Chaminade University of Honolulu

Behavioral Sciences

Chaminade Alumna Named Hawaii School Counselor of the Year

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).

Chaminade University Hosts its Annual Criminal Justice Expo

2019 Criminal Justice Expo

On March 21, Chaminade University held its annual Criminal Justice Expo in the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center.

Chaminade’s Career Preparation Office, the Criminal Justice Department and the Criminal Justice Club hosted the expo, which was free and open to anyone interested in pursuing a degree or career in criminal justice. Each year, the university welcomes representatives from various agencies in the criminal justice field to share about their work and answer questions from expo attendees.

Representatives from 38 agencies attended the expo, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Hawaii State Judiciary, Honolulu Police Department and The Queen’s Medical Center.

2019 Criminal Justice Expo

While the expo was open to the public, it served as a valuable opportunity for Chaminade students in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program to meet potential employers and learn about jobs they might be interested in pursuing after earning their degree.

The Criminology and Criminal Justice program at Chaminade is known for being the largest and oldest in Hawaii. Students interested in careers in law enforcement, public safety, criminal justice or criminology can obtain an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree from the university. The Criminology and Criminal Justice curricula also provide a foundation for students planning to pursue an advanced degree in areas such as law or criminology research.

Chaminade Named Outstanding Organization by Top Cop

Hawaii Top Cop AwardOn October 25, the Chaminade University Criminal Justice Program received the Outstanding Organization Award at the Top Cop Hawaii 34th Annual Law Enforcement and Security Awards Banquet. Each year, The Law Enforcement and Security Coalition of Hawaii presents the award to a security or safety organization or professional association that demonstrates initiative and innovation in promoting law enforcement, security and safety in the State of Hawaii.

Chaminade has the largest and most respected undergraduate criminal justice program in the state of Hawaii, and the only master’s degree in criminal justice. Chaminade graduates can be found in law enforcement agencies throughout the state as police chiefs, correctional agency directors, government attorneys and federal, state and county law enforcement personnel.

Ronald Becker, director of the criminology and criminal justice program at Chaminade, accepted the award on behalf of the university. “When I received the award, I asked all of our Chaminade graduates to stand up,” says professor Becker. “A large number of people stood up. It really helped visualize the extent of our program and our reach. This award helps validate what I already knew, but now I can share it with others.”

Top Cop Scholarship AwardeesThe ASIS International Hawaii Chapter and Cindi Flating also presented two Chaminade students with the Bob Flating Scholarship at the event. The award is given each year to individuals who are pursuing a degree in law enforcement or security. Both Sydney Thyen and Yaron Fernando received the $1,000 scholarship to use toward their course tuition.

“We were thrilled to see our students being recognized for their commitment and hard work,” says Allison Jerome, dean of students. “The generous gifts from ASIS will help our students pursue their academic goals and share their gifts and talents with the community.”

‘Aim Higher,’ Student-Athlete Antonio Bonnetty Urges, by Taking Full Advantage of Campus Opportunities

Some college students simply go to class and go home. Not Antonio Bonnetty.

This Chaminade University undergraduate is double majoring in Environmental Studies and Criminology and Criminal Justice, he runs cross country for the Silverswords, he represented Chaminade Athletics at a leadership retreat, he’s involved in Campus Ministry, he’s part of the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program, and in his spare time he’s into slam poetry, hiking and Xbox One gaming.

A double scholarship winner, Bonnetty also plans to join the Peace Corps, become an environmental law attorney and possibly pursue an FBI career.

“I have been very blessed at Chaminade thus far and have taken part in many opportunities as a result,” said Bonnetty, a “military brat” from Mississippi whose family moved to Oahu during his junior year of high school.

Despite suffering from scoliosis, Bonnetty was a standout athlete at Moanalua High School, where he competed in track, wrestling and football. At Chaminade, his cross country team named him last year’s “Most Inspirational Runner.”

“I fell in love with Hawaii,” said Bonnetty, who graduated from Moanalua in 2015. “I knew since I was going to college, I wanted to stay here. I actually applied to two places, both of which accepted me. But I liked Chaminade more, and the rest is history.”

Bonnetty said all his instructors “have been extremely helpful in my success.” But he’s especially grateful to Associate Professor and Environmental Studies Director Gail Grabowsky for underscoring the danger of ecological threats confronting Hawaii and the rest of the planet.

“Professor Gail ignited my love for environmental issues and led me down a path that impacted me so much that I realized that wanting to change the way the world views the environment, while not easy, is something I would be willing to spend my life in the pursuit of,” Bonnetty said.

This dedication to protecting the global ecosystem prompted Bonnetty to work with Kupu, a Honolulu-based nonprofit organization that provides young people with internships and service-learning opportunities so they can become stewards of Hawaii’s culture and natural environment.

Another instructor who stands out for Bonnetty is Professor Ronald Becker, director of the Criminology and Criminal Justice program. Dr. Becker also leads the five-day Underwater Forensic Investigation Workshop, which explores methods of locating, recovering and processing submerged evidence at crime scenes.

“These are things that I am so blessed to be a part of,” Bonnetty said, “and I will take a piece of what I learn from each experience into my future endeavors.

“Just remember to always aim higher,” he added, “and help as many people as you can do the same.”

Chaminade University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies, which prepares students for careers in fields such as law, economics, communications and information, consulting, science, ethics, health and environmental policy. Graduates of Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science program pursue careers in law enforcement, public safety, administration and other areas at the federal, state and local level.

For Checinski ‘14, Flexibility, Creativity are Key to Problem Solving as Damien Dean of Students

In her role as Dean of Students at Damien Memorial, a Catholic middle and high school in Kalihi, Chaminade University alumna Daniela Checinski ‘14 takes a “more creative and holistic” approach to discipline.

