Chaminade University of Honolulu

Education

Graduate Project a Win for Teacher’s Students

Texas teacher Yasmin Rodriguez, MEd ’25 wants her students to love reading as much as she does.

So when she was challenged to try her hand at grant writing for her EDUC 794: Culminating Experience course at Chaminade, she knew instantly what her appeal to the community would be: Funds to buy new and engaging books for her classroom that showcased multiculturalism.

Rodriguez submitted the grant request to DonorsChoose.org, a site that allows anyone to contribute to school projects and classroom needs, and within a few short days had met her goal of $1,000. From there, the fun part began. She got her students involved in choosing the titles on Amazon.

And before long, boxes of books started arriving at her classroom door.

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Rodriguez said her students were overjoyed to open the boxes and shelve the books, which included nonfiction and fiction titles. There were even some fun comic books in the mix.

Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., associate professor of Education, teaches EDUC 794 and said Rodriguez stood out for her commitment to service, justice and community building.

“While all students complete a professional development project, like a grant proposal, very few actually follow up and submit their grants for funding and she’s the first that I know whose grant was funded before the term was over!” Roseler said.

Rodriguez teaches fifth grade at a public school in San Antonio, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2016 from St. Mary’s University, Chaminade’s Marianist sister school in Texas, and subsequently jumped at the opportunity to pursue her Master’s of Education fully online at Chaminade.

Her concentration is instructional leadership, which Rodriguez says was a perfect fit. Through coursework and online class discussions, she said, she’s been able to better tailor her curriculum to the needs of her students. Rodriguez teaches a bilingual Spanish-English class so individualization is key.

“Several of our classes have focused on building differentiated modes for students to engage in their learning,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just little adjustments that make a big difference. And the Chaminade program was very good because it provided different ways to learn about our students. We were able to reflect on learning styles and teaching methodologies.”

Yasmin Rodriguez, MEd ’25 teaches fifth grade in San Antonio, Texas.

Rodriguez says she’s known she wanted to become a teacher since she was in the first grade.

“There’s nothing else I ever wanted to do,” she said.

Her advice to students interested in pursuing a career in education: Know the first few years in the classroom will be the toughest. “There’s so much you don’t learn in classes,” she said. “But every year, it gets a little easier. And I’ve learned to find the joy in the little things and the wins.”

Rodriguez also gets excited about watching her students grow and achieve their goals.

“I push them to do their best,” she said.

Her graduate studies at Chaminade have also helped her more quickly recognize the learning supports her students need. That was one of the reasons she wanted to refresh her classroom’s bookshelf. She said her students just weren’t getting excited about the outdated books she had.

Now independent reading time is something they look forward to.

“It was such a good way to refresh their brains and get lost in reading,” she said.

A Lesson on Making Math Fun—for Everyone

Teachers in training at Chaminade welcomed students from the Hawai’i School for the Deaf and the Blind to campus recently for a shared learning experience where everyone walked away with a greater appreciation of just how fun—and hands-on—math can be.

The middle and high school students were guests in ED323—Elementary Math Methods II, taught by Associate Professor Travis Mukina, Ph.D. During the lesson, Chaminade Education majors paired up with HSDB students to go through key math concepts.

Mukina said the opportunity is designed to spark curiosity and joy in learning.

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The HSDB students get a chance to visit a college campus and puzzle through mathematical problems. The Chaminade students, all preparing for their student teaching practicum experiences, learn valuable skills they’ll one day use in their own classrooms.

Mukina said ED323 focuses on “how to teach mathematics to all types of learners.”

The visit March 13 kicked off with a mental math warm-up exercise and then HSDB students jumped into an activity on measurement concepts.

“This was a great experience to practice communicating and being patient with others as they explained mathematical thinking,” Mukina said. “I teach mathematics using non-traditional methods, so it allows them to work through mathematical situations in a way that makes sense to them.”

It was the third time Mukina has invited HSDB students to his class.

Aubriana De Francia ’26 said that working with the HSDB students was a rewarding challenge as she sought to communicate effectively. “Even without spoken words, I was still able to connect with the students and have fun together,” she said.

De Francia added the experience “broadened my understanding of instruction by showing me the importance of using multiple teaching methods.

“In my future classroom, I want to ensure that every student has equal access to learning by incorporating different ways to communicate and engage with material.”

Mukina said he hopes his ED323 students walked away from the experience with a new appreciation for the importance of teaching in new ways.

“Most teachers teach math as all formulas and memorization, which is the absolute worst way to teach the subject,” he said.

“In all of my math courses, I spend a majority of time trying to change my students’ beliefs about how mathematics is best taught and best learned. My math classes promote conceptual understanding rather than procedural understanding.”

Silversword Sets High Bar for All Her Students

Sara Koide ’18, M.Ed. ’19 teaches kindergarten on the campus she also attended—Lihue’s Wilcox Elementary. Several of her former teachers are now colleagues.

And Koide says while many things haven’t changed since she was walking the halls as a student, one thing has: How inclusion classrooms are managed.

She should know. Koide is a co-teacher in her special education inclusion kindergarten class. The model is designed to help lift up all types of learners, building lessons that break up concepts and allow for extra help.

