Chaminade University of Honolulu

Innovation

Yin and Yang

Thirty years later, two middle school besties will graduate in ’24

The last time they graduated was in 1994 from Mililani High School. And when May 2024 comes around, Rita Aponte ’24 and KerryLynn Vea ’24 will again don their caps and gowns, as they prepare to cross the stage of the Waikiki Shell to receive their bachelor’s degrees.  

BFFs since high school, Aponte and Vea were able to pursue their university degrees, thanks to Bank of Hawaii’s College Assistance Program (CAP), which allows its employees to get back on the path to obtaining their first four-year undergraduate degree with tuition reimbursement.  

Draped with lei, Rita Aponte, left, and KerryLynn Vea posed for their graduation photo from Mililani High School in 1994.

“The Bank started this program in 2016, and I started the following year,” says Aponte, Manager of Loan Operations with Bank of Hawaii. “And my bestie, KerryLynn, is also on this journey with me since we both always wanted to get our degrees.”  

Both Aponte and Vea chose to start their families at a young age, hindering them from attending college. The two friends since middle school always had plans to return to university, but family obligations and full-time jobs prevented them from entering the college system.

“I get emotional when I talk about CAP,” says Vea, who was in the credit union industry for 20 years before joining Bank of Hawaii in 2016 and is now its Assistant Vice President-Mortgage Compliance Analyst. “Before CAP, I was resigned not to get my college degree, rationalizing to myself, ‘Oh well, I don’t need a degree since I already have a career.’”  

The American Council of Education estimates that approximately 20 percent of graduate students and six percent of the much larger number of undergraduates receive some financial assistance from their employers to attend school. As many as a third of undergraduates in fields like business and engineering also receive tuition aid, which, on average, covers about one-third of the annual cost paid by post-secondary students.  

Initially, when Aponte and Vea enrolled in Bank of Hawaii’s CAP initiative, they were limited to four specific start times a year (January, April, July and October). Today, new applicants have the flexibility to enroll for courses on a monthly basis throughout the year, which is consistent with Chaminade’s online Flex program.  

“I’ve worked at credit unions where tuition assistance was always included in the employee manual book, but I never once saw it used,” Vea says. “Bank of Hawaii, on the other hand, vigorously promotes CAP and they champion it, putting funding behind it with no strings attached. The program is a 100 percent benefit to all employees.”  

Bank of Hawaii’s executives said they needed a partner that understood the Bank’s vision of what they wanted to achieve with its CAP program. However, they also wanted to make sure that the online learning experience was customized to the specific needs of the Bank’s employees since they wanted CAP to be “a real pillar and cornerstone of what Bank of Hawaii is all about.”

“We thought it was not only important to train our employees in specific banking-related issues, but also to help them expand their overall educational base,” says Peter Ho, Bank of Hawaii’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, in a video release. “From an education standpoint, the important thing is to really help shape the individual’s mind and spirit—and that’s what education is all about; that’s what college is all about.”  

Although, Aponte and Vea didn’t experience the traditional campus setting, they were able to take their classes online, via Chaminade’s Flex program model, allowing students to take one or two courses at a time—or more if they choose—as they work toward their degree. And the pace of coursework rests with them. They can complete online courses in as few as six weeks. Or, they can take their time, wrapping up a course in six months. Flex students are also able to complete courses wherever they are, even on the go.  

“It was a real struggle during the holiday season,” Aponte recalls. “Even when we went on vacation to Disney World, algebra came along with me.”  

KerryLynn Vea takes a break from her studies with her new son.
KerryLynn Vea takes a break from her studies with her six-week old granddaughter Ellie in 2018.

The Flex Online Undergraduate program is WSCUC-accredited (WASC Senior College and University Commission) and has a broad range of study disciplines, including business administration, criminology and criminal justice, historical and political studies, education and psychology. It is designed with working adults in mind, distancing itself from rigid term schedules and due dates to give students the flexibility they need to achieve a work-life-school balance and make progress toward reaching their goals.  

“I started at Leeward Community College for a semester and a half, but scheduling was really difficult,” Vea says. “I just couldn’t do it all with a full-time job, a family and attending classes; it was a lot.”  

Nor could Aponte.

“I didn’t think a college degree was in the books for me,” Aponte asserts. “It was always nagging at me to get my bachelor’s, but I used time and cost as excuses not to pursue it. And now I’m motivated to finish this and I can’t wait.”  

Thirty years will have elapsed by the time Aponte and Vea attain their bachelor’s degree, and through the three decades, they’ve raised families, enjoyed successful careers and supported each other through both good times and bad.  

