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Entrepreneurial Program Celebrates 22 Years

The entrepreneurial leadership incubator is unique in the islands

“Doing things that make social sense and doing social things that make business sense.”

That mantra, the foundation of Chaminade’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, was emphasized by Hogan Director Roy Panzarella in his opening remarks to attendees at the 22nd annual Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Kick-Off Celebration on October 16.

“This annual kick-off allows us to recognize current and former Hogan students,” Panzarella said.

“Our students become leaders and changemakers who care about social justice and who are committed to making a difference. We want them to become better versions of themselves.”

Isabella “Bella” Hughes, co-founder of Shaka Tea and other popular brands, echoed the sentiment in her keynote address at the event. “The world is made up of human connections,” Hughes said at the celebration, which was held on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn.

Isabella Hughes, co-founder of Shaka Tea and other popular brands, spoke at the Hogan event.


“It’s vital to build social capital and to choose kindness, which is fundamentally how I live both my personal and business lives.”

Since its launch in 2002, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program has sought to prepare students to become transformational leaders, driving change with empathy and compassion. The program is designed to be an incubator and catalyst for community development and job creation.

In her speech, Hughes said entrepreneurship requires relentless work. She added that her journey has included failed companies and a lot of rejection.

“But I persisted because I told myself that I was going to win,” she said.

Chaminade President Lynn Babington called the Hogan program “wonderful and unique” in Hawai’i.

“We link our students through coursework, internships and connections with business people,” she said. “Our students are from all majors. They learn the skills of being an entrepreneur and have the opportunity to work with some very successful start-ups here in Hawai’i.”

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Babington added that she’s proud to say that two decades of Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program alumni have made significant contributions to their communities.

“They’ve started small businesses and launched larger companies, too,” she said.

In addition to economic benefits, the Hogan program seeks to address pressing social issues, incorporating social entrepreneurship into its curriculum. The program also encourages its students to develop solutions to problems like poverty, healthcare and environmental sustainability.

Gary Hogan, CEO of Hogan Hospitality Group, addressed attendees at the celebration event.
Aliikamanaekahi “Alii” Napoleon, second from right, received a $2,500 scholarship from Alaka‘ina Foundation. The check was presented to Napoleon by former Chaminade Athletics Director and Alaka‘ina Foundation board member, Bill Villa, far left. Bella Hughes, Gary Hogan, Dr. Lynn Babington and Dr. Roy Panzarella joined them on stage.
Aliikamanaekahi “Alii” Napoleon, second from right, received a $2,500 scholarship from Alaka‘ina Foundation.

By integrating entrepreneurial education with service and ethical leadership, students are challenged to leverage their passions and skills to make a meaningful impact.

Supported by the Hogan Family Foundation, Chaminade’s Hogan entrepreneurship program has sought to strengthen its partnerships over the years with Hawai’i businesses.

“Under great leadership comes great success,” said Gary Hogan, CEO of Hogan Hospitality Group. “Lynn and Roy are two great leaders who have a vision to build a resilient community.”

Embedded in the Hogan program is the Suzie Martin & Vaughn Vasconcellos Leadership Institute.

Vaughn Vasconcellos, a former Chaminade Board of Regents chair and current member of the Board of Governors, is also the co-founder of Alaka’ina Foundation, a nonprofit Native Hawaiian organization with a mission to build and promote leadership and educational initiatives for the youth of Hawai‘i.

The goal of the foundation is to develop a new generation of leaders.

Representing Vasconcellos at the Hogan event, former Chaminade Athletics Director and Alaka‘ina Foundation board member Bill Villa presented Aliikamanaekahi “Alii” Napoleon with a $2,500 scholarship, awarded to a Native Hawaiian first-year or transfer student for his or her first year of study at Chaminade.

Scholar: Catholic Bioethics Must Evolve

Dr. Therese Lysaught is an influential voice in Catholic healthcare

Dr. Therese Lysaught, professor at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Care Leadership at Loyola University Chicago, argues Catholic bioethics must embrace the fullness of the Catholic social tradition and pay more attention to ethical dimensions of healing that are relevant to people’s lives.