Koide says co-teaching isn’t for everyone, but she loves what she does—even on the toughest days.

Of the 18 students in her class, about half are in special education.

“I’ve worked with a co-teacher for three years now and in the past, the teaching load has been shared,” Koide said.

“But this year, it’s been different based on need. I’ll do primarily the bulk of the teaching and she’s there for that extra support, whether it’s pulling a child on the side or parallel teaching.”

Koide was born and raised on Kauaʻi. After graduating from Kauaʻi High School, she opted for Chaminade University because she didn’t want to get lost in a crowd. She was quickly grateful for the warm environment on campus, the opportunities for academic growth, and for how her professors stressed hands-on learning.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree and as she got started in the classroom, Koide also decided to advance her skills with a master’s degree in education from Chaminade.

“If I had to do it again, I would go to Chaminade,” she said. “I needed those opportunities.”

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In particular, Koide said, she appreciated the care that went into her student teaching experience. She recalls spending a significant amount of time in an actual elementary school classroom, building her confidence under the guidance of a teacher mentor.

Along the way, she also got vital feedback from her professors.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Koide returned to Kauaʻi and quickly got a job at Wilcox Elementary.

She was a little surprised, though, when she was assigned kindergarten. She had been planning to teach an older grade, but didn’t let the pivot discourage her.

“It’s about understanding that you’re in a different environment, but in the same vein, still pushing. You still want to succeed as best as you can,” she said.

In her second year at Wilcox, Koide got another surprise: She was assigned to teach a SPED inclusion class.

“It felt like another brand new year,” she said.

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But Koide approached the challenge like any other—she was determined to excel and ensure her students did the same. “Everyone’s different but that doesn’t mean you don’t set high expectations,” she said, adding that kindergarteners already come with all types of skills based on their previous school experience.

“You have to navigate how to reach all of them,” she said.

Koide has now been teaching for seven years and says it was only at the four- or five-year mark that she realized she’d found her rhythm. And after overcoming more than a few “bumps along the way” in sharpening her practice, it also dawned on Koide that she had found her passion in life.

“You look at these kids and you realize, they need this help and they’re growing,” she said.

Koide added that she is also grateful to the many mentors who have helped her along the way.

“Having that support system is important,” she said. “It’s somebody to be that ear when needed.”

Thought Leaders Talk AI, Tech Tools in Education

It was a day of learning, mentorship and inspiration.

Several Chaminade professors, staff members and administrators served as speakers at this year’s Conference for Catholic School Educators, held Jan. 31 at Sacred Hearts Academy.

Their presentations touched on everything from leveraging AI in the K-12 classroom to the unique identity and role of Catholic schools in the islands and nationally.

Tiffany Akiyama, an educational technologist at Chaminade’s Center for Teaching and Learning, focused her presentation on the power of combining curriculum development and technological tools to transform spaces for active student learning.

“I’ve had the incredible opportunity to help design and implement active learning spaces that are reshaping active learning at Chaminade,” said Akiyama, who delivered her talk with Dr. Scott Wylie, director of the Center for Education in Oceania at Chaminade.

They said redesigns focused on the importance of flexibility, collaboration and creativity.

“We took a fresh look at how students learn best and designed classrooms that adapt to them—not the other way around,” Akiyama said. Added Wylie: “Flexibility means students and faculty can move things around. Collaboration means fostering spaces where ideas can be built together. Creativity means giving students tools to express their thinking.”

Other Chaminade speakers at the conference included:

  • Dr. Katrina Roseler, associate professor of Education;
  • Dr. Denise Dugan, Education instructor
  • Dr. Allison Jerome, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students;
  • Andrew Ancheta, student engagement coordinator;
  • and Fr. Martin Solma, S.M., university chaplain and special assistant to the president.

Solma and Ancheta delivered a talk on Catholic education entitled “Those who Sow Generously, Reap Generously.”

They explored the ethos and identity of Catholic schooling, and spoke to educators on the importance of character development in young people.

In the AI talk, the Chaminade team underscored how AI-driven technologies are revolutionizing traditional teaching models and offered educators and stakeholders with practical and innovative strategies for integrating AI into today’s K-12 classrooms.

Collaboration, Mentorship at Doctoral ‘Bootcamp’

The gathering offered students a chance to meet for collaborative sessions

For doctoral students, dissertations can be the stuff of nightmares.

The culmination of years of research, the dissertation represents a doctoral student’s unique contribution to the academic community and the dissertation defense is oftentimes the final requirement of a doctoral degree program.

Put simply, it’s high stakes—and high stress.

But Chaminade Psychology Associate Professor Abby Halston says it doesn’t necessarily have to be, with the right mixture of planning, preparation and collaboration.

That’s why Halston and her colleagues organized a “dissertation bootcamp” over the summer for Chaminade’s Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology students.

The gathering offered cohort members—busy professionals who attend their doctoral courses online—a chance to meet in person for collaborative sessions and mentorship.

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During the bootcamp, Halston said, attendees covered everything from online resources available for robust literature reviews to what’s required to meet the regulatory oversights for including human subjects in a research study.

