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Amy Thompson of Mattel

’98 alumna shares her role with a leading global toy company

A word of advice from Amy Thompson: be open. Open to new ideas. Open to diversity. And open to equality and inclusion. As executive vice president and chief people officer for Mattel, the ’98 Chaminade alumna oversees all global human resources functions, including compensation and benefits, organizational design and leadership development for the company.

Speaking virtually to students during the Dean’s Speaker Series, Thompson shared her impressive employment history. Before joining Mattel, she served as chief people officer for TOMS Shoes, where she successfully developed and implemented organizational plans to scale the company globally by elevating talent and direct-to-consumer capability. She also founded TOMS Leading Ladies, an organization dedicated to empowering and inspiring women leaders.

Prior to TOMS, she held several global HR leadership roles at Starbucks Coffee Company, as well as led HR teams and departments at Ticketmaster Corporation and Citysearch.com.

Amy Thompson addressed students during the Dean’s Speaker Series.

“I believe my formative experiences, including at Chaminade, shaped my future,” Thompson told attendees. “I came to Chaminade on a full athletic scholarship and, as an athlete, you have to be disciplined.”

The Dean’s Speaker Series is designed to bring private, nonprofit and public sector leaders who have achieved recognition in their respective fields to share their expertise and insights on a broad range of timely issues, as well as share the highlights, challenges and turning points of their individual career paths.

“The Speaker Series is intended to extend classroom learning,” said School of Business and Communication Interim Dean Annette Santos. “It’s a co-curricular experience where the integration between theory and practice is reinforced and realized.”

Another intention of the forum is to bring a diversity of social, cultural, economic and other business-related perspectives to the Chaminade community in order to engage in ways that inform and encourage sustainable business for good. 

“One of Mattel’s external recognitions that I’m really proud of is its standing with the Human Rights Campaign,” Thompson said. “In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, Mattel received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey that measures corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.’”

As chief people officer, Thompson is guided by several key questions: “Do employees feel supported? Can they be authentic? Do they feel that they belong?”

“We have three values that are foundational to Mattel,” Thompson pointed out in her PowerPoint slide. “Collaboration, Innovation and Execution, which leads to our pillars of leadership: build and drive culture, manage performance, support career growth, promote wellbeing and growth mindset.”

School of Business and Communication Senator and Intern, and United Nations Association of Chaminade University (UNAC) President, Jasmine Mondelo could clearly sense that Thompson immensely cares for Mattel’s culture and talent. She also believes that Mattel offers a prime business model that fosters and values employee relations.

“As a college student who will set out on my own career path after graduation, Amy Thompson and Mattel’s message of inclusivity, fairness and commitment to personal and professional growth is inspiring to me,” said Mondelo after attending the lecture. “Wherever I work, I would want to feel valued and respected as an employee, motivated to achieve success for myself and the company, and capable of continuously improving myself.”

Santos hopes that students will have several takeaways after attending and listening to these guest speakers. “1) I hope that students would be inspired by the personal and professional journey of the featured speakers in ways that enhance their educational experience,” she said. “2) Understand that personal and professional growth is a process that involves challenges and turning points on the way to wins and transformation; and 3) this event also provides opportunities for students to build their network, possibly creating meaningful connections with speakers or those in attendance.” 

Educator Award

Chaminade Alumna named West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year

One of 16 finalists for the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year recognition, Jennifer Ilaban ’05 said she actually had no desire to become an educator when she was younger. But a volunteer experience while she was a college student changed her career trajectory.

“In my early college years, I began pursuing a degree in business and travel industry management,” said the Kahakai Elementary English Language Arts teacher. “I had internships with Sheraton, and I also worked during the winter and summer break at Four Seasons. While those were fun experiences, I did not have much fulfillment in making a difference.”

As a stipulation of one of her scholarships, Ilaban was committed to do volunteer work for the Pauahi Scholarship and volunteered at Ala Wai Elementary school in its afterschool program, where she tutored students. She also volunteered at a preschool where she found a sense of purpose that she could help people rather than serve tourists. After earning a BS in Hawaiian Language, Ilaban applied to Chaminade to pursue her Masters of Education in early childhood education and her teacher licensure.

Chaminade Director of Early Childhood and Montessori Programs, Dr. Elizabeth Park remembers Ilaban well. She was one of her very first student teachers, and Park knew even then that Ilaban would make a great teacher.

