Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Nursing Seniors’ Virtual Celebration

With this year’s graduation ceremony postponed to December due to COVID-19, Chaminade faculty and staff have found new ways to celebrate and recognize graduating seniors.

On Saturday, May 9, for instance, the School of Nursing and Health Professions held a zoom celebration to honor the 65 students who were graduating this term.

Chaminade alumni attended a virtual event to gain insider tips for updating their space during stay-at-home orders

“We wanted to do something really special for them,” says Dr. Edna Monroe-Magpantay, professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions and the event host. “They are dedicating their entire careers to caring for others. They are the ones who are going to be on the frontlines of this pandemic, keeping our communities safe and healthy. They deserve to be recognized.”

The event was a much-needed release for the students after a long final week of virtual mock interviews, standardized testing and virtual NCLEX exam preparation. All of the graduates are certified nurse aides, and as soon as testing centers open in their respective states, they will be able to take the nursing licensure exam to earn their nursing certification.

The event began with a prayer and an opening message from Dr. Haley.

“We’re here to celebrate your accomplishments and we’re very proud of you,” began Dr. Haley. “You’re joining a worldwide professional family of nurses. We’re known for our compassion, our expertise and our trustworthy service to others. It’s a tough time to come into nursing and you couldn’t be needed more.”

Before reading the names of all of the graduates, the annual senior awards were announced to outstanding students. Upon those who received awards were Meghan Chilton, Micaela Mariano, Spencer Lee, Ofa-Helotu Koka, Vivianne Verceluz and Kaleiui Hosaka.

The inaugural DAISY Faculty Award, a recognition established by The DAISY Foundation to honor nursing faculty members for their commitment to and inspirational influence on their students, was presented to Dr. Jeremy Creekmore. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Student went to Spencer Lee.

At the end of the celebration, the graduates followed classmate Micaela Mariano in reciting the Nightingale Pledge. Created in honor of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, the Nightingale Pledge is a statement of ethics and principles taken by nurses in the United States.

“In full knowledge of the obligations I am undertaking,” repeated the graduates, “I promise to care for the sick with all the skill and understanding I possess, without regard to race, creed, color, politics, or social status, sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering and to promote health.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2020–we wish you the best of luck on your NCLEX exams and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. We look forward to officially celebrating you in December!

Mentorship Goes Beyond Graduation

Emma Chisholm never thought she’d be one to go to college. It was such a large initial investment and higher education comes with a lot of bells and whistles. For the public school graduate, it was hard to justify the cost.

Emma Chisholm graduating from Chaminade

So when she graduated from Chaminade University in 2019, thanks to the help of scholarships, it was a big moment. But it was also a scary moment.

“I had no idea who I was and what I actually wanted,” says Chisholm. “I knew what I enjoyed, but I didn’t know who I wanted to be.”

Like so many new graduates, Emma suddenly felt the whole world open up. “The truth is, the road is all over the place and you can go in any direction.”

Chisholm has always had a passion for writing. Upon graduating, the English major did a short stint teaching English online before taking on a few freelance writing jobs. And when she did, it was as though something clicked inside.

“When they decided to hire me, I was extremely happy,” describes Chisholm. “I was thrilled at the prospect of writing professionally. It would be a job where I could call myself a writer.”

Although she didn’t have a clear cut path after graduating, Chisholm took solace in the fact that she found strong mentors in her Chaminade professors.

She initially established a connection with Dr. Allison Paynter after taking one of her classes. She recognized a shared analytical mindset and a sense of enjoyment for reading. She shared the same mindset with other professors as well, but there was something about Dr. Paynter that kept her coming back.

Emma Chisholm

“She thought more about me,” says Chisholm. “It seemed as though there was a developing relationship between us where we could talk easily about our interests and build on that, but she also pays attention to me. She heard me, and she saw me.”

And the feeling was mutual. Dr. Paynter saw a talent in Chisholm that she was excited to help her explore.

“I had told her during the Honors Ceremony at graduation to stay in touch,” says Paynter. “And she was one of those students who actually took me at my word. For probably close to a year I would meet with her every few months.”

The two spoke frequently about Chisholm’s future goal and next steps, and Dr. Paynter’s guidance helped lead Chisholm to explore graduate schools.

“I had a friend at the time who had just gotten her Masters in Fine Arts in poetry,” says Dr. Paynter. “I wanted to share that with Emma to see if that was something that would interest her. We started looking at New York University publishing programs, and in the process Mills College in California started to appeal to her.”

It was partly the location that attracted her. “I don’t feel like I see myself in a state like New York,” says Chisholm. “I’m more in tune with the atmosphere in California. Ultimately, I’m looking for a place where I can establish myself with a career.”

