Chaminade University of Honolulu

Catholic

Chaminade Scholar

Depending on the power grid in the countryside of Ukraine, Chaminade sophomore Victoria DelaCruz ’25 may or may not be able to teach American culture, environment and English to Kate (not her real name to protect her identity) through a volunteer role with ENGin, a nonprofit group that offers a unique opportunity to make a difference in a Ukrainian’s life. It’s a volunteer role that she pursued during her freshman year in 2021.

What she didn’t anticipate, though, was the Russian invasion of the second largest European country in February 2022. Still, the Saipan native persisted and persevered to maintain contact with Kate at least once a week to this very day.

“She wants to improve her English, and I’m trying to help her do that,” says DelaCruz, who opted to major in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization. “I am provided with class lessons, but I tailor them to fit with what I’m comfortable with.”

Growing up in the largest island in the Northern Mariana Islands, DelaCruz has always felt comfortable with helping her community, following her mom to work at KARIDAT, a not-for-profit, social service organization under the Catholic Charity Diocese of Chalan Kanoa. In 2018, when Super Typhoon Yutu, the strongest typhoon ever recorded to impact the Mariana Islands and the second-strongest to strike the United States or its territories, slammed into Saipan, DelaCruz was there.

Victoria DelaCruz helps out at the Kaimuki office of Aloha Harvest.

“She was doing basic intakes and helping out in the food pantry,” recalls mom Elaine DelaCruz, a Chaminade alumna who earned her bachelor’s degree in 1999 and her M.S. in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) in 2003. “She has always wanted to serve her community ever since she was a young girl.”

DelaCruz personifies the Chaminade Scholar, defined as a student who strives to discover his or her life vocation, to be a servant leader and to use God-given gifts and talents to pursue the common good. “Her reflection on service and the path she traveled to earn her internship with Aloha Harvest are inspiring,” says Bro. Ed Brink, a member of the Mission and Identity Committee that selects Chaminade Scholars. “She’s truly a remarkable young woman who exemplifies the Marianist education and values.”

While searching for a service project to fulfill one of the mandatory requirements of being a Chaminade Scholar, DelaCruz came upon the AmeriCorps Vista program and decided to become a member. The objective of Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. It just so happened that Aloha Harvest was registering to participate in the VISTA program and looking for someone to work in its office.

“I started as a volunteer in late September 2022,” DelaCruz recalls. “At that point, Aloha Harvest was in the process of creating an AmeriCorps VISTA position (Program Data Evaluation Specialist), and found out I was a Data Science student. So, they asked me if I would be willing to fulfill that position, and that’s how I was recruited. My official first day as a full-time service member with Aloha Harvest was January 17, 2023, and I will be there until January 17, 2024.”

In addition to being a Chaminade Scholar, DelaCruz is also in the Experiential Honors Program, and she serves as vice president of the Chaminade Sustainability Council, the design manager for the Chaminade Student Programming Board and an Alliance Research Intern with the National Science Foundation.

DelaCruz credits her Chaminade Scholar status, not only for her monetary scholarship, but for helping her grow and commit to community service, which she plans to continue in Saipan after she graduates in 2024.

“When it comes to data science, there’s a great demand for it in Saipan, from the medical to the educational field,” DelaCruz asserts. “Saipan usually has to bring in people from the Mainland but it never lasts too long.”

And if you had told DelaCruz that she would be pursuing a degree in data science a year ago, she says she would have thought you were lying. “I never considered technology, and now I’m learning to code and use data,” she says. “I’m really glad I changed my major to DSAV because the skills that I have learned can be applied to so many fields. And I can use the knowledge that I gained and my passion for service to help my Chamorro community.”

Catholic Schools Recognition Luncheon

The Hawaii Catholic Schools Recognition Ceremony had already started, and St. Anthony School Maui’s Head of School David Kenney and music teacher Julia Golding were stuck on the tarmac at Kahului Airport. Unbeknownst to Golding, she was to be one of the luncheon’s guests of honor, and announced as the Hawaii Catholic Schools’ 2023 Teacher of the Year.

