sense of purpose that she could help people rather than serve tourists. After earning a BS in Hawaiian Language, Ilaban applied to Chaminade to pursue her Masters of Education in early childhood education and her teacher licensure.

Chaminade Director of Early Childhood and Montessori Programs, Dr. Elizabeth Park remembers Ilaban well. She was one of her very first student teachers, and Park knew even then that Ilaban would make a great teacher.

West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year Award recipient, Jennifer Ilaban, has her photo taken with, from left, Hawaii State Board of Education Chairman Warren Haruki, Superintendent Keith Hayashi, Gov. Josh Green, First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, Kahakai Elementary Principal Kori Takaki and Complex Area Superintendent Janette Snelling.

“I still have the books she created with the children that I use as examples of good literacy practice,” said Park, who was invited by Ilaban to attend the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year ceremony at Washington Place. “So, I am not surprised that she received the West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year Award.”

The annual Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year honor is presented annually to a classroom teacher selected from more than 13,000 Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) educators. The winner goes on to represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program, which provides a new cohort of State Teachers of the Year with a yearlong, one-of-a-kind professional learning and development experience.

“We’re excited to be here today to honor 16 finalists from our public and charter schools statewide,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi during the live-streamed ceremony. “It’s important that we pause and take the time to recognize and appreciate the outstanding work that all of our 13,000 teachers do every day. You are prime examples of how a teacher’s influence on a student can transcend beyond the classroom and beyond the K-12 timeline.”

Today’s Teacher of the Year ceremony included monetary awards to each Complex Area and Public Charter School Teacher of the Year by The Polynesian Cultural Center—the Teacher of the Year program’s corporate sponsor for over 30 years—and an additional $1,000 award to the State Teacher of the Year.

“We’re grateful that you’re the role models for our children,” Gov. Josh Green told the finalists. “I appreciate your heart because we all know the sacrifices teachers make. It’s a great challenge and you’re making Hawaii a more extraordinary place.”

Ilaban teaches pre-school through grade three students, and now also coaches teachers and students as a curricular coordinator for Kahakai Elementary. She is the only National Board Certified teacher on campus and consistently applies the board-certified framework in her approach to mentoring fellow teachers.

“I have had the pleasure of witnessing Jennifer’s exceptional teaching abilities and unwavering commitment to students, colleagues and the success of our school,” wrote Kahakai Elementary School Principal Kori Takaki in her nomination letter to the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. “I can attest to her exceptional skills, dedication and passion for education.

“Jennifer is an excellent teacher who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the success of students,” Takaki added. “She is not only knowledgeable and skilled in her subject matter, but she also possesses a unique ability to connect with students on a personal level. And I am confident that she will continue to make a significant impact at our school and in the field of education.”

Asked what it means for her to be named the West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year, Ilaban was quick to respond: “This award represents the power of public education,” adding that she was born and raised in Kona, attended public school as a student, and spent most of her career teaching in public education.

“I am proud to send my own children to public school,” Ilaban said. “It is full circle for me to represent the district that I came from.”

Silversword Alumni Reunion: A Time to Remember

October 20, 2023

Kalaepōhaku was the place to be this past week as generations of alumni returned for four different reunion events, each reconnecting and engaging Chaminade University graduates with their beloved alma mater. Satisfaction was achieved beyond expectations. Watch this recap video.

“As you gather with your fellow Silverswords, we hope you are rekindling friendships, sharing cherished memories, and creating new connections,” wrote President Lynn Babington and Director of Alumni Relations Jodi-Anne Yoshida, MBA ’23 in the program for the reunion dinner. “You can continue to be proud of your alma mater and how Chaminade has flourished.”

Back to School!

The Silversword Reunion week kicked off on Thursday, October 12, with an early evening tailgate party at Henry Hall Courtyard. Yoshida welcomed the guests, whose graduating years ranged from the 1960s to 2023. Guests received Chaminade alumni t-shirts and blue pompoms while enjoying a delicious dinner of BBQ chicken, kiawe-smoked pork chops, greens and more. Following the tailgate, the party was moved inside to McCabe Gymnasium to cheer on the Chaminade women’s volleyball team. The Silverswords swept the HPU Sharks!