Chisholm has since been accepted to both the MFA in creative writing program at Mills College and the MFA program at the University of San Francisco for this fall and is deciding between the two. She plans to continue freelance writing on the side while pursuing her degree.

Working on the Frontlines

It’s Monday, and Ann-Janin Bacani arrives at work around 8:15 a.m. She covers herself head to toe in personal protective equipment (PPE), and heads into the lab.

Ann-Janin Bacani '18

The Chaminade alumna checks each coronavirus testing swab that arrives—it’s essential to enter them into their database before proceeding. She ensures they each have proper approval from the state epidemiologist, and then she gets to work.

Each coronavirus test swab is analyzed for the virus through a lengthy process. First, the RNA is extracted from the virus. Then, it is converted to DNA. Finally, using a real-time, reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine, the DNA is copied and amplified to identify the presence of 2019-nCoV genes. If the genes are present, the test is considered positive.

Bacani is a microbiologist in the Biological Response Section of the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Laboratory and Preparedness Response Branch.

Initially, she worked with the Food and Drug Administration to test food samples for salmonella and listeria. But when COVID-19 hit in January, Bacani’s lab was the first in the state of Hawaii to be approved to analyze test results.

At first, it was nerve wracking. There was a lot of initial uncertainty and risks. So much about the disease was unknown. But the department was quick to react.

“I was fully trained by highly trained microbiologists in my section and we were provided with the proper PPE to work the virus,” says Bacani. “That put my mind at ease while working in the laboratory.”

Ann-Janin Bacani '18 and her co-workers showing their lunch their received from donors
(L-R) Ayana Garnet, Ann-Janin Bacani ’18 and Drew Kuwazaki receiving their free ‘thank you’ bentos from the Hawaii Government Employee Association

As part of the Biological Response Section, the Waipahu High School graduate is part of a team of epidemiologists, physicians, microbiologists and officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration tasked with providing rapid response to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks or any other public health emergency.

Their COVID testing lab serves all of Hawai‘i and many of the outer Pacific Islands as well. Bacani sees it as a chance to serve her community.

“It has always been my vision and goal to be able to give back to my community,” says Bacani. “From my early years at Chaminade University, I have wanted to provide and bring quality care to underserved populations.”

Bacani graduated from Chaminade University in 2018 as a biochemistry major with a minor in psychology.

She attributes a lot of what she does now to her time at Chaminade. It was through a Chaminade classmate that she initially found the position at the Department of Health—Alexis Young, another Chaminade alumna, is also a microbiologist at the department.

A graduate of Waipahu High School, Bacani was introduced to Chaminade University at a college fair field trip. Her dream was to become a pharmacist, so she chose Chaminade for the highly regarded STEM program. 

Her next four years were filled with leadership roles, clubs, research opportunities, premedical summer programs, travel to conferences and more. And while she didn’t always recognize it at the time, everything she learned was preparing her for her role today.

“Turns out, a lot of the things we all thought we wouldn’t need to know were things we later found to be very helpful,” she admits.

Perhaps her biggest lesson was understanding just how important it is to follow precise laboratory techniques and best practices—for a patient relying on a diagnosis, it can be life-changing.

“The human aspect of a clinical sample is more than just the volume in a tube,” says Bacani. “It’s the impact that the sample has that is important, which makes all of what I do as a microbiologist worthwhile.”

And the impact of what she does every day is not lost on her.

“Our job is so meaningful right now, as it is an essential task that allows people to know whether or not they have contracted the coronavirus,” explains Bacani. “It is so important to understand the precise laboratory techniques, tests and best medicinal approaches that allow for a patient’s life-changing diagnosis.”

While she has been honored to serve her community on the frontlines of this pandemic, Bacani’s ultimate goal is still to become a Doctor of Pharmacy. She’s humbled by the power drug interactions can have on a patient’s life, and wants to become a clinical or hospital pharmacist. She plans to start at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at University of Hawaii at Hilo in the fall.

From Soldier to Teacher

What do you do when a 20-year military career comes to an end?

For soon-to-be-retired soldier Kristopher Van Beveren ‘20, the answer is easy—you teach.

Kristopher Van Beveren '20 with his wife

For the first part of Van Beveren’s Army career, he served as a cavalry scout—the eyes and ears of the Army, gathering information on the enemy during battle. Over the course of his career he switched to corrections, working in the military prisons. But his real passion was always teaching.

When he first encountered Chaminade University at the on-base education center in 2005, he had just arrived at Schofield Barracks fresh off a deployment to Iraq. Van Beveren liked that Chaminade was a local school, and he could take classes on base in the evenings. With our presence on base, soldiers can take a combination of on-base and online classes to work toward a bachelor’s degree.