Addressing attendees at the latest Marianist Lecture, which was held Oct. 13 at the Mystical Rose Oratory, Lysaught also said a broadened Catholic bioethics has the ability to play a critical role in society.

In an introduction before the lecture, Chaminade’s Dr. Dustyn Ragasa applauded Lysaught’s encyclopedic knowledge of Catholic bioethics and the healthcare system while also praising her for a “big heart and unwavering compassion and commitment” to help patients.

Dr. Dustyn Ragasa praised Dr. Therese Lysault for her unwavering commitment to help the poor and ill.
Dr. Dustyn Ragasa praised Dr. Therese Lysault for her unwavering commitment to help the poor and ill.

“In her work, she holds theology, medicine, ethics and bioethics in profound dialogue,” said Ragasa, director of the Pastoral Theology master’s degree program.

“She’s addressed such issues as the anointing of the sick, gene therapy, genetics, human embryonic cell research, end of life, neuroscience, global health, bioethics and social justice.”

In her lecture, titled “Catholic Bioethics: Catholic Social Tradition and Human Flourishing,” Lysaught detailed three different healthcare scenarios: One involved a Guatemalan man with kidney failure, the second was an elderly Black suffering from end-stage congestive heart failure, and the third involved an 8-year-old gunshot victim.

“Open up any textbook or journal on Catholic bioethics and you will find no mention of such scenarios or of a myriad of similar issues,” Lysault said. “They don’t count as topics for Catholic bioethical analysis.”

Yet they need to be, she said.

Lysault added Catholic bioethics must incorporate a broader analysis of poverty, race and ethnicity.

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She also argued that the Catholic social tradition could help expand and re-orient Catholic bioethics around a foundation of caring for the sick and approaching the moral dimensions of health and medicine.

Lysault asserted the COVID pandemic exposed many bioethical questions like: How should few effective treatments, such as ventilators, be allocated to patients? How should scarce protective equipment be allocated among frontline healthcare workers? Could patients’ advance directives be overridden?

Dr. Therese Lysault was presented with a lei after Dr. Dustyn Ragasa introduced her to the audience.
Dr. Therese Lysault was presented with a lei from Emmalee Bugado after Dr. Dustyn Ragasa introduced her to attendees.

According to Lysault, there was nothing in the literature of Catholic bioethics to address these questions.

And four years later, she added, while secular bioethics has begun to attend to these questions, you’ll still find almost nothing in the Catholic bioethics literature about these issues.

Tackling questions such as these “will require the theoretical and practical tools of social analysis in the Catholic social tradition,” she concluded.

In her address, Lysaught also touched on a 2022 study in which researchers interviewed 10 kupuna from rural Hawaii communities about their experiences with healthcare barriers. When asked what advice they had for providers about how to improve healthcare for Native Hawaiians, the elders did not list the standard bioethical principles or any of the principles of Catholic bioethics, Lysault said.

“Rather, they appreciated providers who, to quote, ‘took the time to talk story and to get to know them as people and community members,’” Lysault said.

“They appreciated providers who shared information about themselves.”

At the end of her lecture, Lysault was presented with the Mackey Award for Catholic Thought, which honors scholarly, community and faith leaders whose body of work advances the spirit and educational mission of the Society of Mary and the Marianist Family.

Presenting her with an ‘umeke, Chaminade Student Engagement Coordinator Andrew Ancheta told Lysault the significance of the koa bowl in Hawaiian culture and remarked, “Today, you filled it with spiritual and intellectual food.”

Silverswords Gather for Aloha ‘Āina Event

The day included community service projects, hands-on activities and educational workshops

Chaminade students along with members of the faculty and staff gathered on Indigenous Peoples Day for a special Aloha ‘Āina Kalaepōhaku event to celebrate the Hawaiian value of mālama ʻāina with community service projects, hands-on activities, and educational workshops and lectures.

