Chaminade University of Honolulu

Campus and Community

Supporting Tomorrow’s School Leaders

Kathy Jaycox dedicated her career to advancing education as a high school teacher, university professor and community college administrator. Now in retirement, she’s proud to continue that support, including with a new scholarship that honors her uncle—a longtime educator himself.

The Andrew J. Penn Endowed Scholarship at Chaminade’s School of Education and Behavioral Sciences targets aid to students pursuing a master’s degree in education. While many scholarships are for undergraduates, Jaycox said it was important for her to help graduate students who are returning to school and looking to build on their skills and advance as leaders in education.

Jaycox says her “Uncle Andy,” who passed away in 2010, inspired her to pursue a career in education and often spoke about how he taught school during the day and earned his master’s degree at night. Penn served as a principal in Chicago for more than two decades.

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Penn, who started teaching in the 1950s, was also a Korean War veteran and something of a big brother to Jaycox. “He was a really big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she explained.

“He put other people ahead of himself so much.”

Jaycox and Penn not only shared a passion for education. They also both fell in love with Hawaii, visiting for vacation and vowing to move there someday.

That’s exactly what they did in the early 1990s during a particularly chilly Chicago winter. Penn was retired by that time and Jaycox was able to secure a position at Honolulu Community College focused on continuing education.

Jaycox served at the University of Hawaiʻi for nearly 20 years and also led the Hawaiʻi P-20 Initiative to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood to postsecondary education.

She said during her years in education leadership, she learned about Chaminade and its service-focused mission. Penn also supported the University as a donor. Jaycox said the endowed scholarship not only celebrates her uncle’s legacy, but her own pursuit of lifelong learning.

“I know this scholarship is what Uncle Andy would have wanted,” said Jaycox, who returned to Chicago after her retirement.

“He would often talk about how important it was to help people who wanted to do something more. As a lifelong learner myself, it’s nice to help somebody do that.”

Chaminade Students Organize Special ‘Unity Prom’

There are few events in high school more memorable than prom.

A group of Silverswords made sure that was especially true for more than 120 special education high schoolers, who gathered on November 18 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center for the 2025 West Oʻahu Unity Prom.

Students in Chaminade’s Business and Sport and Event Management programs planned the event, from the decorations to the live music and photo booth to the buffet. Meanwhile, some 80 Chaminade student-athletes volunteered as dance partners for the guests of honor.

Wendy Lam, Ph.D., associate professor of Business Administration and Sport and Event Management, said students from Waianae, Waipahu, Nanakuli high schools, DreamHouse Ewa Beach and Kamaile Academy attended. There were also a number of Chaminade administrators there, including President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., along with community members.

The event was sponsored by Ho’ea—The Foundation.

Lam said last year, Chaminade students volunteered at the East Oʻahu Unity Prom and were inspired to put together a special event for students on the other side of the island. She added Silverswords were integral to all elements of the gathering as part of field experience courses.

“This event exemplifies Chaminade’s commitment to community engagement, servant leadership, and the Marianist values of inclusivity, compassion, and formation through service,” Lam said.

“Our students are not only applying their classroom learning but also living out our mission to serve others and build a more just and caring community.”

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Trysten Mooney ’27, who is majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Sport and Event Management, was among those who helped put the event together. At the prom, he joined classmates to manage activity booths, including fun make-up and photo stations.

“Seeing all of the smiles from the students and teachers made all the work worth it,” Mooney said.

“This project helps connect Chaminade to the community by showing our love and core values with everyone. It is a cool experience for both the students involved and us students working it.”

Alumni Celebrate Silversword Reunion 2025

It was a weekend of celebrating old memories and making new ones.

More than 250 Chaminade alumni gathered on campus for Silversword Reunion 2025, three days of festivities that included serving as the guests of honor at this year’s Pacific Island Review cultural celebration featuring student performances and great food.

Reunion attendees also shared a campus tour, dinner and attended Mass.

Jodi-Ann Yoshida, MBA ’23, who is director of Alumni Relations, said the reunion from October 17 to 19 offered opportunities for alumni from across the state and across the nation to reconnect, reminisce and reignite their passion for Chaminade and its important public service-focused mission.

This year’s reunion also coincided with the University’s 70th anniversary celebration and included an alumnus—Bernard Lum Hoy ’59—from Chaminade’s first graduating class.

At the Silversword Reunion dinner, three attendees were recognized with Alumni Awards.