“It was a comedy of errors,” said Golding, referring to the hours-long delay at the Kahului Airport, which jeopardized her attending the luncheon. “Our first scheduled flight was cancelled because the plane that was supposed to come from Oahu never arrived. So, we got on another flight and that was delayed because of a medical emergency, which further delayed our arrival on Oahu because we lost the window of time to get to the Honolulu airport gate.”

St. Anthony School Maui’s music teacher Julia Golding with her Golden Pineapple.

Since 2019, Chaminade University and the Hawaii Catholic Schools have added an island twist to the national Golden Apple Awards, renaming it—fittingly—the Golden Pineapple Awards. “The Teacher and Administrator of the Year event would not be possible if it were not for our strong relationship with Chaminade,” said Llewellyn Young, Ph.D., superintendent of Hawaii Catholic Schools. “Chaminade is a Hawaii Catholic School, and we are tremendously grateful and blessed to have them as part of our Catholic schools ‘ohana.”

According to School of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dean, Dale Fryxell, Ph.D., nominations for Teacher and Administrator of the Year can be submitted by a fellow teacher or an administrator, and parent or student. A panel comprised of Chaminade and Hawaii Catholic Schools representatives then review the candidates on the following criteria:

1.  How the nominee has made a difference in the life of a student(s).

2. The nominee’s accomplishments as they relate to leadership.

3. The nominee’s accomplishments as they relate to service to the school and community.

4.The nominee’s accomplishments as they relate to spiritual development.

“Today’s winners exemplify everything that these awards stand for—a celebration of the impact teachers and administrators have on the lives of their students,” Fryxell said. “Their commitment to their students and to their Catholic faith are admirable, and certainly warrant recognition.”

In her address to the group of Hawai’i Catholic educators, Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington discussed the challenges that our K-12 education system faces, and how Catholic education, with its unique position, can effectively address many of these challenges.

One of the main challenges Babington identified was the emphasis on standardized testing, which can often lead to a narrow curriculum that neglects critical thinking, creativity and character development.

“Catholic education can offer an alternative approach by fostering a holistic education that values the whole person,” Babington said. “Catholic schools emphasize the development of character, moral values and social responsibility alongside academic excellence. By instilling these values in students, Catholic education prepares them not only for academic success but also for a meaningful and fulfilling life.”

Golding said she imparts three key values to her students: faith, respect of self and each other, and gratitude. “If you don’t have a deep sense of faith, you don’t have that central character,” said the Australian native, who has taught at St. Anthony’s for the past two years. “I try to instill in my students that where they live and where they go to school are privileges.”

Kenney described Golding as thoughtful and insightful, and an incredible support to him and the entire administrative team. “Julia has made a tremendous impact and has initiated multiple programs, including the return of musical theater to the school for the first time in many years,” he said. “Additionally, the plays she has chosen allow for all of our students—young and old—to participate together, underscoring our charism and focus on unity and ‘ohana. We are truly blessed to have her as part of our ‘ohana.”

Drs. Dale Fryxell and Chaminade President Lynn Babington, along with superintendent of Hawaii Catholic Schools, Dr. Llewelynn Young, far right, present Hawaii Catholic Schools’ Adminstrator of the Year to Margaret Rufo from Mary, Star of the Sea School.

This year’s Catholic Schools Administrator of the Year went to Margaret Rufo from Mary, Star of the Sea School. A dedicated and passionate administrator who has made a significant impact on her school community, Rufo regularly interacts with the students, even making herself available for one-on-one chats during lunch and recess. She’s also deeply involved in school events, such as International Day and the 24 Math Challenge Day.

“She is engaged in all aspects of the school, whether it’s a school dance, a basketball game, a parent meeting, an international festival or a poinsettia sale—she is there,” said Fryxell in announcing Rufo as this year’s Administrator of the Year. “In addition to her focus on academic achievement, Margaret also excels as a leader, serving as a role model for her staff and working tirelessly to create a supportive and collaborative environment.”