“Getting the bachelor’s degree with Rita couldn’t get any better,” Vea says. “I always say I’m the Yin because I’m more subdued and quieter, and she’s the Yang because she’s more outgoing and vocal. We might be opposites, but through this college process, we’ve depended on each other and have been each other’s greatest cheerleader.”      

Online Education

Angie Cabreira enrolls in Flex to become an ECE teacher

As a 17-year-old senior in high school, Angela “Angie” Cabreira ’16 started to panic whenever she was asked about her college plans. Admittedly, she didn’t have any. So rather than attend university, she decided instead to move from Idaho to Molokai to be with her sister, the late Julie Marie Pierson Place.

“Two years later, in 1988, I relocated to Hilo on the Big Island where I have lived ever since,” said Cabreira during a phone interview. “All I wanted at that time was to get married, have 12 kids, bake, garden and take care of all the neighbors’ kids.”  

Dreams of obtaining a bachelor’s degree quickly faded, and Cabreira became more impassioned about motherhood, eventually having three of her own kids and raising a hānai daughter, now between ages 22 and 38. She deliberately chose to be a stay-at-home mom “for a long time,” raising her keiki and establishing a childcare service for local families.

“I love being around kids,” Cabreira said. “So I got a job at Waiakea Elementary School, where I worked for 13 years, mostly as a student activity coordinator and for a few years I was with the Parent-Community Networking Center.”

Cabreira, though, wanted more. She began taking early childhood education (ECE) classes at Hawaii Community College while serving as a teaching assistant with Keiki Steps. She then started a new full-time position with Tūtū and Me, and continued to take ECE classes at Hawaii Community College while now also taking online courses at Chaminade University to obtain her Associate in Science (AS) degree in ECE.

“When I began working full time for Kamehameha Preschools in 2015, I transferred to Chaminade’s online program so that I would have the ability to work full time and still go to school,” Cabreira recalled. “This was not an option at Hawaii Community College since they didn’t offer evening classes nor online classes for the degree I was seeking. Chaminade was ideal because I didn’t have to be in a classroom at a certain time and that was what I needed.”

Angie and Albert Cabreira pose for a selfie.
Angie and Albert Cabreira pose for a selfie.
Laura is one of two Cabreira daughters.
A hānai daughter, Laura Tanaka is the eldest of Angie Cabreira’s kids.
Dustin is one of three kids.
Dustin Toma is 32 years old.
Nichelle is the youngest Cabreira daughter.
Nichelle Toma is Angie Cabreira’s youngest birth daughter.
Trevor is the youngest Cabreira son.
Trevor is the youngest Toma son.

When Cabreira entered college in 2011, online courses and degrees were just beginning to gain popularity and become viable options for working adults. Today, advancements in technology, course design and high-speed internet availability are moving online learning forward.  

Chaminade’s Flex Online Undergraduate program is WSCUC-accredited (WASC Senior College and University Commission) and has a broad range of study disciplines, including business administration, criminology and criminal justice, historical and political studies, education and psychology. It is designed with working adults in mind, distancing itself from rigid term schedules and due dates to give students the flexibility they need to achieve a work-life-school balance and make progress toward reaching their goals.  

“I love the Flex program because there are no deadlines,” Cabreira said. “It’s the reason I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree at Chaminade.”  

In fall 2022, Cabreira enrolled in the University’s early Early Childhood Education bachelor’s program, which is aligned with state requirements and National Association for the Education of Young Children standards, and was ranked by Best Colleges as #8 Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs of 2023.  

“I want to be a positive voice for kids and parents,” Cabreira said. “I thought I was satisfied supporting teachers and families. But if I could be a lead kumu, I could make more of an impact.”  

As she started the program, her sister, Julie, was diagnosed with a blockage in an artery that supplied blood and oxygen to her intestines. Treatment included 11 surgeries, but it was too late. Her intestines had shut down.

“When she passed, I was sad, depressed and unmotivated to do my homework,” Cabreira said. “During this time, Bro. Allen Pacquing encouraged me to keep going, and gave me time to grieve. All my other professors didn’t give up on me, either, and I knew that my sister would not have wanted me to quit.”  

This past September, Cabreira took a single course. In October, she enrolled in four courses. And in February 2024, she will take another four classes. By July, she hopes to be doing her practicum. However, because of her age, she can’t simply skim readings like her younger peers, and she has to watch every assigned video.  

“It takes me longer,” admitted Cabreira, 57. “I want to pass with all As, but my daughter—who earned a BA in Psychology from UC Irvine—reminds me that Bs also get degrees.”  

