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Secondary Education Student Wins MLA Student Essay Contest

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Jennifer Nguyen '22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen
Jennifer Nguyen ’22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Jennifer cited his work multiple times in her essay.

Jennifer Nguyen ’22 calls herself a “history fanatic.”

She’s an online undergraduate student studying Secondary Education at Chaminade and hopes to one day teach history. So when her English professor, Dr. Brooke Carlson, assigned her class an argumentative essay designed to be something of a self-exploration she knew instantly what she would write about.

She took on nothing less than the Vietnam War, a topic that has haunted her since childhood.

“I find many reasons to be proud of my American heritage,” Nguyen said, in a recent interview. “On the other side, I find myself drawn to the stories, the struggle, and the memory of a war that has affected not only my family but all those who were lost, displaced, resettled, disturbed.”

Her essay explores the problematic way in which Americans collectively remember the war, offering a powerful alternative for recalling a bloody and protracted conflict that Nguyen said is meant to reflect her “love for the American value of expression and a love for cultural identity.”

Her powerful perspective didn’t just impress her professor.

It also garnered a national award: Out of hundreds of submissions from around the country, “The Vietnam War, the American War: Literature, Film, and Popular Memory” was selected as a winner in the MLA (Modern Language Association) Student Paper Contest. A committee of judges said Nguyen’s essay not only had a clear thesis and excellent sources, but the topic and her argument were “compelling.”

In winning the award, Nguyen’s essay will also be published on the MLA Style Center, a hub geared toward students from high school to graduate school that’s meant to demonstrate how to correctly use MLA style – and, of course, write a good essay.

Nguyen said the essay was a “passion project” that was made possible thanks to her partnership with Carlson. Nguyen said her professor suggested she submit the essay to the MLA and then helped her cut the word count and offered other suggestions for tweaks.

“Without him, I would not have even known or considered submitting my work to the MLA contest,” Nguyen said, adding that “This essay really was a joy to research and write. I hope to continue on this path and produce more work that sheds light on important issues.”

2019 Hawaii Catholic Teacher of the Year

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Ernest Mendoza notoriously puts his students first.

In his 27-year tenure for St. Anthony School in Maui, one of our sister Marianist institutions, he has impacted the lives of countless students. Whether it’s staying late to help a student on an assignment, inspiring students to find their faith in God or coming in on a weekend to fix things around campus, his legacy runs deep.

He was a natural choice for this year’s Teacher of the Year award, presented by Chaminade University and Hawaii Catholic Schools.

Ernest Mendoza accepting his check for Hawaii Catholic Schools teacher of the year

“When we looked at Mr. Mendoza’s commitment to his students and service to his school, and the incredible testimonials we received from his students, alumni and colleagues, it was clear he deserved this award,” says Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Chaminade University and member of the selection committee. “Mr. Mendoza exemplifies everything that this award stands for—a celebration of the effect teachers have on the lives of their students.”

Mendoza received the $1,000 award, made possible by the generous support of John and Mary Lou Brogan, at the annual Hawaii Catholic Schools Recognition Luncheon on May 22.

Our own Dr. Helen Turner, dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and vice president of innovation at Chaminade University, was the event’s keynote speaker. She addressed the audience about innovation in Catholic schools.

A sincere thank you to Hawaii Catholic Schools for making these accolades possible. We look forward to our continued collaboration and partnership.

Chaminade Grad Named Teacher of the Year

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Mathieu Williams '14
Dr. Dale Fryxell (Dean, School of Education & Behavioral Sciences) and Mathieu Williams ’14 (2019 Hawaii Teacher of the Year)

Congratulations to Mathieu Williams ‘14 for being named the 2019 Hawaii Teacher of the Year. Williams is a visual media and technology teacher at Kealakehe Intermediate School in Kona who challenges his students to look inward and discover the individual they want to become.

“Media is such a great platform, but it’s all about building a brand,” says Williams. “I help my students understand that they all have their own brand and I ask them, ‘what are you going to be known for? Do you want to be known for kindness? Respect? Being dependable?’”

Williams started his teaching journey as a member of Teach for America right out of university. He didn’t know he wanted to be a teacher right away, but he fell in love with all that his students had to offer. He learns from them every day and loves helping his students see the world in a different light. “The moment we stop learning it’s a scary thing because we get complacent,” says Williams. “It’s not about teaching kids facts or subject matter, it’s about teaching kids how to learn and how to empathize and understand people and places.”