In her closing remarks, Babington congratulated Golding and Rufo, acknowledging their commitment to educating young people in the Catholic tradition.

“I commend you for the good work you do for these K-12 students,” Babington concluded. “You prepare them to be productive members of society, and to be successful in furthering their academic journeys through higher education.”

BDK-Fujitani Interfaith Program

Discussing ‘Spirit in the Time of Radical Change’

What is faith? What is spirit? And, how do you approach climate change from the different spiritual traditions? These were the three primary questions addressed during a discussion sponsored by the BDK-Fujitani Interfaith Program, which marks its 20th anniversary this year at Chaminade University. Originally named the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai Reverend Fujitani Interfaith Program, the curriculum’s purpose is to bring together the Buddhist community with all other religious communities in Hawaii to promote interfaith dialogue, and to provide opportunities for understanding and action for peace and justice in our communities.

In a conversation themed, “Spirit in the Time of Radical Change,” panelists included Native Hawaiian practitioner Manulani Aluli Meyer, Buddhist David Atcheson, Indian Vedic specialist Akhilesh Tiwari and Mary Anne Magnier of Honolulu Friends Meeting, which is an open and affirming congregation that welcomes everyone.

“I’ve never moderated anything in my life,” says Chaminade sophomore La‘a Gamiao ’25, who was tasked to lead the discussions. “I was really nervous, but I knew I had to be myself.”

Chaminade sophmore La’a Gamiao ’25 moderated the discussion themed “Spirit in the Time of Radical Change.”

Established in 2003 and named in honor of Yoshiaki Fujitani, a past president of BDK Hawaii, the program in the past has featured lectures, which were either usually based on a single speaker or based on panel discussions during which each panelist is given the floor to present his/her religious perspectives. The presentations would be followed by discussion among the panelists, and later opened to the audience for a Q&A session. 

“I was involved with the BDK-Fujitani Interfaith program years before Brother Bernie (Ploeger, Chaminade’s fomer President) stopped me in the hallway of Henry Hall and asked me to take over the program,” recalled Sr. Malia Wong, D.Min, Program Director for Chaminade’s BDK-Fujitani Interfaith Program. “He knew of my long involvement with the interfaith community in Hawaii and globally, but I felt I wasn’t ready to assume the position—especially moderating—and I deferred the position to Regina Pfeiffer.

In 2017, Cheryl Edelson, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Design, asked associate professor Pfeiffer, D.Min., to fill the role as the head of Religious Studies. “Thus, I formally became program director of the BDK-Fujitani Interfaith Program, finally fulfilling Bro. Bernie’s wishes,” Wong laughed.

Upon the suggestion of Manulani Meyer, a moderator would be appointed to ask the question to the panelists, who would then be given a chance to respond. Wong explained that this format took a lot more preparation on the back end, not being quite sure how to organize the program so that it flows.

“Thus, I designed it with La‘a as the host and at the helm asking questions, and allowing discussions to grow organically.” Wong said. “The last part of the program included networking and continuing the conversation on the lanai with vegan pupu. It was like being with family and friends with the ease of interaction among guests of the different faith traditions. This will be our new format going forward—open to adaptation and change, a Marianist characteristic of education.”

For someone who has never moderated a discussion, La‘a was grateful that he was chosen as the first student host, despite his initial fears and nervous shakes.

“If you don’t answer, you’ll never know your character,” said Gamiao of agreeing to be the discussion’s moderator. “I put myself out there and the fact that I said yes, I think, says a lot about my character.”

Viral Video

Chaminade alumna’s TikTok post viewed 15 million times

Even before the emergence of social media, Liz Rizzo was already documenting and sharing her life, snapping what are now largely known as selfies and keeping a diary for as long as she can remember. Then Facebook, Instagram and TikTok came along. The latter would help propel the Chaminade alumna to national and international stardom, attracting the media attention of multiple news stations across the country, 400 national and international newspapers, radio stations, “Inside Edition,” “Tamron Hall Show,“ “Good Morning America,” and even the U.K.’s “The Daily Mail.com.”