Checinski, who graduated from Chaminade’s Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program, emphasizes that the overwhelming majority of Damien boys and girls don’t get into trouble. So why do the same 30 or so students repeatedly violate campus rules?

Usually, there are two explanations.

“One, the strategy the Dean’s Office is using isn’t relevant to this generation anymore,” Checinski says. “Or two, the students need help beyond the reach of what our school can do. They need something different,” such as more one-on-one attention.

That’s why Checinski favors a forward-thinking strategy that mixes fairness with lots of flexibility.

“I feel like I’m definitely a chameleon,” she says, “because I’ll get to know a student and I’ll realize they do not respond to that warm-and-fuzzy conversation, that holistic approach. They just want to be told straight up. So that’s what I do.

“And then literally an hour later, a different student walks in and now I’m having a very different approach and a different conversation,” Checinski continues. “Even my body language is different. Everything I do shifts around. It involves a lot of critical thinking.”

Checinski’s efforts on behalf of Damien students drew the attention of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, which presented her with the 2017 “Educator of the Future Award.”

“Your leadership and approach to the deanship promote advocacy, equity and justice in our students, particularly our young women,” Damien President and CEO Wes Reber Porter said in presenting the award to Checinski.

“No one visiting Damien today would imagine that young women are new to our campus (the first coed class graduated in 2016),” Porter continued, “because you have carefully guided their integration and unique place in our history.”

Becoming a dean wasn’t a career goal for Checinski during her undergraduate days at the University of San Diego and later at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her dual interests were psychology and ecology.

“I was so torn between whether I was going to be a humanitarian or an environmentalist,” Checinski recalls. “Because both mattered and I just couldn’t decide.”

Checinski eventually opted for an environmental science major, which led to a job with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. That meant she was “literally hiking for a living” while tending to native vegetation in Waimea Valley and leading an outdoor education program for school children.

After she discovered that working with students was “pretty awesome,” Checinski earned a teaching license and got hired by the Education Laboratory School, a K-12 public charter campus in Manoa.

A love of psychology, however, attracted Checinski to Chaminade’s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Upon earning a master’s degree in School Counseling, she applied for positions at four Oahu campuses. Three responded, including Damien.

“I had such a good feeling about Damien,” Checinski recalls. “It was warm and welcoming. I said, ‘OK, I’m in.’”

Damien hired Checinski in 2014 as a grade-level counselor for more than 100 students in the Class of 2017. About eight months later, the administration promoted her to Dean of Students. Serving as a dean involves an expanded set of responsibilities, of course, but there’s still quite a bit of overlap with her psychology training.

“If you’re going to be a good dean, you have to figure out why these kids are doing what they’re doing,” Checinski points out. “Happy and well-adjusted children are not getting in trouble. So, my counseling skill set is extremely relevant.”

What’s the favorite part of Checinski’s job?

“When progress is made and we find a solution, then you can go into another day knowing you’ve made a difference because the student is better off,” she says. “And hopefully their family is better off, also.”

The key, she says, is coming together as a team.

“I only know what’s happening at school,” Checinski says. “The parents know what’s happening at home. So together, we can fill in the blanks for each other and get the full picture. And with those parents who are onboard and constantly working with me, it’s amazing how quickly their children progress.”

Chaminade University’s Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program prepares graduates for work in the community and schools, assisting children, youth and adults in adapting to various educational, family, organizational and societal demands. The program offers three emphases: School Counseling, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Counseling.

Chaminade University Celebrates 2017 Spring Commencement

Hundreds of exuberant graduates celebrated their achievements with their families, friends, faculty, staff and colleagues at Chaminade University’s 59th Commencement. Approximately 429 students graduated this spring semester with nearly 335 participating in the May 15 ceremony held at Neal Blaisdell Arena.

The program featured as its keynote speaker Shelley J. Wilson, the president and chief executive officer of Wilson Homecare and vice chair and secretary of Chaminade University’s Board of Regents. In 1996, Wilson founded Wilson Homecare, one of Hawaii’s largest private-duty home health care agencies. Wilson Homecare provides in-home health care services island-wide. Also in 2013, Wilson Senior Living Kailua, a state-licensed Adult Residential Care Home opened in the Aikahi neighborhood.

Wilson inspired the audience with her story.  She found her passion during one of the most difficult times of her life.  Returning to civilian life as a wounded warrior, Wilson had to deal with the challenges of recovery in the home.  Her experiences gave her empathy for in-home-care patients. In response to those hard times, she founded Wilson Homecare.  She encouraged the soon-to-be graduates to find a cause and to dedicate themselves to that cause with a passion as a way to find purpose and meaning.

Commencement student speakers were Taylor Seth Stutsman, the undergraduate representative, and Rezettakahealani Eric Mulitalo, the post-graduate representative.

Stutsman graduated with his B.S. in Forensics Sciences, Cum Laude.  That night his family came from five different states to cheer for him. He moved to Hawaii from Pennsylvania and appreciated the diversity of Chaminade. “Hawaii has taught me more about acceptance and tolerance than I could have imagined,” he said, appreciative of the multi-cultural experiences made available to him at Chaminade.

Mulitalo graduated that night with her M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration. Raised in Western Samoa, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wellington, New Zealand. “You do not have to know what you are going to do with the rest of your life yet,” she reassured the graduating students. She advised them to remember what the Scottish scholar William Barclay had said. “’There are two great days in a person’s life –the day we are born, and the day we discover why,’” she quoted. “Watch your choices, follow your dreams and love what you do.”