Then, on Aloha Friday, October 13, alumni returned to campus for tours and an ono local-style bento lunch. Students Aleeyah Lemons ’24 and Noelani Tugaoen ’25 guided alumni on walking tours, strolling along Second Road, past Ching Hall and Eiben Hall, into the Sullivan Family Library and back to Henry Hall, where President Babington greeted them with her warmth and aloha. In the library, alumni perused past yearbooks and were amused to find their student photos. They recalled that the library was once housed in Henry Hall as they shared heartfelt stories from their college days.

Special Reunion Dinner, Alumni Awards and Mass

The long-anticipated reunion dinner was a great success, as nearly 300 alumni and guests gathered in the Ching Conference Center on October 14. Emceed by former Miss Universe Brook Lee ’96, the program opened with a blessing from Bro. Ed Brink, followed by the presentation of Alumni Awards and presentation of videos: Kahala Kabalis Hoke ’05, MS ’07 received the Marianist Alumni Award; Dr. Thomas Shieh ’87 received the Distinguished Alumni Award; and Lei Uʻi Kaholokula ’23 was named the Young Alumni Award recipient. Read more about the alumni award winners here. Lee brought her charisma and sparkle to the program, which featured music by Nick Laʻa and DJ Sounds by Pipi. Guests received the exclusive Chaminade tote bag by Eden In Love, reunion favors, and each other’s engaging company.

While alumni dined on Hawaiian dinner catered by Bill Quinlan, the memories and good feelings filled the room as people strolled down Memory Lane and reminisced about their Silversword days.

The following morning, a Sunday Mass was held as alumni gathered in the sacred Mystical Rose Oratory to celebrate faith, hope and love.

Online Education

October 16, 2023

Angie Cabreira enrolls in Flex to become an ECE teacher

As a 17-year-old senior in high school, Angela “Angie” Cabreira ’16 started to panic whenever she was asked about her college plans. Admittedly, she didn’t have any. So rather than attend university, she decided instead to move from Idaho to Molokai to be with her sister, the late Julie Marie Pierson Place.

“Two years later, in 1988, I relocated to Hilo on the Big Island where I have lived ever since,” said Cabreira during a phone interview. “All I wanted at that time was to get married, have 12 kids, bake, garden and take care of all the neighbors’ kids.”

Dreams of obtaining a bachelor’s degree quickly faded, and Cabreira became more impassioned about motherhood, eventually having three of her own kids and raising a hānai daughter, now between ages 22 and 38. She deliberately chose to be a stay-at-home mom “for a long time,” raising her keiki and establishing a childcare service for local families.

“I love being around kids,” Cabreira said. “So I got a job at Waiakea Elementary School, where I worked for 13 years, mostly as a student activity coordinator and for a few years I was with the Parent-Community Networking Center.”

Cabreira, though, wanted more. She began taking early childhood education (ECE) classes at Hawaii Community College while serving as a teaching assistant with Keiki Steps. She then started a new full-time position with Tūtū and Me, and continued to take ECE classes at Hawaii Community College while now also taking online courses at Chaminade University to obtain her Associate in Science (AS) degree in ECE.

“When I began working full time for Kamehameha Preschools in 2015, I transferred to Chaminade’s online program so that I would have the ability to work full time and still go to school,” Cabreira recalled. “This was not an option at Hawaii Community College since they didn’t offer evening classes nor online classes for the degree I was seeking. Chaminade was ideal because I didn’t have to be in a classroom at a certain time and that was what I needed.”

Angie and Albert Cabreira pose for a selfie.

A hānai daughter, Laura Tanaka is the eldest of Angie Cabreira’s kids.

Dustin Toma is 32 years old.

Nichelle is the youngest Cabreira daughter.

Nichelle Toma is Angie Cabreira’s youngest birth daughter.

Trevor is the youngest Toma son.

When Cabreira entered college in 2011, online courses and degrees were just beginning to gain popularity and become viable options for working adults. Today, advancements in technology, course design and high-speed internet availability are moving online learning forward.

Chaminade’s Flex Online Undergraduate program is WSCUC-accredited (WASC Senior College and University Commission) and has a broad range of study disciplines, including business administration, criminology and criminal justice, historical and political studies, education and psychology. It is designed with working adults in mind, distancing itself from rigid term schedules and due dates to give students the flexibility they need to achieve a work-life-school balance and make progress toward reaching their goals.

“I love the Flex program because there are no deadlines,” Cabreira said. “It’s the reason I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Chaminade.”