As part of the daylong event on campus, supported by a grant from Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu, participants planted native flora and weeded community gardens on Chaminade’s campus. A group of students also ventured to Cromwell’s Beach to conduct invasive limu removal.

“Today is a wonderful day for Chaminade University of Honolulu to celebrate the place, Kalaepōhaku, where we reside and to give back and celebrate our ʻāina,” said University President Lynn Babington. “So we come together as a community of mostly students, but faculty and staff, too, to protect the ʻāina, celebrate it, work in our community garden and also work with our native plants.”

Later in the day, students also got hands-on demonstrations in hula, lei making and more.

“Our Marianist mission and values of the University really focus on community,” said Babington, who assisted in clearing the community garden and putting in native plants. “Anytime we have the opportunity to gather people together to celebrate our place here in Hawai’i, we take advantage of that.”

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Kahoali’i Keahi-Wood, cultural engagement specialist and director of Environmental Studies at Chaminade, said the event was an opportunity to “give back to our ʻāina.” “We all have such busy lives,” he said. “It gives us a free day on our holiday to actually go back out into our communities, to think about people other than just us, extend our reach and give back to our community.”

Other workshops at the event explored Pacific pattern making, traditional fishing techniques and Hawaiian herbal medicinal practices. Indigenous scholar Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer also spoke at the event about the intersection of indigenous knowledge and sustainability.

Chaminade Hosts Seattle Reunion

The event drew a diversity of attendees, from recent grads to professionals

Nikki Carrido MBA ’09 says attending Chaminade’s first reunion held in the Pacific Northwest was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. She’d never met any of the other alumni in attendance, but immediately felt a special bond with her fellow Silverswords, she said.

“My biggest takeaway was the realization that Chaminade has such a strong and supportive alumni network,” Carrido said. “It was inspiring to see how successful and engaged our fellow graduates are, and how much we all value the education and experiences we received at Chaminade.”

The reunion in Seattle was held Sept. 26, and Chaminade President Lynn Babington was in attendance.

Alumni who came out ranged from recent graduates to experienced professionals.

Barbara Jeanne “BJ” Whitman ’74, MBA ’79 was initially afraid she would feel out of place at the event, held at Ivar’s Salmon House on Lake Union. “I thought they were going to be all these young alumni,” she said, with a chuckle. “But there was actually someone else who was a year older.”

Months in the planning, the Seattle reunion was organized by Chaminade Director of Alumni Relations Jodi-Anne Yoshida MBA ’23 and Director of Development Heidi Bow. They had modest expectations for the event, saying they hadn’t anticipated the appetite for a Silversword reunion in the Pacific Northwest.

The purpose of the gathering was to foster relationships, share university updates, and offer a networking opportunity, said Bow, adding that the event exceeded their expectations.

During the course of the evening, attendees introduced themselves and shared their favorite Chaminade memories. Meanwhile, Babington updated alumni on new initiatives at the University.

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She described the event as a success, noting the impressive diversity of the group—with class years from 1973 to 2009 in attendance.

Carrido thought the reunion was a “fantastic networking opportunity.” She even met a potential sponsorship connection for her nonprofit, all from a simple conversation.

“It truly showed me the power of the Chaminade community,” Carrido said.

Whitman and Carrido hope that another reunion will be organized in the future, a sentiment echoed by Rev. Kizzie Elizabeth Jones ’90. She said the event sparked an important memory for her from her time at Chaminade, when she learned in her classes about the impacts of inequality in society.

“It was a huge ‘aha’ moment for me as I realized it was my education at Chaminade that fueled my commitment to work for change,” Jones said. “I was in awe as I listened to each alumni as he or she shared where and how they were now serving in society.”