“Knowing that the future sits in front of you each and every day and that you have the ability to shape that future is a large responsibility,” says Williams. “I feel completely humbled by it.”

Mathieu graduated from the Chaminade Master of Education program with a specialization in educational leadership in 2014. “We are incredibly proud of Mathieu for achieving such a high honor,” says Dale Fryxell, dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Chaminade. “This is a fantastic accomplishment and a well-deserved award.”

Education: The Teachers of Tomorrow

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Seven Chaminade University staff and faculty last month joined over 700 members from across Micronesia for the three-day Micronesian Teacher Education Conference in Chuuk State, in the Federated States of Micronesia.

They helped train other teachers by presenting on a range of topics, including how to embed culturally responsive teaching into the classroom, engage exceptional students with effective strategies, teach vocabulary using word games and more.

Chaminade offers a distance-learning Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in Oceania in Chuuk State, so several of the conference attendees were Chaminade graduates who have become teachers in Micronesia.

“Engaging with our colleagues from different parts of the Pacific is a physical demonstration of our mission to develop partnerships with our Island neighbors,” says Katrina Roseler, Associate Professor in the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences who taught a session on adaptation and natural selection, and another on engineering for disaster. “We’re all in this together. I still have so much to learn and share with teachers all over the world.”

Chaminade Brings Lesson Into the Classroom for Teachers to Shine

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Melodie Tafao lives the saying “busy as a bee.”

She just earned her Master in Education (MEd) in Instructional Leadership from Chaminade University and also received the university’s prestigious “Outstanding Graduate” award. Her newly earned degree strengthens her role as a third grade teacher at St. Anthony School on Maui, where she’s been teaching for the past 11 years.

Melodie TafaoEducating her students while receiving her own education isn’t the only feat Tafao’s been tackling the past several years. She’s a wife to her husband, Mosi Tafao, and mother to Melia, 8, and Mosiah, 6. She also has a second career as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, currently serving as commander for the 305th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Honolulu.

“It was definitely a challenge juggling all of my obligations and commitments,” she says. “It took me five years to complete this degree, and I am very blessed to have a supportive husband, family and friends that were willing to help when I needed time to study or have sessions with my instructors on Maui.”

Chaminade made undertaking a graduate degree while continuing her careers and family commitments a reality for Tafao. Her education was made possible through the Gift of Marianist Education. She says that although she was initially reluctant to enroll in the program because her son was only one at the time, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“Chaminade University’s teaching program has helped me grow as a teacher,” she says. “The program and courses have taught me techniques, strategies and methods that help me to be an effective teacher. I’ve also learned some personal lessons throughout the program, like how to be more organized and prioritize and manage my time efficiently.”

Melodie Tafao

Being based on Maui could have been a potential barrier to some seeking to further their education. But the program grouped other teachers from St. Anthony School into the same cohort. Together, the teachers learned big concepts in a small setting.

“One thing that stood out about the program was working with a small cohort of members from the same school community,” Tafao says. “Because of this closeness, I feel it made the program memorable and allowed me to gain a tremendous amount of insight while learning from instructors and fellow colleagues.”

Tafao says she really appreciated that the program allowed students to concurrently teach in their own classrooms, which made the assignments, discussions and research projects more practical.

“It wasn’t just another classroom environment where I read from education books and journals, had discussions and took exams,” she says. “It allowed me to apply what I learned, what was discussed and what I researched immediately with my students, my classroom and my school community.”

Tafao says she recommends this program to any teacher looking to strengthen their pedagogy.

“This type of cohort had a reasonable amount of online work and on-ground, face-to-face time with our instructors on Maui,” she says. “The courses were applicable in the classroom and taught me skills and techniques to be an effective teacher.”

Reflecting back on the entire experience, it was mostly positive. But as with life, there were obstacles and the hardest one was when her father passed away in May 2017 after battling cancer for three years. Tafao was taking her second to last course at the time and although it was difficult for her to stay focused while grieving his loss, she knew it’s what he would have wanted.

“I miss him dearly and wish he had been there to physically watch me receive this honor,” she says. “But I know he would have been proud.”

As Tafao continues teaching her students and serving in the military, she may not be done with her career goals yet.

“My most recent instructor, Dr. Hans Chun, mentioned a doctoral program,” Tafao said. “While I would like some time off, furthering my education and teaching skills through a state certification program and possibly a doctoral program may be in the future for me.”