In fall 2022, Cabreira enrolled in the University’s early Early Childhood Education bachelor’s program, which is aligned with state requirements and National Association for the Education of Young Children standards, and was ranked by Best Colleges as #8 Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs of 2023.

“I want to be a positive voice for kids and parents,” Cabreira said. “I thought I was satisfied supporting teachers and families. But if I could be a lead kumu, I could make more of an impact.”

As she started the program, her sister, Julie, was diagnosed with a blockage in an artery that supplied blood and oxygen to her intestines. Treatment included 11 surgeries, but it was too late. Her intestines had shut down.

“When she passed, I was sad, depressed and unmotivated to do my homework,” Cabreira said. “During this time, Bro. Allen Pacquing encouraged me to keep going, and gave me time to grieve. All my other professors didn’t give up on me, either, and I knew that my sister would not have wanted me to quit.”

This past September, Cabreira took a single course. In October, she enrolled in four courses. And in February 2024, she will take another four classes. By July, she hopes to be doing her practicum. However, because of her age, she can’t simply skim readings like her younger peers, and she has to watch every assigned video.

“It takes me longer,” admitted Cabreira, 57. “I want to pass with all As, but my daughter—who earned a BA in Psychology from UC Irvine—reminds me that Bs also get degrees.”

Cabreira may not have been able to birth 12 kids, but now she has 20—in her classroom.

“I can’t be a lead kumu without my bachelors degree, and that’s the goal,” Cabreira said. “The plan is to graduate in January 2025. Yes, it will take a very long time, but I’m determined.”

Dean’s Speaker Series

September 20, 2023

Eric Fujimoto ’94 advises students to persevere and show humility

The best rate of return and the stock market ticker symbol to keep a close eye on is YOU or ME. Sage advice from Ho‘ea Wealth Advisory Group Principal Eric Fujimoto, the guest speaker of the School of Business and Communication’s inaugural Dean’s Speaker Series. In his address to students, the 1994 Chaminade MBA graduate and Board of Regents member advised attendees to double down and invest in themselves.

“There is nothing wrong with making money,” said Fujimoto, who was ranked Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors and #1 in Hawai‘i and Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors from 2018-2023. “But, do it ethically and use it to better your community. Shift the focus from money to people.”

The intent of the forum is to bring a diversity of social, cultural, economic and other business-related perspectives to the Chaminade community in order to engage in ways that inform and encourage sustainable business for good.

Ho‘ea Wealth Advisory Group Principal Eric Fujimoto Eric Fujimoto shared his story and advice with students.

“The impetus for the Series is to provide co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for students to augment what they are learning in the classrooms with relevant and high-impact experiences,” said School of Business and Communication Interim Dean Annette Santos. “Ultimately, this event has an underlying call to action to students who are reminded that they are empowered to create a sustainable future that reflects the values and the priorities of their communities through the knowledge they glean from their educational experience at Chaminade.”

Awarded the US Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year for the City and County of Honolulu in 2020, Fujimoto’s wealth of experience not only includes offering solid financial advice to his clients, but also serving as a member of various nonprofit organizations, including Drug Free Hawai‘i, Central Union Church and, one that he is particularly eager to help, Unity Prom, which is an effort to provide students with disabilities the experience of a normal high school prom.

“We were the students and they were the teachers,” said Fujimoto, choking up in a video address that he played during his Monday evening talk. “The Ho‘ea Foundation is a proud sponsor of this event, which gives these high schools the chance to enjoy what other kids their age experience every year. And we’re always looking for dates, so if anyone wants to be a prom date, contact her—pointing to Jill Higashi, Chaminade’s Assistant Vice President of Advancement.”

After Fujimoto’s talk, freshman baseball player Jacob Villacorte said he learned a lot, and the message of perseverance and giving back to the community especially meant a lot to him. “There were things I didn’t know about,” said Villacorte. “It was a good learning experience.”

Consistent with Chaminade’s mission of community service, the Speakers Series is framed around the theme, “Sustainable Business for Good,” which also aligns with Chaminade’s CIFAL designation. Speakers are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to transforming lives and advancing communities.

“I’ve had the privilege to visit other universities, but Chaminade is the only one where you feel a sense of community that genuinely wants you to succeed,” Fujimoto said. “The people here care about you; they put great ideas in front of you; so you were right to choose Chaminade.”

Santos hopes students will feel the same way after they attend the Speakers Series.