He enrolled as a secondary education major, but his time on-island was short-lived before deploying again to Iraq.

Fast forward to 2017. He returned to Hawai‘i, this time with a wife and young children to support. With his 20-year Army anniversary on the horizon and thoughts of retirement looming, he re-enrolled in Chaminade’s program.

He started again in the secondary education program, but soon he switched to a major in historical and political studies. He had his eye set on teaching high school—the time in his life when teachers were the most influential. Switching majors, he realized, would help him pass the single subject exam for social studies—or, depending on which state he and his family ended up in, would wipe out the extra requirement altogether.

Like most active-duty students, his time at Chaminade was a combination of online and on-base classes. In the beginning, he took classes on base in the evening. The timing provided the flexibility he needed to work full time, and it was easier for him to learn in person.

“I would recommend the evening classes to any of my fellow soldier counterparts,” says Van Beveren. “The professors are really accommodating because they have jobs as well. They don’t severely overload you, but they get enough in to make it challenging.”

Kristopher Van Beveren '20 with his children

Toward the end, evening classes became difficult while raising his family, so he switched to online classes.

“You definitely have to be more disciplined to get it all done online,” confesses Van Beveren. “But I’ve had a really good experience. If you’re self-motivated, online is a great avenue because you can do it all at your own pace. Sometimes the professors will post the whole course online upfront, so if you wanted, you could knock it out in three weeks instead of ten.”

It helped having supportive professors who were adept at teaching online. Dr. Mitch Yamasaki, a history professor, was one who particularly stood out. “I have to say that he is one of the best online professors I have had,” says Van Beveren, commenting on the amount of thought and detail that goes into Yamasaki’s lectures and study guides. “His courses are very thorough and very well put together. I have retained a lot of knowledge by the way the information is presented.”

It’s an emotional time for Van Beveren. He graduates next month, something he’s wanted for a long time.

“I put it off for years because of deployments and training and Army life,” he reminisces. “It was a challenge being a full-time student while having a full-time job, and a family with two young kids, but it was doable. And it feels great to be finishing.”

He’s also retiring from his 20-year Army career and getting ready to leave the island. And as if preparing to finish his degree and transitioning to civilian life wasn’t enough, there’s a global pandemic. One that sent his wife and children to their new home in Florida early, before the widespread lockdowns, and one that means he won’t be able to attend his newly rescheduled graduation ceremony in December. But he knows the move and the transition are the right thing to do.

“Twenty years is a long time,” says Van Beveren about his decision to retire. “But I’m still relatively young and my kids are still small right now. I’m excited to focus on them more.”

Not one to sit idle, Van Beveren already has his next step lined up. He starts a Master’s program at the University of North Florida the day his online classes end next month. He’s joining their Teacher Residency program, where he’ll work in the classroom at a high-needs school and earn his Master of Arts in Teaching at the same time.

He has his eye on the prize—not only will he have a new, rewarding career, but in a few years, he’ll have his summers off. His wife, also a teacher, will too. And for Van Beveren, the thing that matters most is getting to spend more time with his family and being there for his children.

Dr. Frederique Kandel Selected for Fellowship

Chaminade University Assistant Professor Frederique Kandel, PhD, has been selected for the 2020 Ronald M. Iwamoto Teaching Fellowship in Biology. Kandel is the first faculty member named to the program since its $50,000 endowment was established at the University in 2019.

Frederique Kandel

Kandel will hold the title of Iwamoto Fellow for two years. The endowment was established to honor Faculty Emeritus Ronald Iwamoto, biology faculty member at Chaminade University for 47 years. The Iwamoto Fellowship was aided by over 70 donors, many former students of Iwamoto. The funds from the Iwamoto Fellowship support professional development, including attendance at conferences, workshops, innovative curriculum development, or leadership in education training.

“Professor Emeritus Ron Iwamoto’s reputation as an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher remains much alive in our school,” said Kandel. “I am truly grateful and honored to receive this fellowship and look forward to starting the professional development program by attending the American Society of Microbiology conference for undergraduate educators. Mahalo nui loa to all involved.”

Applicants for the Iwamoto Fellowship must submit a strategic program of professional development with a defined set of goals for the two-year period. Many fellowships at universities across the United States are available for research activities, but it is rare to have a fellowship focused on the development of teaching and pedagogy.

Iwamoto Fellow candidates are nominated by the Dean of Natural Sciences at Chaminade University, and formally selected by a committee comprised of Chaminade University alumni, many of whom are healthcare professionals.