Rylan Chong, ’10, Ph.D., received the Marianist Alumni Award for exemplifying the Marianist spirit. Chong co-developed Hawaiʻi’s first Data Science undergraduate program at Chaminade in 2019, with a focus on community building and providing students access to in-demand skills and career opportunities.

Under his leadership, Silversword Data Science students have won national competitions, clinched prestigious local and national internships, and pursued exciting careers.

Angela Riccardi Maroun ’76, was named recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for outstanding contributions to her profession and the community.

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Over her career, Maroun helped thousands of patients regain their mobility and independence as a leader in the field of outpatient and home care physical therapy.

In accepting her award, Maroun called Chaminade a very special place that provided her with both a “wider world view and lasting friendships.” Maroun added, “How many people can say they still visit and text with their professors 50 years later?

“That is the Chaminade experience.”

Joshua Orimoto ’20, meanwhile, was recognized with the Young Alumni Award for excellence in his field and demonstrated service to the community, the university and the public.

Orimoto serves as an Air Force cyberspace operations officer and was recently selected to serve as a diplomatic security service special agent for the U.S. Department of State.

Yoshida congratulated all the honorees.

“These exemplary Silversword alumni have made meaningful contributions to their professions and communities, embodying the Chaminade mission by leading and serving with aloha,” she said.

Archbishop Wester Speaks on Nuclear Disarmament

No one wants nuclear war, but many in the U.S. contend nuclear weapons are required for deterrence. In his thought-provoking and timely Marianist Lecture at Mystical Rose Oratory this month, Archbishop John Wester argued that thinking is not only naive but dangerous.

“I believe that deterrence is not the answer. In fact, I believe that deterrence is the enemy. Deterrence is what we should fear the most,” Wester told attendees. “Deterrence does not work and here’s why: Human beings aren’t always rational and we can’t read minds. For nuclear deterrence to work, all stakeholders must be determined to act … predictably.

“But we know that’s not true. That’s not how people work.”

Wester, the archbishop of Santa Fe, has become a staunch proponent and leading voice in the movement for nuclear disarmament. In 2022, he garnered headlines after issuing a pastoral letter entitled, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.”

In his Chaminade lecture—called “Nuclear Weapons: It’s 89 Seconds to Midnight—Does Anybody Care?”—Wester stressed the importance of talking and of education. He said the conversation on nuclear disarmament is critical but long overdue.

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Wester’s remarks come as the world marks eight decades since the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people and continue to have profound effects on communities. Wester says visiting Japan in 2017, including the sites of the bombings, underscored for him the importance of disarmament to achieve a lasting peace.

In addition to giving the Marianist Lecture on October 12, Wester delivered a similar talk to Chaminade students, faculty and staff earlier in the week. Andrew Peter Ancheta II, director of Student Engagement at Chaminade, said after Wester’s address at the Mystical Rose Oratory that he was buoyed by the message of hope. “Hope can be a very contagious thing should we allow it to be,” Ancheta said. “It’s important for us to not let this conversation die in this beautiful oratory.”

The Marianist Lecture series, which is sponsored by the Marianist Center of Hawai‘i, Chaminade University and Saint Louis School, is aimed at fostering inclusive dialogue on Catholic thought and responsibility. Marianist Lecture presenters, including Wester, are honored with the Mackey Award for Catholic Thought—named after the first president of Chaminade University.

In his talk, Wester outlined the chilling but real potential fallout if a nuclear war were to happen. In addition to the millions killed and injured in the blasts and billions more who would die because of the nuclear winter, Wester noted that nuclear war promises an end to modern life as we know it.

“It would mean an end to just about every book ever written, every medical advance made, every technological development, every philosophical or theological insight gained, every transportation mode we now take for granted. No communication, no hospitals, no first responders, no schools, no libraries, nothing,” he said. “I’m not doing this to create fear but to invite all of us to an enlightened self-interest and to be the change that we want to see in our world.”

Wester closed out his lecture with recommendations for further study and continuing the conversation. The title of his talk, “80 Second to Midnight,” refers to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ “Doomsday Clock,” aimed at spotlighting the existential threats facing humanity.

Wester also challenged attendees to bring more than logic to the conversation of nuclear disarmament. Heart, he said, is also required.. “We need a sense of morality, a sense of how we live with one another,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to end nuclear weapons.”

Chaminade to Offer Free FAFSA Workshops

Chaminade University will offer a series of free financial aid workshops next month at various high schools on Oahu to assist Hawai‘i students and their families in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Completing the FAFSA is a critical step in securing financial aid for college or graduate school and in determining eligibility for federal, state, and institutional funding.