“There are several takeaways that I hope will resonate with students,” Santos said. “The first is to be inspired by the personal and professional journey of the featured speakers in ways that enhance their educational experience; the second is to understand that personal and professional growth is a process that involves challenges and turning points on the way to wins and transformation; and the third is to provide opportunities for them to build their network, possibly creating meaningful connections with speakers or those in attendance.”

Gesturing as if he was steering a car on the H-1 freeway, Fujimoto made one final point to the students: they are in the driver’s seat and they determine the course of their destiny. “If you were just to turn the car by one degree, what do you think would happen,” he posed to the students. “You will end up at a different destination.”

Out on a Limb

September 19, 2023

Elena Chen wants to help people walk again

Elena Chen and a fellow graduate student help an amputee with his prosthetic leg.

She vividly remembers the moment when she knew that she wanted to pursue her higher education in prosthetics. While a sophomore volunteer at Shriners Children’s Hawaii, Elena Chen ’21 witnessed something less than a miracle, as she describes it.

“I saw a young kid get a second chance to run again,” Chen recalls. “After putting on a leg prosthetic, he got up and I’ll never forget the smile on his face; it was awesome to see.”

Now attending the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics in Tampa, Fla., Chen is working towards her master’s degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P), a specialized health care profession that combines technical and clinical skills to care for patients with neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders and/or patients who have a partial or total absence of a limb.

“I graduated with my bachelor’s in Forensic Science, which I really wanted a career in,” Chen says. “But when I learned about the field of prosthetics and orthotics, it personally connected with me because I know someone whose leg was amputated because of cancer.”

Prostheses (artificial legs and hands) and orthoses (braces and splints) enable people with physical impairments or functional limitations to live healthy, productive, independent and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labor market and social life. The use of prostheses or orthoses can reduce the need for formal health care, support services, long-term care and caregivers.

“Prostheses and orthoses give people a second chance to perform activities that they once loved, like running, for instance,” Chen says. “When you lose your leg, you can quickly take a downward spiral into deep depression, which causes a persistent feeling of sadness and disinterest.”

Without access to prostheses or orthoses, people who need them are often excluded, isolated and locked into poverty, which increases the burden of morbidity and disability. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states that Member States—to which the U.S. belongs—are responsible for taking effective measures to ensure personal mobility for the greatest possible independence of people with disabilities.

Elena Chen laminated a prosthetic socket during one of her classes.

They also have a corresponding responsibility to promote and ensure the availability of and access to mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, including prostheses and orthoses.

As of June 2023, the CRPD has been ratified by 164 signatories and 187 parties, 186 states and the European Union. Members are thus obliged to ensure access to affordable, high-quality assistive products, including prostheses and orthoses. However, the World Health Organization estimates that, today, only 1 in 10 people in need has access to assistive products, including prostheses and orthoses.

Chen wants to change this.

From 2019 to 2020, Chen shadowed her mentor, Cameron Lehrer, an American Board Certified and Licensed Prosthetist and Orthotist, and owner of Prosthetics & Orthotic Associates of Hawaii, Inc, which prides itself in its creative and innovative approach to patient-centered care.

“I was a student apprentice responsible for taking casts and measurements,” Chen explains. “I was making prosthetic sockets, and really building my skills.”

Chen, though, just doesn’t want to learn about prosthetics and orthotics, she also wants to be able to translate the technical medical terms in Mandarin. This month, she received her X2 student visa and started her clinical rotations in Chongqing, China.

“I’m so excited,” said Chen, after learning about the approval of her visa. “Not only will I gain more experience in making prosthetic limbs, but I’ll also learn more Mandarin. Eventually, I want to be able to utilize my Chinese language skills in Hawaii to help people with their language barrier in a hospital setting, which is a scary experience.”

Due to return to Hawaii in December to visit her parents, mom Shanly Wu and dad Tommy Chen, the aspiring 24-year-old prosthetist and orthoptist is grateful for the experiential opportunities that Chaminade exposed her to while an undergraduate student, and taught her to be open to new ideas and to want to learn everything she can.

“Outside of classes, I did volunteer work and joined various student clubs,” Chen says. “I also completed the one-year Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, and I was the only one who went to Shanghai, China to study abroad. What I appreciate most is that Chaminade taught me the importance of community service and giving back, which is what I want to do when I get my board-certified license in ’24 or ’25.”