Chaminade University of Honolulu

Early College

Opening Doors to Early College

After registering for a day of college experiences at Chaminade University, twin brothers Lawrence and Andrew Robello sat patiently as other high school students trickled into Ching Hall for the third annual Early College Summit. The brothers say they felt genuinely welcomed by Chaminade. Seniors at St. Louis School, they are among the 92 high school students currently enrolled in the program’s fall 2025 term which culminated with the Summit on December 11th. 

“I like how the people are really welcoming here,” Lawrence says. “The college students don’t isolate us because we’re in high school but they welcome us in. If you also need help, the counselors, Ms. Kim (Baxter), Noe (Tugaoen), are there for support.” 

In addition to St. Louis School, students from Sacred Hearts Academy and Kapa’a High School attended the Summit that included interactive workshops and opportunities to connect with other students, Chaminade faculty, and Chaminade academic support programs. Students also engaged with peer mentors and participated in sessions on leadership, time management, and college selection, and were introduced to professors for their spring courses.

Students were impressed with tours of the dormitories, visits to the nursing labs and seeing the high-tech manikin (full-body patient simulator). A visit to the “Crime Scene” house with Professor Carlos Gutierrez of the school’s Forensic Sciences program was also a hit. Also on the day’s agenda: Discussions with Chaminade student-athletes on their athletic programs. Students also had the opportunity to speak with Chaminade admissions and the counseling center. 

“I love this program because it gets me ahead of the game and it opens doors for me, ” says Carlee Lomabita of Sacred Hearts Academy.

Chaminade University’s Early College Program allows high school students to earn college credit, as well as be eligible for high school credit. The program provides a college education to a diverse group of Hawai’i high school students, in line with the University’s mission to prepare leaders for tomorrow, ready to make impactful contributions to their communities and professions. 

Studies show that Early College students are better prepared for full-time college entry, college life and expectations. Students also tend to exhibit higher grade point averages, retention rates and graduation rates.

For more information on how to enroll in the Early College program at Chaminade, visit https://chaminade.edu/earlycollege/

    • Leadership, Goal Setting Stressed in ‘College Camp’

    High school students from across the state gathered at Chaminade in July for a week-long camp designed to give them a taste for the college experience and inspire them to pursue big goals.

    Chaminade partnered with YMCA for the College & Career Camp program, which included students in grades 9 to 11 and stressed leadership and the importance of building workforce-ready skills. The program is geared toward underserved teens.

    Janet T. Davidson, Ph.D., vice provost for Academic Affairs, said the camp “represents a mission-aligned partnership that inspires future college students, increases confidence, solidifies hope, and engenders incredible growth and self-efficacy in the span of a week.”

    • She added, “This is the type of work that benefits our larger community for generations to come.”

    The camp included 50 students. They got the opportunity to stay in Chaminade’s Hale Pohaku residence hall, participated in a community service project, set personal goals and toured campus.

    Jon Cho, YMCA senior program executive director, stressed the camp is geared toward students who may not have the resources to pursue college without assistance. He noted the camp also included critical tutorials on the admissions and financial aid process.

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    Plus, students met with professionals in the fields they’re interested in and worked with Chaminade mentors.

    “Students discover more about themselves, experience independent living in a college environment, and gain a better understanding of what they need to accomplish in high school to attend college or enter the workforce,” Cho said.

    Davidson said the experience is ultimately about demystifying higher education and helping students feel like they belong on a college campus. “This equips students with both the knowledge and confidence to pursue continued education,” she added.

    Mom and Daughter Graduate on Same Day

    Leila Morinaga and her daughter, Maelia Thomas, share a lot.

    They both believe in hard work and they both have a passion for business and finance.

    And at Chaminade’s Commencement on May 3, they both got to share the stage—accepting their respective degrees on the same memorable day. Morinaga graduated with her MBA and Thomas accepted her associate’s degree, earned through Chaminade’s Early College partnership with Sacred Hearts Academy.

    She was among 17 Sacred Hearts students who completed their associate’s degrees this Spring—and part of the first cohort to achieve the milestone.

    Maelia, 17 and a senior at Sacred Hearts, said her mother inspires her every day with her example.

    For Morinaga, the feeling is mutual. She decided to go back to school and get her MBA after watching her daughter juggle the dual obligations of high school and college work.

    “I’m just so glad that I get to share this special moment with her,” Morinaga said, before the Commencement ceremonies on May 3.