They even took a campus tour, learning about Chaminade’s history along the way.

Halston said the central message of the gathering was simple: You’ve got this.

“Dissertations represent a huge piece of anxiety in doctoral programs,” she said, noting that her goal is to prevent students from failing to progress beyond the ABD—or “all but dissertation”—stage, when they’ve completed coursework but not the final requirement.

“This can be where doctoral students traditionally fall behind or fall through the cracks, especially without the right support,” Halston said, noting that the program works hard to weave dissertation conversations, research and milestones into every course.

She added that the dissertation bootcamp also served another purpose: To ensure that doctoral students, many of whom live on the neighbor islands, feel connected to Chaminade and its mission, their professors and their fellow cohort members.

Some 19 students are in the Ed.D. in Educational Psychology cohort, and all but five were able to attend the bootcamp. Among them was Susan Shinkawa, who serves as a behavioral health specialist for the state Department of Education’s Leeward District.

She said a “commitment to lifelong learning” inspired her to pursue a doctoral degree.

“Earning an Ed.D. represents personal fulfillment and satisfaction for both myself and my parents,” Shinkawa said, adding that she chose Chaminade because of its strong reputation, mission and values— plus the flexible program schedule.

In her dissertation, Shinkawa hopes to explore whether testing students’ perception of safety in their school environment impacts their performance on state tests.

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She said the bootcamp covered just about every question she had about the dissertation process.

Her favorite part of the day, though?

“I most enjoyed the fellowship with my classmates and collaborative sessions with faculty,” she said.

Jasmin Chang, also a behavioral health specialist with the DOE, said her dissertation will focus on interventions for traumatic grief and whether a manual for providers would enhance their perceived competencies and skills.

“I have always been passionate about learning and self-growth so I wanted to take on this exciting challenge,” Chang said, when asked what spurred her to pursue a doctoral degree at Chaminade.

“I wanted to use my education to expand my impact on the DOE in terms of systemic change, and I wanted to use my newly learned knowledge to improve my practice and better help the students and families I work with.”

She said she walked away from the dissertation bootcamp feeling more at ease and confident with the process and her next steps in her academic career.

“My favorite part of the day was simply seeing my classmates and professors in person,” she added

Leadership Journey: A ‘Dream Come True’

This Chaminade graduate is excited to set the course for her alma mater, Sacred Hearts Academy

The new president of Sacred Hearts Academy is a familiar name there—and at Chaminade.

Brandy Ann Sato ’97, MAT ’02, Ph.D. has served in various roles at Sacred Hearts. She’s taught elementary to high school grades, held the vice principal position and became a board member in 2014.

Taking over the helm at the school, she said, is a “dream come true.”

“I’ve always had a special connection with the school,” she added.

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An all-girls private Catholic school, Sacred Hearts Academy’s enrollment stands at close to 500.

Sato notes that faculty members mentor their students to become strong women.

In Sacred Heart’s boardroom, the words “Where Girls Who Aspire Become Women Who Inspire” stretch across the wall. Sitting in the boardroom on a recent day, Sato says that motto “says it all.”

After serving in previous roles with Sacred Hearts Academy, Dr. Brandy Sato is now the president of the private, all-girls school.
After serving in previous roles with Sacred Hearts Academy, Dr. Brandy Sato is now the president of the private, all-girls school.

A Lancer alumni, Sato describes her peers of the Class of 1994 as “high achieving,” adding that some of her friends attended Harvard, Notre Dame and Georgetown universities.

She chose instead to stay home and attend Chaminade University—the only Catholic Marianist university in Hawaii.

Graduating first with her bachelor’s in History and Political Science, Sato then attained her Master’s of Art in Teaching with a concentration in Secondary Education. She later earned her Doctorate in Education at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

“If Chaminade had its doctor of education then, I would have stayed,” Sato said. “The experience at Chaminade taught me the importance of building lifelong relationships and service to the community.”

Sato said she understands that leading a private Catholic high school in Hawaii holds particular significance because of the unique cultural and religious diversity of the islands. She says balancing Catholic traditions and values with inclusivity and contemporary perspectives is key.

“Hawai’i’s population is notably diverse, with strong roots in Native Hawaiian traditions, Asian cultures, and Pacific Islander values,” Sato said. “A Catholic high school can build bridges by emphasizing universal values like respect, compassion and service, which resonate across different cultures.”

A focus on enrollment is among Sato’s top priorities.

“We provide an exceptional education,” Sato said. “We’re modernizing our education through technology, and we continue to develop a strong STEM curriculum.”

Aside from being “book smart,” Sacred Hearts students also have the opportunity to participate and serve in the community, as well as participate in various sports and a vibrant performing arts program.

Students also have the chance to opt into Chaminade’s Early College Program, allowing them to earn an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts without ever officially stepping into a classroom on campus.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to learn in a college setting,” Sato said. “It’s certainly a beneficial partnership, and I believe we can further strengthen the EC Program.”

One of the intangibles that Sato likes to point out is Sacred Hearts faculty seek to make learning fun. “When the students can feel and see that joy, it makes it that much easier to teach them,” she said.