West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year Award recipient, Jennifer Ilaban, has her photo taken with, from left, Hawaii State Board of Education Chairman Warren Haruki, Superintendent Keith Hayashi, Gov. Josh Green, First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, Kahakai Elementary Principal Kori Takaki and ​Complex Area Superintendent Janette Snelling.

“I still have the books she created with the children that I use as examples of good literacy practice,” said Park, who was invited by Ilaban to attend the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year ceremony at Washington Place. “So, I am not surprised that she received the West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year Award.”

The annual Hawaiʻi State Teacher of the Year honor is presented annually to a classroom teacher selected from more than 13,000 Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) educators. The winner goes on to represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program, which provides a new cohort of State Teachers of the Year with a yearlong, one-of-a-kind professional learning and development experience.

“We’re excited to be here today to honor 16 finalists from our public and charter schools statewide,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi during the live-streamed ceremony. “It’s important that we pause and take the time to recognize and appreciate the outstanding work that all of our 13,000 teachers do every day. You are prime examples of how a teacher’s influence on a student can transcend beyond the classroom and beyond the K-12 timeline.”

Today’s Teacher of the Year ceremony included monetary awards to each Complex Area and Public Charter School Teacher of the Year by The Polynesian Cultural Center—the Teacher of the Year program’s corporate sponsor for over 30 years—and an additional $1,000 award to the State Teacher of the Year.

“We’re grateful that you’re the role models for our children,” Gov. Josh Green told the finalists. “I appreciate your heart because we all know the sacrifices teachers make. It’s a great challenge and you’re making Hawaii a more extraordinary place.”

Ilaban teaches pre-school through grade three students, and now also coaches teachers and students as a curricular coordinator for Kahakai Elementary. She is the only National Board Certified teacher on campus and consistently applies the board-certified framework in her approach to mentoring fellow teachers.

“I have had the pleasure of witnessing Jennifer’s exceptional teaching abilities and unwavering commitment to students, colleagues and the success of our school,” wrote Kahakai Elementary School Principal Kori Takaki in her nomination letter to the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. “I can attest to her exceptional skills, dedication and passion for education.

“Jennifer is an excellent teacher who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the success of students,” Takaki added. “She is not only knowledgeable and skilled in her subject matter, but she also possesses a unique ability to connect with students on a personal level. And I am confident that she will continue to make a significant impact at our school and in the field of education.”

Asked what it means for her to be named the West Hawai‘i Teacher of the Year, Ilaban was quick to respond: “This award represents the power of public education,” adding that she was born and raised in Kona, attended public school as a student, and spent most of her career teaching in public education.

“I am proud to send my own children to public school,” Ilaban said. “It is full circle for me to represent the district that I came from.” 

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant  

New funding will help expand HEP Program

With support from a $750,000, three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Chaminade University of Honolulu will now be able to expand its Higher Education in Prison (HEP) program, which aims to be a pathway for participants to leave incarceration with new identities, perspectives and goals to help them thrive in society.  

“At Chaminade, one of our primary Marianist values is to advocate for social justice for transformative change,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. “We support a rehabilitation-through-education narrative, which we know is essential to incarcerated individuals finding a pathway to a second chance and a better future.”  

Chaminade’s current HEP program only serves males who are incarcerated at Halawa Correctional Facility. However, moving forward, the University plans to extend its cohort model HEP program to the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), as well as to those men serving time 3,000 miles from home at the Saguaro Prison in Arizona.  

The goal is to expand degree offerings, starting with the men in Halawa, to include an AA in Liberal Arts that can be extended to a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. The coursework for the three degree programs will emphasize a humanities and liberal arts curriculum, and will be offered in a culturally responsive and trauma-informed way that will resonate with the overly-represented indigenous prison population.  

Dr. Janet Davidson addresses the new graduates during a Commencement Ceremony at Halawa Correctional Facility.

“If we want safer communities, if we want healthier families, if we want people who are incarcerated to have a chance when they come out, these are the types of rehabilitative programs we should be offering,” said Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade’s Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and a leader in criminology. “The idea is to shift the mindset. It will cost society less in the end.”  