Cabreira may not have been able to birth 12 kids, but now she has 20—in her classroom.  

“I can’t be a lead kumu without my bachelors degree, and that’s the goal,” Cabreira said. “The plan is to graduate in January 2025. Yes, it will take a very long time, but I’m determined.”        

‘Inana Innovators Program

Chaminade students participate in sustainability entrepreneurship

Madison Makishima ’25 was able to make adaptive surfboards out of recyclable materials and ocean plastics so people —like her—with disabilities could have access to the ocean. As part of Chaminade University’s ‘Inana Sustainability Entrepreneurship Program, Makishima and eight other fellow students, including Aleeyah Lemons ’24 and Carly Wieczorek ’24, were able to participate in a 10-week summer program that paired them with businesses that align with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

“I learned a lot, especially how to effectively network,” said Makishima, whose project was titled Surf Sesh. “The mission of the project—which aligns with the UN’s SDGs—was to help people with disabilities gain access to surfing while recycling and reusing ocean plastic, and educating everyone about living sustainable lives.”  

After winning a two-year $600,000 Minority Colleges and Universities Grant Competition from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), a hui of Chaminade professors developed the ‘Inana Sustainability Entrepreneurship Program, which aims to spark minority entrepreneurial innovation among Hawaii-Pacific undergraduates.

According to ‘Inana Sustainability Entrepreneurship Program’s coordinator, Mariane Uehara, the  three goals of the program are: 1) To develop and implement programs for the education and training of undergraduate students in subjects directly relating to successful entrepreneurship; 2) To support minority business enterprises (MBEs), including building a diverse entrepreneurial pipeline to grow the number of MBEs; and 3) to create a UN Certificate program in sustainability entrepreneurship.  

With the help of Rhea Jose, outreach coordinator for CIFAL Honolulu at Chaminade, Aleeyah Lemons ’24 pursued a project titled “Gender Equity through Malama Mai” or, cleverly, GEMM, and provided menstrual products in the women’s restrooms at Chaminade University.  

“GEMM is a program developed to provide resources, care and education on menstrual health to those at Chaminade University, its surrounding community and across the Pacific,” wrote Lemons in her final report. “We aim to end period poverty on campus, and allow our students who menstruate to feel comfortable and supported by GEMM and their peers.”  

Meanwhile, Carly Wieczorek ’24 designed a sustainable rooftop hydroponics system. “One major aspect of my activities was actively participating in exchanging ideas with local experts on hydroponics farming, visiting hydroponics farms on Oahu, and entrepreneurial skill workshops with industry professionals,” Wieczorek noted. “I’ve also been investigating innovative business approaches to urban agriculture, such as rooftop hydroponics, and examining how these practices align with the UN’s SDGs.”  

The focus of the ‘Inana program is to nurture sustainability entrepreneurs in Hawaii, who will develop businesses that diversify and grow our economy while attending to the health of the planet. This, of course, is consistent with Chaminade’s United Nations CIFAL Center, which is focused on supporting progress toward the UN’s 17 SDGs in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region.  

Three of the 17 SDGs in particular are addressed within the program: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation; and improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.  

“Our first cohort consisted of nine students,” said Uehara, a Certified Health and Wellness Coach and former co-founder and director of Lanikai Juice Co. “This second cohort will focus on App creation with eight students. It’s great to see students—who all come from different disciplines—collobarate and solve problems.”

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.”        

Grant Expectations

Grant help via the Office of Sponsored Programs

Newly restructured and expanded, Chaminade’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will advance the university’s commitment through excellence in research administration, according to Claire Wright, Ph.D., who recently assumed the role of Senior Director with the Office of Sponsored Programs. It will also ensure that all grants are in compliance with federal, state and local regulations.  

Office of Sponsored Projects timeline

The Office’s primary and most visible mission is to serve the University community in the successful pursuit of external funds to support research and campus programs. Wright will  collaborate with faculty through every step of the pre-award process to submit highly competitive proposals.  

“The office helps faculty members finance the research and projects that they want to do,” said Wright, who completed all of her undergraduate and graduate training in the U.K., and joined the Chaminade faculty in 2011. “This a change for me from teaching, but I want to help faculty members realize their dreams.”  

Although she’ll continue with her teaching duties with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chrystie Naeole, Ph.D., now has the added responsibility of being the Director of  Office of Sponsored Projects.  

“As a federal grants specialist, I’ve undergone extensive federal training to be able to assist grantees with the development, interpretation of federal language, and submission of these grant applications,” Naeole said. “I will also help with the execution of grant subcontracts, sub-awards and the management of grant-maintained studentships.”  