The Master of Education program offers concentrations in Educational Leadership, which prepares candidates for administrative positions with an emphasis on K-12 schools; Instructional Leadership,which provides advanced knowledge of classroom practices for teachers and other educators not currently aspiring to become administrators; and Child Development, which offers advanced study of developmental theory, research and application.

Learning Never Stops

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Ken Kakesako’s professional life was a bit different years back when he was deputy director of Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture. Then, he spent his days at hearings and briefings advocating for agriculture issues. Now, the 36-year-old brings science alive to middle schoolers and is involved with after-school activities that enrich the educational experience.

When the desire to become a teacher hit Kakesako, Chaminade University made it easy for him to continue working while pursing his Master of Education. The program was appealing because he was able to continue to support his family by day and chip away at coursework in the evening.

In his first three years as a teacher at Stevenson Middle School, he’s been instilling his love of science in his students and founded the after-school wrestling club. He obtained a R.E.A.C.H. grant from the Lt. Governor’s office for $5,000 to fund wrestling and robotics and secured $30,000 for next year to go toward all clubs, including volleyball, ukulele and art.

MEd Ken KakesakoHe also worked with McKinley High School students to create ROOTS (Responsible Open-Minded Operations Through Science) at Stevenson and started a science Olympiad team. And if that wasn’t even to fill his plate, Kakesako also helped Chaminade with its accreditation process in by giving a student perspective as someone who had completed the program.

Colleagues and mentors were quick to recognize Kakesako’s enthusiasm and impact he has on his students. He was recently surprised during a weekly staff meeting with news that he was the recipient of the prestigious 2018 Milken Teacher of Promise Award. HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union sponsors the annual award, which recognizes teachers who excel early in their careers.

“It was a great surprise during the meeting,” he says. “I’m grateful to those that made it possible, I’ve had great teachers and mentors supporting me.”

Kakesako’s mentor and fellow science teacher, Julie Segawa, nominated him for the award and she has a history of mentoring teachers that stand out from the crowd. She mentored another Chaminade graduate, Ryan Kagami, who received the 2014 Milken Teacher of Promise Award.

When Kakesako reminisces about his time spent at Chaminade, mentorship sticks out in his mind. “The best part of my experience was the interaction with professors,” he says. “My mentor, Sheri Fitzgerald, helped me gain knowledge and insight while I was student-teaching.”

Path to finding his passion

Like many, Kakesako’s path to his where he stands today included many twists and turns. After graduating from ‘Iolani School, Kakesako left Hawaii and earned his bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University.

He then spent just over five years working in Japan. First, he taught English to middle school students and then he was a recruiter for an investment banking company. When it came time to start a family, Kakesako knew he wanted his children to grow up around family and share similar experiences he had growing up in the islands. So it was time to come home.

Back in Hawaii, he worked for the state. He was a legislative administrator and budget analyst for Senator Russell Kokubun and then became the DOA’s legislative coordinator and deputy director.

But returning to teaching kept tugging at him. And when he looked at his options, he choose Chaminade because of the program’s flexibility and emphasize on learning in and out of the classroom. Now, Kakesako uses lessons he learned at Chaminade – like taking concepts taught in class out in the world to make them relevant to students.

Ken Kakesako, MEd“I love it when my students make connections between things they’ve learned to their own lives,” he says. “We recently had a lesson about the super blood moon and many of them went home and shared the information with their parents and were super jazzed when they watched it. Their excitement gives me energy.”

Kakesako brings a myriad of skills to room 208 at Stevenson through the various hats he’s worn. He uses his past experiences in sales to “sell” his lessons to students, knowledge gained from working in government to secure funding for his classroom and after-school clubs and he uses strategies learned at Chaminade to make learning relevant and exciting to his students.

And in the end, it’s those lessons learned in his life that leave the biggest mark.

“I want my students to become educated citizens and exercise critical thinking,” he says. “I teach them to be deeper thinkers and that learning never stops. I’m preparing them for jobs that don’t even exist yet and hope that I am setting them up for a lifetime of learning.”

The Master of Education program offers concentrations in Educational Leadership, which prepares candidates for administrative positions with an emphasis on K-12 schools; Instructional Leadership,which provides advanced knowledge of classroom practices for teachers and other educators not currently aspiring to become administrators; and Child Development, which offers advanced study of developmental theory, research and application.