Citing racial equity as a primary condition that makes HEP programs urgently necessary, the grant underscores the over-representation of Native Hawaiians in the criminal justice system. According to data collected by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii’s incarceration rate increased by 403 percent from 1978 to 2016, with Native Hawaiians affected disproportionately. Though accounting for only 18 percent of the state’s adult population, Native Hawaiians represent 37 percent of those incarcerated. This statistic includes Native Hawaiian women who make up 44 percent of the incarcerated women in Hawaii.  

While imprisoned women already have access to some college courses, they don’t have degree options. This Mellon grant will change this. “Since women are more likely than men to be the primary caretakers of dependent children prior to incarceration,” Davidson said, “their success after leaving prison will have a positive impact on their children and families, multiplying the effects of a single college degree.”  

Providing education in prison has indeed proven to reduce recidivism rates, and is associated with higher employment rates, which will improve public safety and allow individuals to return home to their communities and contribute to society. Moreover, a 2018 study from the RAND Corporation, funded by the Department of Justice, found that incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education were 48 percent less likely to return to prison within three years than incarcerated individuals who did not participate in any correctional education programs. RAND also estimated that for every dollar invested in correctional education programs, four to five dollars are saved on three-year, re-incarceration costs.  

“The success of this pilot program—between Chaminade University of Honolulu and the Hawaii Department of Public Safety—demonstrates that partnerships can lead to transformative change,” Davidson said. “With the support and guidance of Chaminade’s distinguished faculty and support staff, and the cooperation and backing of Halawa Correctional Facility, these individuals have embraced the opportunity to redefine their futures. This program is part of Chaminade’s mission to educate for service, justice and peace. We hope that with their newly gained education, these students will have the skills needed to rebuild their lives upon reintegration into society.”        

Kenneth and Diane Matsuura Foundation

Scholarship fund helps future nurses

After consistently hearing about the need for nurses during the pandemic, Kenneth and Diane Matsuura decided to do something about it. Rather than park their money in investments, the couple was driven to establish a foundation that would support future healthcare workers, knowing the essential role nurses play in and outside of hospital settings.  

“During the pandemic, we saw the perseverance of nurses,” says Diane Matsuura, a retired music teacher. “I could never do what they do; they work tirelessly to help their patients heal. And we’re fortunate enough to be able to start this foundation to help future nurses attain their degrees.”  

The COVID-19 pandemic was not in sight when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, with a goal to raise awareness of the need for “nine million more nurses and midwives to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.”

In Hawaii, there are currently 1,000 vacant nursing positions across the state, according to the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. State data further shows the demand for more nurses will grow by more than 100 positions each year.  

Tiannah Ohta and Genie Reutirez heard that calling and decided to answer it by applying to Chaminade’s nursing program. As part of the cohort of students in the accelerated track to earn a bachelor of science in nursing, Ohta, Reutirez and their fellow nursing students will complete their degrees in five back-to-back terms (20 months, as opposed to the traditional four years) through a rigorous academic schedule.

“When I read the email that I received a scholarship from the Kenneth And Diane Matsuura Foundation, I started to bawl,” Reutirez told Diane Matsuura and son Keven Matsuura over lunch. “It was such a huge surprise and a major financial help.”  

Ohta was in disbelief when she learned about her scholarship, thinking at first, that the email was a prank. “I wasn’t expecting it all; I had to read the email a few times because I thought I was reading it incorrectly.” said the 24-year-old Waipahu native and two-time nominee for a U.S. Presidential Scholars Medallion. “This helps me a great deal financially because we can’t work and go to school at the same time. It’s just not possible.”  

With an increasing emphasis on preparing nurses at the baccalaureate and higher degree level, one innovative approach to nursing education is to offer an accelerated degree program for non-nursing graduates. These programs build on previous learning experiences and provide a way for individuals with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines to transition into nursing.  

Having already completed her undergraduate degree in public health, Reutirez decided to pursue her nursing degree, a goal of hers even when she was completing her first bachelor’s. “It’s just a little later than I expected,” said the Ewa Beach resident. “I guess though it’s better late than never.”      

Geared to individuals who have already proven their ability to succeed at college or university, accelerated baccalaureate programs accomplish programmatic objectives in a short time by building on previous learning experiences. Instruction is intense with courses offered full-time with no breaks between sessions. Students receive the same number of clinical hours as their counterparts in traditional entry-level nursing programs.  

“Even when I was completing my bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Las Vegas, I knew I wanted to be in the medical field,” Ohta says. “This program will help me get there.”  

