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Spring Commencement to Feature 2 Ceremonies

Chaminade University will hold its 67th annual Spring Commencement on May 3 at the Waikiki Shell.

This year, two ceremonies are planned—one for undergraduates and a second for master’s and doctoral students so families have more time to celebrate with their graduating loved ones.

The ceremony for graduates will begin at 10 a.m. and feature speaker Keiki-Pua Dancil, Ph.D., senior vice president of government affairs and strategic planning at Pulama Lana‘i and chair of the Chaminade Board of Regents. At Pulama Lana‘i, Dancil directs the efforts of the Community Development team and is also responsible for fostering relationships with government agencies, businesses and the permitting and entitlements process.

John Leong, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Pono Pacific Land Management and co-founder and CEO of nonprofit Kupu, will be the featured speaker for undergraduate students. That ceremony is set to kick off at 3 p.m.

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Pono Pacific is Hawai’i’s only comprehensive, private natural resource management company, providing conservation, sustainable energy and agriculture services. Meanwhile, Kupu seeks to develop the next generation of environmental stewards in the islands.

Madison M. Makishima ’25 will serve as the student speaker for the undergraduate ceremony. She is graduating with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. The student speaker at the graduate ceremony is Kelly Dolan-Sapp, Ed.D ’25, an experienced educational researcher and advocate.

Organizers said 320 Class of 2025 graduates are expected at the undergraduate ceremony while 250 are expected at the graduate ceremony. Because there are two ceremonies, each graduating student is allowed to bring up to 15 ticketed guests.

Lei giving will happen after the ceremony at Kapiolani Regional Park. The ceremonies will also be streamed live online.

Graduates and prospective attendees are asked to prepare for traffic in the area and to plan ahead for transportation and parking options. For the latest on the events, click here.

Newest Hall of Fame Inductees Honored

South Sudanese-Australian basketball player Kuany Kuany ’17, who competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and longtime Silversword athletics supporters Judith and William Garrett are the newest inductees in Chaminade’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

The three were honored at the University’s Silversword Gala on March 29.

Kuany, who played guard for Chaminade, is one of the most decorated players in school history. After leaving Chaminade, he played professionally in Australia and Europe and now serves as captain of the South Sudan National Team, which he took to the Olympic Games last year.

At the Paris Games, South Sudan nearly upset Team USA in a friendly game.

Under his leadership, the South Sudan National Team has also competed in the AfroBasket tournament and the FIBA World Cup, engendering a great sense of pride in the war-torn country.

At the Silversword Gala, Chaminade Director of Athletics Tom Buning said Kuany is not only inspirational, he is a team player who understands the value of hard work and collaboration. He noted that Kuany ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in scoring and rebounding.

“For those who observed him from campus, Kuany was known for his citizenship, academic prowess, and quiet ability to speak loudly through his actions,” Buning said, adding “Kuany has followed the Marianist tradition of building community in his professional life. He has used his Chaminade education and an MBA from Victory University to make a positive difference.”

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The Garretts, who share a lifelong passion for college basketball, have been enthusiastic supporters of Chaminade’s basketball team since 2011. Their commitment to the program extends beyond the court, including as annual attendees of the Maui Invitational.

They are also members of the Chaminade Fund Society, a group of the University’s strongest supporters of unrestricted giving.

William “Bill” Garrett, who has served on Chaminade’s Board of Governors since 2018, retired as city manager of the Southern California communities of Corona and El Cajon.

A U.S. Army veteran, Garrett received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, a master’s of science in urban planning from the University of Arizona and a master’s in public administration from California State University, Fullerton.

Judith “Judy” Garrett worked for more than 30 years as a grants administrator, city planner, business district manager, fundraiser, and government consultant.

She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Washington and a master’s in city and regional planning from the University of Arizona.

In retirement, she has served on the boards of several nonprofit and live theatre organizations and, for almost five years, was the volunteer administrator of a western art museum in El Cajon.

Buning said the Garretts’ generous donations have made multiple capital projects possible.