    Added Maelia, “I’m really happy that I get to graduate with my mom. What really kept me going with this program was seeing my mom every night working on homework, staying up late. Seeing how she can do all this and still manage to get a master’s.”

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    Morinaga is chief operating officer at KÉCO CAPITAL, an investment firm. She opted for Chaminade’s Professional MBA given her years of experience, and said she knew she’d made the right decision after meeting her fellow cohort members and professors.

    “Everyone I’ve met in the program has been amazing,” she said. “They bring all kinds of strengths.”

    She said networking was a weekly opportunity with her fellow students, executives from a diversity of fields. “Pharmacy, medical, tourism. It’s been very interesting to hear and see the way everyone works while we’re all trying to achieve the same goal,” Morinaga said.

    Maelia said she decided to pursue the Early College program at Chaminade because of its cost-effectiveness, allowing her to graduate from high school with two years of college under her belt.

    At Chaminade, she also found professors who challenged her to delve into ethics and social justice—topics that she believes will offer a strong foundation in her business career.

    For now, though, her focus is on taking a moment to celebrate.

    Her graduation party later in May will also mark another special occasion: Her 18th birthday.

    Early College: High Schoolers Get A Head Start

    With Chaminade’s Early College program, students earn college credit while still in high school.

    Sacred Hearts Academy junior Alana Travelstead wants to become an emergency room physician—and knows getting there will be a challenge academically. That’s why she jumped at the chance to take courses at Chaminade as part of the University’s innovative Early College program.

    “This experience is preparing me for the real world,” she said, during a tour of Chaminade’s campus recently. “Getting started early on this college path can only help me. … I can do it.”

    As part of a partnership, Sacred Heart students can earn an associate’s degree in liberal arts at Chaminade—technically, without ever stepping foot into a campus classroom. Students are exposed to college-level curricula and complete the necessary coursework to earn their degrees.

    Interested in learning more about the Early College program? Click here.

    While they take those classes at Sacred Hearts, 18 academy students were invited to Chaminade earlier this month to tour the campus and meet with faculty, staff and administrators. The students are members of the second cohort at Sacred Hearts to participate in the program.

    The dual enrollment program is also offered to students at other private and public high schools.

    The Early College program at Chaminade helps students save time and money, can boost their confidence, and can even help them determine what they want to pursue after high school.

    “Students take Early College courses to get a taste of college, to see what college courses are like,” said Kim Baxter, Chaminade’s Early College director. “Others take the courses to see if college is even something they want to pursue.”

    Mosi Manupele, 17, is grateful for the Early College program. “Not many students have this type of opportunity, which is advantageous to me,” she said. “I think earning college credit while still finishing high school will give me the advantage when I finally do attend university.”

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    Both Manupele and Travelstead say they’re confident that they made the right decision by participating in the dual credit program.

    “I just want the college experience,” said Manapule, who dropped her elective dance class so she could have more time in study hall to concentrate on her History 101 and CUH 100 classes at Chaminade.

    “I just can’t wait for the day when I do finally graduate from university.”

    College Bound

    Kapaa High Seniors Earn High School Diplomas and College Credits through Chaminade University’s Early College Partnership

    Kapaa High School seniors who participated in Chaminade University’s Early College Program received their high school diplomas after also earning college credits from Chaminade University and being admitted to four-year higher education institutions.

    Sixteen Kapaa High seniors enrolled in Chaminade’s Early College Program will graduate on Friday, May 24. The students will attend various higher education learning institutions, including Brown University, Columbia University, UCLA, Chaminade University, Adelphi University, BYU-Hawaii, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Kauai Community College, Lane Community College (Oregon), St. Ambrose University and Willamette University.

    Chaminade and Kapaa High began the Early College program partnership in 2021. The program aims to provide high school students with exposure to higher education and the opportunity to jump start earning their college degrees. The students earn 25 college credits while juniors and seniors in high school.  

    “This program is really a part of Chaminade’s service-oriented mission, which is to make higher education accessible to all Hawaii students,” says Janet Davidson, Ph.D., Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. 

    Research shows that early college programs show strong and lasting evidence of effectiveness for all students. It promotes both postsecondary access and success. The data is undeniable that students who participate in such programs will be ahead of their peers and graduate from a four-year university either debt-free or with very little federal student loan debt. The latest data further supports the claim that students who participate in these programs are better prepared to transfer to a four-year university than students who attend the university without prior college experience. 

    The Kapaa High School 2024 Commencement will take place on Friday, May 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.