In a 49-second TikTok clip, Rizzo turned 82-year-old Carman Kelly’s life into a media sensation, taking her viral and being watched more than 15 million times. Due to health issues, Kelly has to use a cane—even when greeting shoppers at an Arizona Walmart.

Liz Rizzo’s TikTok post of Carmen Kelly has been watched 15 million times.

And that’s where the story begins.

“I saw Carman, and she just cracked my heart open,” recalled Rizzo, who graduated from Chaminade with an Associate Degree (’00), BA in Psychology (’10) and master’s in Criminal Justice (’14). “I see this elderly woman with a cane, leaning on a shopping cart, and working. I just turned my camera on. I didn’t even think about it. I felt it was divine intervention.”

Rizzo stayed true to her word, promising Kelly that she would make sure that her TikTok post would go viral. And it did. In the post, Rizzo pleaded with viewers to help Kelly by donating to a GoFundMe account she had set up for the 82 year old.

“We talked afterwards and I asked her, ‘Do you have to work here?’” said Rizzo, adding that she asked Kelly for permission to share the video beforehand. “We did her bills and it came up to about $10,000, so that’s what I put on GoFundMe.”

At 82, Kelly is one of many Americans who are 65 and older and likely have to pay higher medical costs out-of-pocket, according to a 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency. Another report from the Kaiser Family Foundation also estimates that about 41 percent of adults have some kind of medical or dental bill debt, showing Kelly’s situation isn’t unusual.

Liz Rizzo and her late service dog Buddy at a “Save Our Beach Park” rally in Kailua.

To date, over 9,000 donations, totaling more than $133,000, have poured into the online fundraiser for Kelly, who had only $50 in the bank when she first met Rizzo.

“I’ve been having a really hard time money wise, medical wise and I’ve fallen quite a few times over the past year, and so I had some big hospital bills from that,” Kelly told “Good Morning America.” “My Walmart money, it helped me pay for food and gas and other things.”

However, now that she’s about to receive a big windfall, Kelly said she “still can’t believe it’s happened.”

“I’m going to be able to pay off all my bills, get a new place to live, hopefully [an] assisted living place to just help me with life,” she said. “I can never ever, ever thank her enough for doing this. I mean, she was a total stranger to me and it’s like God sent her to me. And I really feel that way because she has been absolutely wonderful.”

For Rizzo, doing good and helping others was instilled in her by her late grandmother, who used to instruct her to remove any pebbles from the sidewalk so older people wouldn’t accidentally trip. Kind, generous and empathetic help describe the 68-year-old music publisher. But what defines her are her actions.

“I’ve always approached life like a buffet,” quipped Rizzo, whose late service dog, Buddy, used to accompany her to classes when she was enrolled in Chaminade’s master’s program. “I want to sample everything—and I have. I’ve never wanted to work at a same job for 40 years, take a cruise and then retire. There’s too much to do, and people to help.”

Brink of Enlightenment

Formation never really ends for a Marianist; it is a life-long process of spiritual renewal, personal growth and committed service.

Bro. Ed Brink, S.M.

Bro. Ed Brink sheds light on Marianist values

Inspired by author Rachel Carson’s seminal novel about the environment, “Silent Spring,” a young dewy-eyed Bro. Ed Brink sought to pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering Technology with hopes of being part of the solution to climate change. The caveat: He had to attend a Catholic college.

After researching Catholic universities in and around his home state of New York, Brink decided to step out of his zip code and visited the University of Dayton. Hesitant at first about living in the Midwest, Brink arrived on the College Park campus not yet fully committed to enroll. However, after reviewing the various majors offered at the school, the then-18-year-old teenager found an environmental program that suited his passion.

“Like a lot of people in the ’70s, I was influenced by Rachel Carson’s writings about the dangers to our environment,” recalls Brink, who pledged his first vows to the Society of Mary (Marianists) on Aug. 11, 1985. “I wanted to use technology to do good for the climate.”

Bro. Ed Brink discusses Marianist values with students at the Sullivan Family Library Lawn.