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Workshop participants will receive guided support to complete their applications from Chaminade’s financial aid counselors.

The FAFSA for the 2025–2026 school year was released earlier this month, returning to its usual schedule after a delayed launch in 2024 due to a major form overhaul.

With the application process now back on track, Chaminade is making it easier for families by providing in-person assistance. The workshops are open to all Hawai‘i students and their families.

Workshops will be held at the following locations:

• November 3 from 6:30 p.m. at Calvery Chapel Christian School
• November 4 from 5:30 p.m. at Assets High School
• November 5 from 5:30 pm. at Radford High School


“These off-campus workshops reflect our commitment to serving Hawai‘i’s communities and ensuring that all students have access to the support they need,” said Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. “By bringing these resources directly to families, we’re removing barriers and helping them navigate what can be a confusing and overwhelming process.”

In addition to offering FAFSA support, Chaminade continues to expand financial opportunities for local students. Through the Hawai‘i Guarantee, the University matches Hawaii’s flagship tuition for all qualified residents. Chaminade also increased merit-based scholarships this year to help offset tuition expenses for all undergraduate students, reaffirming its commitment to affordability and access.

To learn more about Chaminade University’s financial program, click here.

Chaminade Partners with Hawaiʻi Catholic Schools

As part of an innovative new program aimed at bolstering community health, the School of Nursing and Health Professions has partnered with Hawaiʻi Catholic Schools to place doctoral nursing students on campuses for everything from everyday ailments to health education.

There are currently students at two campuses—and plans for expansion.

Linda Malone, DNP, an associate professor of nursing, said school-based health services are oftentimes an overlooked area of community-based care. But ensuring children are healthier—and making healthier choices—can have broad positive impacts on their schooling and lives.

“School-based health and school healthcare has long been proven to keep kids healthier,” Malone said. “And if you’re keeping them healthy, you’re keeping them in school.”

She added the pilot program, made possible thanks to Marianist Sponsorship Ministries Foundation grants, is especially focused on prevention messaging.

At St Joseph’s Parish School in Waipahu, Haylee Carlson, DNP ’27, put together a special health education newsletter for parents and health promotion presentations for students in third through eighth grades focusing on topics like healthy eating and exercise. At Our Lady Of Good Counsel School in Pearl City, Michelle Burns, DNP ’26, set up a tent to see students and also offered health education classes.

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Dr. Llewellyn Young, superintendent of Hawaiʻi Catholic Schools, said the initiative is filling a “critical gap” by providing regular on-site care on campuses that don’t have the resources to fund a school nurse.

“This pilot partnership is incredibly important to me because it directly supports the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of our students,” Young said. “More importantly, it reflects the Catholic Church’s mission to serve the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.”

Young added that Chaminade doctoral students serving on the campuses not only give administrators and teachers peace of mind, but offer proactive education on wellness and even early identification of mental health needs. “Looking ahead, I hope to expand this partnership to more of our Catholic schools—especially those in underserved areas,” Young said.

“This is more than a healthcare initiative—it is a ministry of healing and accompaniment, and we are deeply grateful for Chaminade University’s shared commitment to this vision.”

Burns, who is at the Pearl City campus, said the program has given her a new appreciation of school-based care.

As a registered nurse, Burns evaluates students who are feeling ill or have been injured on campus. But the real highlight for Burns, who is in the pediatric nurse practitioner track in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, has been developing age-appropriate educational curricula covering everything from good sleep habits to calming techniques to hygiene.

“This partnership has shown me a different part of nursing that I haven’t been exposed to yet,” Burns said. “Starting up a health room takes a lot of planning. In addition to my nursing skills, I’ve learned how to create forms specifically for school health clinics, collaborate with school administration, and communicate with parents or guardians when needed.”

Carlson, also in the pediatric nurse practitioner track, said she jumped at the opportunity to contribute at the Waipahu school after hearing about the pilot from Malone.

“School health has always been an interest of mine, and I decided to go for it because it’s an excellent opportunity to give back to the community,” Carlson said. “Establishing health services will provide increased access to healthcare for children and help decrease sickness and absenteeism as a result.”

She added a highlight of the work, in addition to serving young students and providing health education programming, is working with undergraduate nursing students at Chaminade who are completing clinical hours at the Catholic schools. “This pilot has provided me the chance to solidify my assessment skills and get creative with healthcare in a school environment,” she said.

“We’re making a positive impact on these children and their families.”

This story appears in the Fall 2025 edition of Chaminade Magazine. To read the full issue, click here.