And so will her Kenneth and Diane Matsuura scholarship.  

“It’s rewarding to meet these young women who have so much passion to become nurses,” Diane Matsuura says. “My husband is currently hospitalized so I see what these nurses have to go through day in and day out. They work long shifts and the job is physically demanding. So, I commend anyone who goes into nursing.”            

Association of Marianist Universities

Advancing Marianist and Catholic values in higher education

In his seminal book, “A New Fulcrum: Marianist Horizons Today,” the late Fr. David Fleming posed: “What Makes University Education ‘Marianist’?” One of the potential answers perhaps lies in the synthesis of faith and reason, a hallmark of Catholic and Marianist education. It’s about fostering a community of learners who not only excel academically, but who also grow spiritually, morally and ethically. It’s about instilling in students a deep sense of social responsibility and a commitment to making the world a better place.

“In terms of the relationship between faith and reason, I adhere to Pope John Paul II’s 1998 Encyclical Letter ‘Fides Et Ratio,'” in which he describes Faith and Reason as two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth,” answered Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington, when asked about her understanding of the relationship between faith and reason in an interview with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. “In other words, the Catholic intellectual tradition at the heart of a Catholic university presupposes the harmonious existence between faith and reason. It’s a relationship that is not static because both faith and reason are involved in a mutual search for and reception of meaning and truth.”

Bro. Tom Giardino addresses Flyer alumni during a University of Dayton award ceremony. ©Briana Snyder, Knack Video + Photo

For Association of Marianist Universities (AMU) Executive Director Bro. Thomas Giardino, Fleming’s question could serve as a catalyst for conversations that are needed today in order to develop and advance the mission and identity of Marianist and Catholic higher education.

“Since the Marianist educational tradition is a person-centered charism [gift] with a mission strategy, when this reality is felt by students, staff and faculty then that university education is alive with the Marianist sensibilities,” said Giardino in an email response. “This means that the university community experiences that they individually matter, that relationships matter, that the world matters, and that there is a relationship between their education and their encounter with our world. For this to happen, there needs to be a critical mass of persons who are in the community, not simply for transactional relationships, but for transformational relationships; that is, it touches the meaning and purpose of their identity, what they live for.”

In today’s society, where knowledge is abundant but wisdom is scarce, Catholic and Marianist universities face pressing issues. One such issue is the challenge of maintaining their distinct identity and values in a rapidly changing world. The secularization of higher education and the prevailing culture of individualism pose threats to the unique mission of these universities.

Another pressing issue is the need for inclusivity and diversity. As society becomes more pluralistic, Catholic and Marianist universities must ensure that their campuses are welcoming to people of all backgrounds and faiths. They should strive to create an environment where open dialogue and respectful exchange of ideas can flourish.

AMU plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. It serves as a platform for collaboration and shared learning among Catholic and Marianist universities. It fosters a sense of solidarity and unity among these institutions, helping them preserve their core values while adapting to the demands of the modern world.

“The Association of Marianist Universities provides a structure for the three Marianist Universities to share ideas and programming to strengthen the Marianist identity of each of the universities,” said Bro. Ed Brink, Chaminade’s Vice President of Mission and Rector. “Through the work of AMU, there are regular meetings (usually via Zoom) of people from each of the universities that have similar jobs.”

In 2005, members from Chaminade University, University of Dayton and St. Mary’s University of San Antonio responded to the call from AMU Board to build a partnership among members of the Society of Mary, the sponsoring religious body. It would invite a cadre of lay collaborators, who would together sustain and renew the mission and identity that was Catholic, and that embodied the Marianist educational tradition.  

Since then, faculty, staff and administrators have been invited each year to deepen their understanding of and their commitment to the traditions and beliefs that make each respective university a Catholic and Marianist community.

Bro. Ed Brink teaches the fundamentals of Marianist values.

“In the summer of 2022, AMU held a symposium during which more than 100 people from the three universities gathered to reflect on the unique contributions that Marianist Universities make within American higher education, and to envision possibilities for the future,” Brink said. “Whenever AMU gathers people from the three universities together, we are reminded that we are part of a bigger mission.  While we all take pride in our own work, we are able to see that we are working on a project that goes well beyond our own institution and campus walls.”

In a world marked by division and polarization, the three Marianist/Catholic universities promote a message of unity and common purpose. They produce graduates who are not only academically competent but also compassionate, ethical and dedicated to making a positive impact on society.