“Together, they serve to make a difference for our student-athletes and benefit every program, every day,” he said. “With grateful hearts and a servant mindset, Bill and Judy are following the Marianist tradition of helping make … a positive difference in the lives of student-athletes.”

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.”

MBA Alumnus Sees Community Service as Essential

As vice chair and chief operating officer at Central Pacific Bank, David Morimoto, MBA ’97 keeps a breakneck schedule, overseeing banking at 27 branches along with CPB’s business and commercial banking, commercial real estate and wealth management lines of business.

But no matter how busy Morimoto gets, he still makes time to give back.

It’s a “good habit” he says was instilled in him growing up in the islands and working hard to make an impact.

“I think Hawai’i is more philanthropic than most states. Part of that comes from our upbringing and the spirit of aloha,” he said.

“Giving to those who are less fortunate—I hope that is what my two daughters see in me. “

Morimoto started at Central Pacific Bank in 1991, and has served across the company. Before being promoted to chief operating officer in March, Morimoto was senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of Central Pacific Financial Corp. and Central Pacific Bank.

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In the community, Morimoto has long been active with Aloha United Way and homeless services nonprofit Institute for Human Services (IHS).

At IHS, he is the nonprofit’s board chair—a role that he says has afforded him the opportunity to better understand the complexity of Hawai’i’s homeless crisis. “Homelessness is a large and growing problem,” he said. “It’s about helping as many people as you can to improve their situation.”

Also in a volunteer capacity, Morimoto serves with the U.S.-Japan Council, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening U.S.-Japan relations. Morimoto said as a yonsei, or fourth-generation Japanese-American, the council’s mission of education and relationship-building has resonated with him.

Chaminade’s mission of service also struck a chord with Morimoto while he pursued his MBA.

Central Pacific Bank Chief Operating Officer David Morimoto volunteers at homeless service nonprofit Institute for Human Services.

He attended classes at night to attain his MBA—as online learning wasn’t an option at the time. Morimoto recalled that many of his fellow students were professionals or members of the military and he appreciated learning about their unique perspectives to business and the community.

“I enjoyed the diversity,” he said.

It’s one of the reasons that when he has a chance to talk to younger people, especially college students, he encourages them to get outside of their comfort zones and seek out opportunities that will challenge them—and help them to grow.

“Work ethic has also been a lot of what I think has led to my success,” he added. “I waited tables in college and carried that work ethic into the day job. It served me well.”

Silverswords in CA Reconnect at Alumni Meet-ups

Silverswords in the Golden State came together earlier this month to reconnect and reminisce about their time at Chaminade, from playing sports to the joys of life in the residence halls.

With the help of alumni, Chaminade organized two gatherings in California—one in Huntington Beach and the second in San Jose. The last alumni get-together in Southern California was in 2017, while alumni in Northern California last met up in 2016.

Attendees said the reconnect was long overdue.

“My Chaminade experience was amazing and gathering with fellow silversword alumni feels like home,” said Ryan Ashton ’02, who majored in Historical and Political Studies and is now vice president of philanthropy at Aquarium of the Pacific.

“It’s also great to learn about everyone’s journey beyond graduation. I’m always inspired by my fellow alumni.”

Ashton said the Southern California get-together gave him an opportunity to share stories—and hear some—all while reminiscing about Chaminade. “I loved the small school aspect and the Catholic tradition,” he said. “It was the best decision I made for my college career and really helped me discover my purpose and the impact I wanted to make.”

He added that his time at Chaminade also helped him develop a passion for the ocean, which guided him in his career and to current role at Southern California’s largest aquarium.

Jodi-Anne Yoshida, MBA ’23, director of Alumni Relations, said the Southern California meet-up was held at Wahoo’s Fish Taco in Huntington Beach. Alumni and guests shared a taco bar and lots of conversation. Tom ’73 and Barbara ’76 Orbe were the group’s hosts.

Meanwhile, Sam Kong Kee, MBA ’10 helped plan the gathering in San Jose at Noelani’s Island Grill, where attendees enjoyed a buffet of island favorites. Yoshida said alumni at the gathering ranged from a psychologist who serves in private practice to a scientist at a biotech company.

