Chaminade University of Honolulu

Campus and Community

Ceremony Recognizes Heritage Award Honorees

As part of the annual Founders’ Week festivities, three members of the Chaminade community were honored Wednesday with Heritage Awards for their strong commitment to Marianist values.

The recipients were recognized at a special Founders’ Day Mass at the Mystical Rose Oratory.

The Heritage Awards are conferred by the Chaminade Rector’s Office annually to celebrate Marianist values of service in education. Nominations are submitted from across the University.

Dr. Koreen Nakahodo, an assistant professor of English, received the Chaminade Award for embracing Marianist values in education and undertaking “the intellectual life as a form of service in the interest of justice and truth.”

Several colleagues nominated her for the honor, saying that her work with students, across campus and with the community is impressive and impactful.

“I have been privileged to work with Dr. Nakahodo for more than two decades,” one Chaminade professor wrote in his nomination letter.

“She is a true example of Fr. Chaminade’s dictum that our progress is like a brook, caressing obstacles, gaining depth and breadth in the fullness of time, the brook overflows the obstacles and moves forward. She is persistent, undaunted by obstacles.”

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Academic Affairs Program Manager Jackeline Sanqui received the Marianist Award for her unwavering support of Chaminade’s vision and mission. Marianist Award honorees are full-time support staff members who live Marianist values of family spirit, hospitality and openness.

In a nomination letter, one of Sanqui’s supervisors said she creates a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone. “Jacky’s commitment to Chaminade’s mission extends beyond her immediate responsibilities. She is a vital support in programs that serve underserved populations,” the nominator wrote, adding she is a vital member of the Chaminade family.

Finally, Noelani Tugaoen ‘25 was honored with the Founders’ Award, which is given to a Chaminade student who has exhibited the Marianist values of generosity, respect and a spirit of faith. Recipients are also recognized for serving as positive role models for the Silversword family.


Tugaoen is a student ambassador, active in the Ka Ipu Kukui Me Ka ‘ie ‘ie (Hawaiian) Club, and Campus Ministry. A Chaminade staff member who nominated Tugaoen said the senior is a true servant leader who “wants people to feel loved and know they each have a place.”

The nominator continued, “In every sphere she has been in, Noe has always been a vibrant and joyous person, constantly looking for ways to meet students and their families, and bring a sense of belonging to everyone present. The atmosphere changes when Noe enters a space.”

Founders’ Week officially kicked off Jan. 17, with a special lei draping ceremony and prayer service at the Father Chaminade statue on the University’s Front Lawn.

The week celebrates the founders of the Marianist Family, Father Chaminade, Mother Adele, and Marie-Thérèse de Lamourous.

Photo Gallery: Father Chaminade Lei Draping Ceremony

A lei draping ceremony and prayer service Friday at the Father Chaminade statue on Chaminade’s Front Lawn officially kicked off Founders’ Week.

The week celebrates the founders of the Marianist Family, Father Chaminade, Mother Adele, and Marie-Thérèse de Lamourous.


Chaminade students, faculty and staff came together for the special ceremony, aimed at honoring not only the founders themselves but their important message of social justice and educational growth.

Founders’ Week events continue next week with a Founders’ Day Mass and ceremony to celebrate this year’s Heritage Award honorees, recognized for their contributions to fostering the Marianist spirit on campus. The event is set for Wednesday, starting at 11:30 a.m., and will be followed by a lunch. For more details, click here.

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Cultivating Sustainable Entrepreneurs

What’s the best way to teach students to lead in sustainable ways?

For Mariane Uehara, the answer is simple: By doing.

Uehara is the sustainability innovation coordinator at Chaminade and teaches ENV 490: Sustainability Innovation.

Over the Fall term, she challenged her students to partner with local organizations and help them find environmentally-friendly practices that also made business sense. They didn’t stop there. Working in teams, the students launched new initiatives, created materials, even drew up business plans, walking away with invaluable experience.

“The goal is for students to discover both the challenges and opportunities of applying entrepreneurship and sustainability in collaboration with established local businesses,” Uehara said.

“This experience is designed to boost their self-esteem and confidence, empowering them to step into the ‘real world’ as professionals who share their unique ideas and take on the responsibility of turning those ideas into impactful, sustainable actions.”

Lyle Takenaka ‘24 and his group partnered with Talk Kaimuki, a popular coffee shop, to weave sustainable practices into day-to-day operations. They brainstormed “lots of great ideas,” he said, but ultimately decided to create QR codes that customers can scan to get facts about waste, sustainability tips, and information on locally-sourced items, plus some trivia and deals.

Takenaka said Talk Kaimuki’s main concern was cutting down on takeout cups for dine-in patrons.

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“This project showed me businesses want to and are willing to find ways to become more sustainable,” Takenaka said, noting that working with Talk Kaimuki’s owner was eye-opening.

“Plus, we got hands-on experience into how a successful business is run.”

Takenaka added that he was particularly grateful for the feedback his team received. “By being able to work with a successful business, we had a unique opportunity to put a plan into action. We got real-world experience that will be of benefit in our future careers.”

The best part? “We were able to make the world a better place,” Takenaka said.

Uehara said students also worked with Bess Press and Keep It Simple, a zero-waste business.