In a world hungry for meaning and purpose, the Association of Marianist Universities serves as a guiding light. It reminds us that education is not just about acquiring knowledge; it’s about becoming better human beings. It underscores the enduring relevance of Catholic and Marianist principles in today’s society, where the search for truth, goodness and justice remains as vital as ever.

“Our faculty and staff already embrace and appreciate the values of providing a quality education, and an education for service, justice, peace, adaptation and change,” Babington said. “They may not necessarily have a religious affiliation, but they do believe in an equal and just society, which is what we impart to our students.”

Dean’s Speaker Series

Eric Fujimoto ’94 advises students to persevere and show humility

The best rate of return and the stock market ticker symbol to keep a close eye on is YOU or ME. Sage advice from Ho‘ea Wealth Advisory Group Principal Eric Fujimoto, the guest speaker of the School of Business and Communication’s inaugural Dean’s Speaker Series. In his address to students, the 1994 Chaminade MBA graduate and Board of Regents member advised attendees to double down and invest in themselves.  

“There is nothing wrong with making money,” said Fujimoto, who was ranked Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors and #1 in Hawai‘i and Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors from 2018-2023. “But, do it ethically and use it to better your community. Shift the focus from money to people.”  

The Dean’s Speaker Series is designed to bring private, nonprofit and public sector leaders who have achieved recognition in their respective fields to share their expertise and insights on a broad range of timely issues, as well as share the highlights, challenges and turning points of their individual career paths.

The intent of the forum is to bring a diversity of social, cultural, economic and other business-related perspectives to the Chaminade community in order to engage in ways that inform and encourage sustainable business for good.  

Ho‘ea Wealth Advisory Group Principal Eric Fujimoto Eric Fujimoto shared his story and advice with students.

“The impetus for the Series is to provide co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for students to augment what they are learning in the classrooms with relevant and high-impact experiences,” said School of Business and Communication Interim Dean Annette Santos. “Ultimately, this event has an underlying call to action to students who are reminded that they are empowered to create a sustainable future that reflects the values and the priorities of their communities through the knowledge they glean from their educational experience at Chaminade.”  

Awarded the US Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year for the City and County of Honolulu in 2020, Fujimoto’s wealth of experience not only includes offering solid financial advice to his clients, but also serving as a member of various nonprofit organizations, including Drug Free Hawai‘i, Central Union Church and, one that he is particularly eager to help, Unity Prom, which is an effort to provide students with disabilities the experience of a normal high school prom.  

“We were the students and they were the teachers,” said Fujimoto, choking up in a video address that he played during his Monday evening talk. “The Ho‘ea Foundation is a proud sponsor of this event, which gives these high schools the chance to enjoy what other kids their age experience every year. And we’re always looking for dates, so if anyone wants to be a prom date, contact her—pointing to Jill Higashi, Chaminade’s Assistant Vice President of Advancement.”  

After Fujimoto’s talk, freshman baseball player Jacob Villacorte said he learned a lot, and the message of perseverance and giving back to the community especially meant a lot to him. “There were things I didn’t know about,” said Villacorte. “It was a good learning experience.”  

Consistent with Chaminade’s mission of community service, the Speakers Series is framed around the theme, “Sustainable Business for Good,” which also aligns with Chaminade’s CIFAL designation. Speakers are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to transforming lives and advancing communities.  

“I’ve had the privilege to visit other universities, but Chaminade is the only one where you feel a sense of community that genuinely wants you to succeed,” Fujimoto said. “The people here care about you; they put great ideas in front of you; so you were right to choose Chaminade.”  

Santos hopes students will feel the same way after they attend the Speakers Series.  

“There are several takeaways that I hope will resonate with students,” Santos said. “The first is to be inspired by the personal and professional journey of the featured speakers in ways that enhance their educational experience; the second is to understand that personal and professional growth is a process that involves challenges and turning points on the way to wins and transformation; and the third is to provide opportunities for them to build their network, possibly creating meaningful connections with speakers or those in attendance.”  

Gesturing as if he was steering a car on the H-1 freeway, Fujimoto made one final point to the students: they are in the driver’s seat and they determine the course of their destiny. “If you were just to turn the car by one degree, what do you think would happen,” he posed to the students. “You will end up at a different destination.”