Soon, though, Brink found himself more interested in the acts of service, which is one of the pillars of a Marianist education. He no longer saw himself as a renegade “environmentalist” with a mission to save the planet. Instead, with the encouragement of his professor, Fr. James Heft, Brink thought deeply about committing to the religious life of a Marianist.

“I went to my first meeting and I got scared away,” says Brink, with a smile. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure this was going to be for me.”

Although ambivalent, Brink was still very much interested in the acts-of-service component of his education, prompting him to live in a Marianist community during his junior and senior years. The experience compelled him to start the Marianist Formation, a relatively lengthy, five-step process to help future Marianists determine whether it is the right path for them. 

The first phase, “Contact,” requires regular interaction with a Marianist priest or brother and a local Marianist community, which would provide the opportunity for live-in experiences, discernment groups and retreats.

“And then you do two years of novitiate, most of which takes place at Mount Saint John in Beavercreek, Ohio,” explains Brink, whose pursuit to understand the meaning of religious life led him to the Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning, a nearby retreat that welcomes people of all faiths to experience spiritual growth through its educational and ecumenical programs. 

“During the first year, the formation focuses on intellectual and spiritual growth,” Brink says, “and you take classes in the history and theology of religious life, and life as a Marianist in particular.”

During his second year as a novice, Brink participated in active ministry while also teaching classes. Once he completed his novitiate stage, Brink made his first vows and entered the “Temporary Professed” period, which can take three to six years.

“It’s a long and involved process to become a perpetually professed brother,” Brink says. “Formation never really ends for a Marianist; it is a life-long process of spiritual renewal, personal growth and committed service.”

Bro. Ed Brink returns to the classroom to teach CUH 100.

After completing his bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering Technology at the University of Dayton, where he also obtained his Ohio teaching certificate, he then attained his master’s in Private School Administration from the University of San Francisco. In 1985, he started full-time teaching at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, until 1989, when he switched to part-time teaching and worked in campus ministry the rest of the time. Brink was subsequently named director of Faculty and Staff Development and then principal from 1994 to 1998. 

 “I’ve spent more than 25 years in Dayton, longer than any one place I’ve lived in my life,” Brink says. “And now I’m entering my seventh year here in Hawai’i.”

Prior to his appointment as Chaminade’s Rector in 2016 and now also its Vice-President of Mission, Brink served as a regent for the university from 2007 to 2015. At the same time, he worked for the Society of Mary as the Assistant for Education for the Marianist Province of the U.S., overseeing the relationships between the Province and three Marianist universities: Chaminade University of Honolulu, University of Dayton and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. At the University of Dayton, he served as the director for the Center for Catholic Education and the school’s Lalanne Program director.

Brink was also a liaison between the Province and such sponsored schools as Saint Louis, planning and executing programs for teachers and administrators. In addition, he was a member of the Provincial Council and a board member for Saint Louis School.

The popular campus figure has now also returned to the classroom, teaching CUH 100, which provides an overview of the university. 

“I really like the interaction with students,” Brink says. “I received a call out of the blue the other day from a former UD student, whom I remember taking outside the chemistry lab and telling him he better button up and apply himself. He became a doctor and he wanted to tell me this, and that he has never forgotten the talk I gave him that day. Now seeing that kind of transformation is rewarding.” 

Words of Wisdom

Villanova scholar offers strategies during her ‘A Life Worth Loving’ lecture 

Two college students. Two different experiences. And one identical outcome: Brooke and Sophia (pseudonyms for two Villanova roommates) ended up, on separate occasions and during their same senior fall semester, in Dr. Anna Moreland’s office—in tears.

During her freshmen year, Brooke developed paralyzing anxiety about her future, which resulted in weekly therapy sessions. In her sophomore year, she decided to isolate herself, alienating her entire group of friends, and only talking to her boyfriend. The 18-year-old also chose to keep herself extremely busy, thinking that it would alleviate her angst.