For Bess Press, students helped design an innovative “Bess Bucks” system aimed at giving gently-used books a second, third or even fourth life.

Uehara’s course is supported with a federal grant, which also goes to other sustainable entrepreneurship work at Chaminade. She said she’s grateful to give students the opportunity to “expand on their ‘why’” and search for ways to make a positive difference.

The course ended with a series of presentations from students on their projects, giving them the chance to showcase their work.

ENV 490 was developed as part of the ‘Inana Innovators Program at Chaminade, which Uehara said was designed to “develop a robust pathway to entrepreneurship and bridge the gap between academic and professional life.” Uehara added, “This gives students the opportunity to become creators or interns, receiving a stipend to further develop their ideas and gain skills.”

The ‘Inana Innovators program is funded by MBDA grant #MB22OBD8020275-T1. You can reach Principal Investigator Dr. Helen Turner at [email protected].

Chaminade to Host Free FAFSA Workshop

Need help completing your FAFSA?

With the deadline approaching for college financial aid, Chaminade University will host a free workshop Jan. 8 for Hawaii students and families who need assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—or FAFSA.

The workshop, free and open to the public, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the University’s Vi & Paul Loo Student Center.

Attendees will get one-on-one assistance from counselors, and laptops will be provided so the FAFSA can be completed on-site.

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“We hope that college students and their families take advantage of this stress-free FAFSA completion event, where we’ll help you fill out your application from start to finish,” said Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D.

“Whether you’re applying to Chaminade or any other college, our expert Financial Aid and Admissions staff will be on hand to guide you through every step of the process.”

Completing the FAFSA is a key step in the college admissions process, giving students a clear picture of the financial resources available to support their education. It’s not just about loans—students also need the FAFSA to qualify for free funding like grants and even scholarships.

Chaminade hopes to hold additional FAFSA workshops in the near future, but dates are still being worked out.

Those interested in attending on Jan. 8 are asked to RSVP, and students and family members are encouraged to have their Federal Student Aid IDs before the event.

To set up a free Federal Student ID, click here. And to contact Chaminade’s Financial Aid Office for more immediate questions, click here.

Study Underscores Importance of Student Engagement

For the past 12 years, Professor Tracy Trevorrow, Ph.D.—director of the Center for Medical Psychology at Chaminade—has been surveying university students on their sleep and health habits. His latest research, in partnership with other university sleep centers, underscores the importance of campus support and engagement activities to help students thrive.

Trevorrow is a co-author on the study, which looked at causes for insomnia in college students. The research, conducted with Oregon State University and fellow collaborator Harvard University, included more than 1,000 undergraduates and found students who reported 8 to 10 hours of screen time daily had an increased likelihood of insomnia.

But the study also looked at the connection between social interactions and trouble sleeping, finding students who reported higher levels of loneliness were more likely to have trouble with insomnia—irrespective of their daily screen time amounts.

Trevorrow said the study, which included 227 participants from Chaminade, puts a spotlight on the success and leadership programs that help students remain engaged—and feel supported—as they pursue their undergraduate degrees.

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“It’s very important to appreciate how important good sleep is to health, a sense of wellbeing and to learning,” Trevorrow said. “Although this is just a single study, it appears that social connectedness among students is important for getting adequate sleep in addition to being careful about excessive screen time.”

The study was published in the Journal of American College Health, and Trevorrow expects to expand surveys to further explore students’ sense of social connectedness and daily screen time. Trevorrow added the study underscores the importance of Chaminade’s “many opportunities for students to develop friendships and social connections through clubs, sports, student government, and campus events.” He noted the University’s robust counseling program is also important—as is continuing to develop new engagement activities.

“This study highlights the importance of keeping a lifestyle balance” and prioritizing friendships and a sense of belonging, Trevorrow said.

“Feeling socially connected helps students manage the challenges of college life, and also appears to improve sleep.”

As for screen time, Trevorrow recommends keeping it to less than eight hours a day.

Team Building with a Mission

Every semester, Chaminade’s Office of Enrollment Management and Student Success tackles a service project together. On Dec. 17, they ventured out for their latest volunteering effort—a clean-up of Palolo Stream.

Over the course of the day, some 19 staff members collected 197.2 pounds of trash that would have ended up in the ocean.

The stream runs through Chaminade’s campus on its way to Waikiki, and the volunteers found everything from tires to plastic bottles.

Jennifer Creech, vice president for Enrollment Management and associate provost for Student Success, said her group was delighted to leave the stream cleaner than they found it. Students regularly venture into the stream in the area for class projects.

“We have a shared responsibility to be stewards of the resources and care for the land,” Creech said.

“While the students and the classes use this area as an active learning space, we believe it is important to do our part to maintain a beautiful and clean entrance to welcome others into our community.”

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Creech said taking on a service learning project as a team is a no-brainer: It’s fun with a mission.

The volunteer effort was coordinated with the assistance of Jon Watase MBA ’24, who is director of ‘āina-based learning at Saint Louis School.

Creech said Watase does an “outstanding job coordinating the efforts and incorporating educational components, ensuring we all leave with a deeper understanding and a stronger sense of commitment to caring for this special place.”