  • Nicole "Nikki" Carrido '19 MBA posed with Chaminade Vice President of Advancement Jilll Higashi.
    Nicole “Nikki” Carrido ’19 MBA posed with Chaminade Vice President of Advancement Jilll Higashi.
  • Sabrina Sullivan '19 was thrilled that Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D, was able to attend the Seattle Reunion on Sept. 26.
    Sabrina Sullivan ’19 was thrilled that Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D, was able to attend the Seattle Reunion on Sept. 26.
  • Kizzie Jones '90 updated alumni on her achievements and new projects.
    Kizzie Jones ’90 updated alumni on her achievements and new projects.
  • Jacqueline Cano '15 addressed fellow alumni during a gathering at Iver's Salmon House on Lake Union.
    Jacqueline Cano ’15 addressed fellow alumni during a gathering at Iver’s Salmon House on Lake Union.
  • Alumni and guests, including, from left, John "Jack" Culmer '73, Sue Bumgartner and BJ Whitman, '74 '79 MBA, shared stories and memories during the Seattle Reunion.
    Alumni and guests, including, from left, John “Jack” Culmer ’73, Sue Bumgartner and BJ Whitman, ’74 ’79, shared stories and memories during the Seattle Reunion.
  • Kizzie Jones '90 is flanked by Chaminade Director of Development Heidi Bow, left, and Advancement Vice President Jill Higashi.
    Kizzie Jones ’90 is flanked by Chaminade Director of Development Heidi Bow, left, and Advancement Vice President Jill Higashi.
  • Fourteen alumni showed their true Silversword blue when they attended a Seattle Reunion on Sept. 26 at Ivar's Salmon House on Lake Union.
    Fourteen alumni showed their true Silversword blue when they attended a Seattle Reunion on Sept. 26 at Ivar’s Salmon House on Lake Union.

Nursing Students Offer Preventive Care

The Parish Health Program allows students to apply what they’ve learned

Every Sunday, a group of Chaminade nursing students gather at a Honolulu church to educate parishioners on the importance of health and nutrition. Established two years ago, the University’s Parish Health Program has provided access to healthcare screenings to thousands of churchgoers.

And earlier this month, the program expanded to a third parish: St. Anthony Kalihi.

At St. John the Baptist Church, which also participates in the program, Father Jaroslaw Z. Skrzypek said offering the one-on-one preventive health outreach has proven a support system to parishioners.

“It fosters a sense of community and shared values around health and well-being” said Skrzypek.

Likening the parish program outreach to clinical rotations—but at a church instead of a hospital—Associate Professor and Parish Health Coordinator Sandy Bourgette-Henry said students benefit from the real-world, hands-on experience and making connections with community members.

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“The best way to reach the community is to go where they gather,” Bourgette-Henry said.

“In this case, we go to the various parishes.”

Katrina “Nina” Jackson ’25 said giving her time, care and attention to parishioners has allowed her to sharpen her skills and also has proven personally rewarding. “This gives us an opportunity to get out into the community and see what residents’ needs are,” she said. “I think this program is important because it allows us to educate people about such health topics as nutrition, CPR and physical activity.”

A grant from the Marianist Sponsorship Ministries Foundation grant helped launch the innovative program in 2022, funding health promotional items like pedometers, blood pressure monitors, cuffs and gift cards for local farmers markets as incentives to maintain healthy habits.

Kaiser Permanente, through the Catholic Care Coalition, has also contributed to the program’s success.

Students enrolled in NUR 401 are charged with offering services through the Parish Health Program. Along the way, they also learn about public health theory, health promotion, and relationship-building.

In addition to aligning with Chaminade’s service-focused mission, the program also supports the University’s efforts to promote UN Sustainable Development Goals, including a focus on wellbeing.

When the Parish Health Program is at St. John the Baptist Church on Sundays, students screen about 600 parishioners across three Masses.

NUR 401 Public Health students visit St. John the Baptist Church in Kalihi as part of Chaminade's Parish Health Program. Pictured are, from left, standing, Victoria Ayala, Nina Jackson, James Kightlinger, Kaulana Navares and Jasmin Clayton.
NUR 401 Public Health students visit St. John the Baptist Church in Kalihi as part of Chaminade’s Parish Health Program. Pictured are, from left, standing, Victoria Ayala, Nina Jackson, James Kightlinger, Kaulana Navares and Jasmin Clayton.