“Dr. Kandel is an extremely talented and dedicated biology professor who strives for excellence in her biology pedagogy and is very popular with our students,” said Gail Grabowsky PhD, Interim Dean of Natural Sciences at Chaminade University. “She strikes the perfect balance between empathy and compassion, and she teaches her students how to become accomplished and disciplined scientists. She was trained as a marine scientist but has such a broad breadth of scientific knowledge and experience that she is also currently the President-Elect of the Hawaii Branch of the American Society of Microbiology. Because of this fellowship Dr. Kandel will be able to do more and new wonderful things for our Chaminade biology students.”

Kandel has committed over 20 years to teaching biology, math, and science at the university and high school levels in diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts. She teaches a range of topics at Chaminade University, from freshman biotechnology to human anatomy for nurses to a senior microbiology course and laboratory for biology students.

Her strategic program of professional development as an Iwamoto Fellow will be to attend the 2020 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) in Bellevue, Washington and the 2021 ASM Teaching Undergraduate Biology webinar series. Both events aim to enhance the quality of microbiology education. Upon completion of the webinar, attendees are also invited to participate in sessions at the 2021 ASMCUE and to submit a poster or demonstration. This opportunity will give Kandel the chance to share the innovative teaching techniques and experiences generated during the previous year.

The Iwamoto Fellowship is the first-ever fellowship of any kind at Chaminade University.

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Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Virtual Hogan Entrepreneurial Graduation 2020

Over 50 students, parents, mentors and friends attended the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program graduation ceremony on April 29. Typically held on campus in the Mystical Rose Oratory, this year’s ceremony took place online via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of Chaminade students who have spent the past one to two years participating in the community service projects, academic coursework, mentorship activities, networking events and weekly lectures that are hosted by the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. Funded by the Hogan Family Foundation, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on community service. The program’s motto is “doing business things that make social sense and doing social things that make business sense.”

“As we do every April, we look to this celebration as a time to recognize the most important players in this program, and that’s you, our students,” said Dr. Webster. “You’ve heard me say before, our aim is simple: it’s to give you, some of Chaminade’s best students, the knowledge skills and motivation to start new things.”

The celebration began with a prayer from Brother Edward Brink, Chaminade’s rector and vice president for mission. Next, Dr. Lynn Babington, president of Chaminade University, welcomed all in attendance and offered well wishes for the graduates who were moving on to the next leg of their journey.

The ceremony continued by awarding students from each class year with the Outstanding Student Awards, including juniors Elijah Abramo and Yoshlinda Note, and seniors Isabella Tessitore and Natalie Burton. Charlie Clausner took home the Outstanding Graduate Student award, and Esther Patterson took home the overall Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Charlie Clausner was also one of two student speakers who shared spoken word poems they had written to inspire and uplift, joining fellow graduate Fabian Patterson.

Dr. Babington also had the pleasure of introducing the next director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, as Dr. John Webster will be retiring in June following 18 years of service to Chaminade University.

Dr. Roy Panzarella will begin his role as director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program on July 1, 2020. Dr. Panzarella most recently served as the vice president of operations at Alaka‘ina Foundation Family of Companies. He is the former general manager of Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates and retired from the Army as a Colonel after 33 years of service. He will be stepping down from his role as vice chair of the Board of Regents at Chaminade University to join the Hogan program.

“I’ve known Roy Panzarella for a number of years, and have long been convinced that he would provide the leadership that you would expect from the Hogan program,” said Dr. Webster. “He has the values and the heart to make you, and Chaminade, proud of your program.”

Congratulations to the 2020 Hogan Entrepreneurial Program graduates. As Dr. Babington said, “You are our future, and we have great hope and high expectations for all of you.”

The Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award:
Esther Patterson, Owner of Captured Imagery, Kapolei

The Outstanding Graduate Student Award:
Charlie Clausner, MBA, Springfield, Illinois

The Outstanding Senior Awards:

  • Natalie Burton, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Granada Hills, California
  • Isabella Tessitore, Business Administration, San Diego

The Outstanding Junior Awards:

  • Elijah Abramo, Accounting, Mililani
  • Yoshlinda Note, Accounting, Marshall Islands

The Aloha Spirit Awards:

  • Kylee Kaczmarek, Business Administration, Kapolei
  • Lekeleka Kiner-Falefa, Business Administration, Honolulu
  • Kayla Maher, Criminal Justice, Laguna Miguel, California
  • Musuai Pauulu, Environmental + Interior Design, Waianae

The Community Service Awards:

  • Tomoko Hotema, Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, Tokyo    
  • Lailane Tangonan, MBA graduate, Philippines

The In the Arena Award:
Ashley Maha’a, Criminal Justice, Kailua

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