That scientist is Chelsea Saito Reis ’12, who majored in Biology at Chaminade.

She was overjoyed to attend the Northern California gathering and share her professional journey with fellow alumni.

“The opportunities I received at CUH through biomedical research internships helped me pursue and obtain my Ph.D. in biomedical science,” she said. “I credit my experience at Chaminade for helping me achieve my goals.”

Reis grew up on O’ahu’s North Shore and chose Chaminade so she could remain in the islands.

“Ultimately, I was drawn to Chaminade for the warm aloha the faculty, staff and students made me feel once you step foot on campus,” Reis said.

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“I would recommend Chaminade to others for the many opportunities each program has to offer to help you gain experience to achieve your career goals. I always felt extremely supported by the faculty and staff with coursework and was amazed by all the academic resources available.”

She added, “I will forever be proud to be part of the alumni community.”

Yoshida said both get-togethers underscored the importance of returning again soon.

“The California alumni gatherings were a beautiful reminder of the deep connections that unite our Chaminade family,” Yoshida said. “Seeing alumni make the time and effort to come together, reconnect, and celebrate their shared experiences was inspiring.”

She added, “As the director of Alumni Relations, I am in awe of the true spirit of Chaminade—the love for our school, the cherished memories, and the lifelong friendships that continue to grow and thrive, no matter where we are in the world.”

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Chaminade Doctoral Student Publishes Book

Bridget Duncan, DMFT ’26 didn’t expect to be a published author before she even graduated with her doctoral degree. But the licensed marriage and family therapist, who manages a private practice, also doesn’t believe in letting a good idea gather dust.

That’s how a conversation with a doctoral program advisor at Chaminade turned into a book, published in January on Amazon. Duncan’s book’s title says it all: “Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink: Your Roadmap to Healthy, Balanced Relationships.”

“I talk about relationships and attachment theory. What are the red flags? And why do we ignore them?” Duncan said, adding the book was written for everyone—from people struggling in relationships to professionals looking for ways to help clients.

Bridget Duncan, DMFT ’26 (in black) poses on campus with School of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dean Dale Fryxell, Ph.D., DMFT Program Director Blendine P. Hawkins, Ph.D., LMFT (right), and Emily Kahumoku-Fessler, Ph.D., LMFTS (left), associate director of the DMFT program.

Duncan said the snappy title of the book came first.

She recalls chatting with Dr. Emily Kahumoku-Fessler, LMFTS, associate director of Chaminade’s Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy program, and mentioning just how frustrated she was about clients “dyeing those red flags pink” in their relationships.

Duncan recalls Kahumoku-Fessler telling her that would make a great book title.

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“She planted that seed,” Duncan said, adding the professors in the DMFT program followed up by encouraging her to take the leap into writing. “The idea really resonated with me and I thought, ‘Why not?’” Duncan recalled, speaking from her home office.

After the book was published, Duncan got another exciting opportunity.

She was invited to deliver a presentation on red flags in inter-partner violence at the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma Hawai’i conference in April. Duncan said she’ll have copies of her book on-hand and looks forward to underscoring her message.

Duncan said she was able to complete her book, even with her rigorous doctoral studies, by setting a goal of writing at least 30 minutes a day. She found that once she got started, she often wrote more than that—and also made important connections to her doctoral studies.

Her dissertation, which she also hopes to publish as a book, is focused on the “potent” impacts of social media on symptoms of anxiety and depression among middle-aged adults. She said studies have previously focused on younger social media followers.

Duncan enrolled in Chaminade’s DMFT after researching programs across the country.

She said the degree at Chaminade had the supportive atmosphere she was looking for—and the flexibility she needed as a full-time therapist. “The entire faculty has been amazing and they’re the best in the field. We’re learning from the cream of the crop,” she said. “If you’re looking for a program that is going to support and challenge you, this is the one for you.”

And as for being an author, Duncan says it’s a milestone she never imagined she’d achieve.

“But everybody can do what I did,” she said. “You’ve just got to reach for it.”