They take blood pressure readings, offer nutritional recommendations, and discuss diabetes management and cardiac care.

Last semester, they even screened for food insecurity among parishioners at Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Kalihi. Bourgette-Henry said students distributed 150 food vouchers on one particular Sunday.

“We were trying to determine if food insecurity is correlated with high blood pressure,” Bourgette-Henry said. “I know that the American Heart Association wants to do this again in the future, and so do we.”

A former cardiac nurse with 30 years of experience, Bourgette-Henry noted that heart disease is the leading cause of death in Hawaii. She said the old model of healthcare waits for patients to present with symptoms. The new one, aligned with the Parish Health Program, “focuses on prevention.”

“The students are really eager to teach parishioners how to take care of themselves,” Bourgette-Henry added. “All participating students find this program fulfilling and beneficial to their future as nurses.”

Peer Mentors Offer Listening Ear

Mentors help peers with stress management, school-life balance and more

In addition to comprehensive individual, crisis and group counseling for students, Chaminade has also trained a cadre of peer mentors as part of an innovative program aimed at offering another layer of support to Silverswords who may feel uneasy seeking help or don’t need intensive services.

Earlier this year, five Silversword juniors—now all seniors—went through 16 hours of rigorous QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training, learning the signs and warnings of what to look for in their classmates as part of their preparation for Chaminade’s Peer Mentorship Program.

Director of Counseling Services Leilani Harness says a Marianist grant helped start the mentorship program in Fall 2023, and she was able to add five paid peer-mentor positions this semester.

Brit Hall, second from left, is doing an internship with the Counseling Center for her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology. She is surround by Peer Counselors, from left, Claire Heffernan, Mya Dawkins, Annie Kramer, Megan Nakamura and Micah Sanders.
Brit Hall, second from left, is doing an internship with the Counseling Center for her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree. She is surrounded by Peer Counselors, from left, Claire Heffernan, Mya Dawkins, Annie Kramer, Megan Nakamura and Micah Sanders.

Harness adds she has always valued peer-to-peer mentorship and jumped at the chance to start the initiative.

As NASPA-certified peer educators in the Counseling Center, Annie Kramer ’25, Micah Sanders ’25, Megan Nakamura ’25, Mya Dawkins ’25 and Claire Heffernan ’25 have helped their fellow Silverswords struggling academically, emotionally or mentally. Some of those they’ve helped are worried about grades, while others are concerned about personal relationships.

(Historically, NASPA stood for National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. However, the organization updated the name of the association to NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.)

According to Kramer and Sanders, students many times want more information about school-work-life balance, followed by stress management and coping skills.

“We saw between 10-12 clients last semester,” said Kramer, who is now the administrative assistant at the center and peer mentor co-lead with Sanders and Nakamura.

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Kramer said the peer mentoring program is effective because some students feel more comfortable sharing thoughts with people “who are their same age and who look like them.”

The peer mentors lend an empathetic ear to any student who needs support. They seek to build trust, create a safe environment, and show compassion. Sometimes, they just hang out.

“It feels more organic,” said Sanders, who spent hours under the supervision of Harness.

“Having a program like this peer mentorship is extremely important, especially on campus where students might feel anxious and homesick.”

Sanders said his biggest piece of advice to students is: Go out, meet new people and get out of your comfort zone. “The Counseling Center is a lifeline to the different departments,” he adds.

As the school year progresses, Harness emphasized that the Counseling Center is available for individual sessions, couples therapy and small friend groups Mondays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“I am always available after hours, so feel free to contact me at any time,” Harness adds. “That’s literally my job—to be here for students and employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

For a full list of crisis resources available to anyone in need, click here.

All five peer mentors say they appreciate the hands-on experience of talking with fellow students and, most importantly, being able to help.

“This program really aligns well with what I want to do, which is to become a high school or college counselor,” Kramer says. “And Chaminade is providing the opportunity for me to reach that goal.”