  • Kapaa High School Commencement Ceremony marked a milestone for 160 students who participated In Chaminade's Early Career Program.
  • Kapaa High School Commencement Ceremony marked a milestone for 160 students who participated In Chaminade's Early Career Program.
  • Kapaa High School Commencement Ceremony marked a milestone for 160 students who participated In Chaminade's Early Career Program.
  • Dr. Janet Davidson presents a Kapaa High School senior with a special ribbon.
  • Kapaa High School Commencement Ceremony marked a milestone for 160 students who participated In Chaminade's Early Career Program.
  • Chaminade faculty members attended Kapaa High School's Ceremony.

    • Early College Exposure

    High school students earn college credit

    For the past two years, Kapaa High School seniors, Tatum Harper and Taeani Largusa, have taken several synchronous online courses with Chaminade University professors, earning college credit while simultaneously fulfilling their high school requirements. The hours of studying and discipline paid off. Learning she just got into Columbia University, Harper was ecstatic.

    “It’s my dream school,” said Harper, during Chaminade’s inaugural Early College Summit, which was attended by a mix of 70 students from Kapaa High School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Saint Louis. “Participating in this program has really prepared me for college.”

    Largusa echoed the same sentiment, adding that she expects to hear from Syracuse University soon. “When I took the virtual campus tour I fell in love with it,” says the first generation, soon- to-be-college student. “This program has given me confidence in knowing that I can handle the demand of college courses.”

    Early college programs can provide several benefits, including the opportunity for students to accelerate their education, which can lead to the completion of college degrees at an earlier age. There’s also the perk of cost savings, reducing tuition costs for future higher education.

    Sacred Hearts Academy counselors Ashley Luke and Sharlene Chock both agreed that Chaminade’s early college program will help students become familiar with the expectations and rigor of college-level coursework, easing their transition to full-time college later on.

    Students circled the room to fill out their bingo-like cards.
    Students circled the room to fill out their bingo-like cards.
    Saint Louis and Kapaa High School students mingled during the Early College Summit.
    Saint Louis and Kapaa High School students mingled during the Early College Summit.
    Sacred Hearts Academy students played a bingo-like game, with the first one to fill all 25 boxes with the right answers winning the grand prize.
    Sacred Hearts Academy students played a bingo-like game, with the first one to fill all 25 boxes with the right answers winning the grand prize.
    Chaminade’s Early College Director, Kim Baxter, addressed the students at the T.C. Ching Conference Center in Eiben Hall before they set off to visit other campus locations.
    Chaminade’s Early College Director, Kim Baxter, addressed the students at the T.C. Ching Conference Center in Eiben Hall before they set off to visit other campus locations.
    Sacred Hearts Academy juniors completed their first semester of college courses.
    Sacred Hearts Academy juniors completed their first semester of college courses.

    “Some struggled initially with the transition because of the extra studies involved in taking college-level courses,” said Luke, who counsels 10th and 11th graders. “Even our top students were stretched because they didn’t understand process versus perfection, which they’re used to achieving in high school.”

    With this first cohort of 17 Lancers, Chock believes the college exposure will help them navigate the waters of post-secondary education. “They have already been individually challenged,” said the 12th grade counselor. “I think the experience shows them that college is attainable.”

    Saint Louis School students Landon Dimaya, Cash Acorda and Kevin Simmons will begin their college courses next semester. The three Crusaders cited different reasons for participating in the program. Dimaya is a fraternal twin whose sister Lindsey is already a Sacred Hearts Academy participant. “I want to reduce the financial burden on my parents,” he said. “It would be really expensive to have to pay tuition for me and my sister at the same time.”

    “I want to get ahead,” offered Acorda, who plans to apply to Stanford, with Simmons further noting that the experience would look good on his application.

    Research demonstrates that early college programs show strong and lasting evidence of effectiveness for all students. It promotes both post-secondary access and success. The data is undeniable that students who participate in such programs will be ahead of their peers and graduate from a four-year university either debt-free or with very little federal student loan debt. The latest data further supports the claim that students who participate in these programs are better prepared to transfer to a four-year university than students who attend the university without prior college experience. 

    Moreover, encouraging students to attend college improves individuals’ earnings over a career, increases the amount of taxes the government collects, and reduces government spending on federal assistance programs. 

    “This program is such a great opportunity for these high school students to earn dual credits,” said Kim Baxter, Chaminade’s Early College Director. “And it gives them that real college experience.”