“It didn’t work; it just made things worse,” read Moreland, sharing Brooke’s letter with attendees during her “A Life Worth Loving” lecture on Feb. 19. “It did help me fill my resume, and I thought it would help guarantee me a job. Now I’ve got what all my friends want: a well-paying job at a top bank. But, I wasn’t sure this is what I wanted. I felt backed in this career because it was something practical and prestigious.”

Dr. Anna Bonta Moreland received the Mackey Award for Catholic Thought.

In Sophia’s case, the then-freshman did not want to repeat what she felt in high school—burnout and competition. So, she decided that her college experience would be focused on what she wanted to learn, which was anthropology. However, in her senior year she had no idea on how she was going to go “from courses she loves to a life she loves and to a professional life that she actually wants to do,” according to Moreland, whose discussion centered around her third forthcoming book, “Daring to Live: A Guide to a Meaningful Life,” co-authored with former colleague Dr. Thomas Smith from Catholic University of America.

“This is a book that I almost randomly wrote,” Moreland recounted. “But I wrote it after 17 years of listening to my students and being concerned about them. I wanted to give them a wider vocabulary and a wider vision for a good life.”

Moreland offered three challenges that confront young adults in today’s world: the meaning of work; the meaning of leisure—which she quipped—they don’t even know how to spell; and loving relationships.

“Young men and women really suffer from choice paralysis,” Moreland said. “We need to help them move through this. We need to help them think more broadly, more ambitiously and more fully about the lives that they are building.”

During her lecture, Moreland asserted that Brooke and Sophia treated high school like a race with a clear end marker—college. They had won the race. And now that they were in college, they were again treating the experience like another marathon.

Lecture attendees listened to Moreland's "A Life Worth Loving."
Lecture attendees listened to Moreland’s “A Life Worth Loving.”

“But college is not a marathon,” Moreland said. “It’s a big confusing supermarket—think of Costco or Sam’s Club.

“Brooke races through the aisles, throws things in her cart, and races to the cashier,” Moreland added. “Sophia ends up being paralyzed in one of those overwhelming Costco aisles, unable to move or commit to the 84 rolls of toilet paper.”

They both suffer from choice paralysis. They’re both hungry, but they don’t know for what.

The Villanova Department of Humanities professor later spoke to Brooke and Sophia about four ingredients that would help them move through those aisles: 1) to rehabilitate their imagination; 2) to move away from pro-and-con lists and from right and wrong, and towards goods versus goods or rights versus rights; 3) to not think about what they’re good at, but to think about what they want to become good at; and, 4) to encourage them to seek companions.

The latter point is of great concern to Moreland, who said that young adults don’t know how to form long, loving relationships because of their fear of failure and rejection.

“The hook-up culture is not the problem,” Moreland said. “It’s actually the epidemic of loneliness.”

Dr. Moreland discusses the challenges that college students face today on campus.

It starts with technology, and being enslaved to our phones and, for some students, alcohol.

“Marry the two and it ends up being an exhausting social life and a toxic combination for leisure time,” Moreland explained. “How you spend your leisure time shapes you, molds you and changes you, just as much as how you spend your work time.”

Moreland believes we need to reclaim our free time, and redefine how we choose to spend that time.

“There’s an epidemic of loneliness on campuses across the country, and it is heartbreaking to me,” the religious scholar said. “And if they’re lonely, there’s no way to develop a great leisure life because friendship is at the heart of leisure practices. Loving is at the heart of human life, and friendship, loving relationships are at the heart of how we should spend our leisure time.”

In conclusion, Moreland ended with a hopeful story about a group of Villanova students who bonded through a shared passion for playing The Settlers of Catan and service.

Reciting a junior student’s letter aloud, Moreland read: During one night of heavy drinking, we all admitted to each other that we loved playing The Settlers of Catan with our friends and families growing up. We started jostling with each other about who could build the largest settlement.

By the end of the night, the group decided to start playing regularly, getting together once a week to play Catan, which eventually expanded to include other games.

“It was the first time in college that I had done any fun type of activity that was planned other than drinking,” the student wrote. “We became really close, and they’re still some of my best friends today. I actually met my boyfriend through Catan nights. This is my favorite memory of college.”