Lynn Haff, Director of Proposal Development and Andrew Perez, Grants Financial Specialist; and Helen Turner, Ph.D., Senior Advisor on Sponsored Projects make up the remaining OSP team. A private funding specialist, Haff helps to identify and match grant seekers with potential funding sources of all kinds. She also helps to craft ideas for proposals, editing and drafting of proposal narratives, and the gathering of additional materials for submission, including bio sketches and letters of support. If the proposal submission is from a private source, Haff will also help with the submission process and the reporting requirements during the award period.  

Office of Sponsored Programs support

Perez is a staff member of the Business Office with an abundance of experience in grants financial management for both private and federal grants. He helps grantees generate grant budgets for application submission, and assists with the management of all financial reporting and compliance issues.  

“I was hired by Chaminade to fill this specific role more than nine years ago,” Perez says. “There are lot of moving parts to a grant, and our role is to make sure that nothing is overlooked and that all the details are complete.”

Recruited by Chaminade because of her past successes in winning grants with the National Institutes of Health (NICHD) and local foundations, and her progressive translational research, Wright takes on this new role as the university develops its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.  

“Grants can help determine what the vision is for the school,” Wright said. “I’m here to help them write their grants, whatever that grant may be. And it’s not just for academic research; it could be for a study abroad program, student scholarships, community outreach or service learning. I’ll help them work through the process and their announcements, as well as with their reporting of outcomes.”  

Driven by an idea, a product, a concept or a cause, faculty members conducting research or off-campus activity are often dedicated to their project, but they might lack the experience or access to funding sources needed to effectively carry out that project. In most cases, faculty research projects require outside funding that often comes from federal and state agencies, foundation grants or fellowship programs.  

“And that’s where many universities’ Offices of Sponsored Programs play a critical role,” Wright said. “The office is the support system for faculty members who are trying to get a grant for their work in their respective disciplines.”    

Leading Role

Dr. Lynn Babington Recognized among “Most Admired Leaders”

President Dr. Lynn Babington has been named a 2023 “Most Admired Leader” by Pacific Business News, recognized for her achievements and successes in leading Chaminade University forward and contributing to the community. Serving as president since 2018, Babington is admired for her inspiring and empowering leadership style, ability to build teams, and execute strategies to reach goals. During her tenure, she has elevated the position of Chaminade, the University’s partners, students, faculty and the community at large, all while fulfilling the University’s mission as a community-first institution. 

Dr. Lynn Babington was chosen among Hawaii's "Most Admired Leaders" by Pacific Business News.
Dr. Lynn Babington was chosen among Hawaii’s “Most Admired Leaders” by Pacific Business News.

According to an April 2023 article in Higher Ed Drive, only 33 percent of college presidents at all levels are women, which is only a three percent increase since 2016.  Babington brings a perspective and voice to higher education that is vital and needed. She leads the only Catholic university in the Pacific, and some examples of the positive difference her leadership has made include: 

  • When Argosy University closed in 2019, eliminating the then-only PsyD program in Hawaii, Babington and her leadership team brought its 100 faculty and students to Chaminade ensuring that students could seamlessly continue their studies.
  • Working with the deans of Chaminade’s schools, she collaborated to develop crucial new programs needed in our community, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, One Year MBA and a MS in Counseling Psychology for neighbor island students.
  • Working with community leaders, she contributed to the establishment of partnerships to greatly benefit Hawaiʻi, including with Kamehameha Schools to offer 150 Muʻo Scholarships over three years for the online BS in teaching degree to alleviate the teacher shortage in Hawaiʻi and with the United Nations CIFAL Center to host the only Pacific regional training hub to address global issues.
  • With her support, Chaminade launched the Economic Education Center for Excellence with the Hawaiian Council for Economic Education.
  • Forming committees, Babington helped to steward Chaminade University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan to better serve its diverse student body, enhance its financial support of students and faculty research, increase revenue while cutting costs, and expand its reach to more learners.
  • Following state’s protocols, she successfully led the University through the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing online learning and other mitigation interventions to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the campus community.
  • Babington helped to ensure the accreditation of several new programs, including the Doctorate of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Psychology programs. 
  • Understanding the importance of a quality student experience, the completion of Chaminade University’s new Silversword Training Center and Locker Room facility ensured the sustainability and progress of the University’s athletics program.

Babington serves on several boards, including St. Francis Hospital System, Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, and the Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi. She also volunteers for several nonprofit organizations: Catholic Charities, Hawaiʻi Literacy Program, and Hoʻola Na Pua.  She will be recognized at an awards dinner on November 9 along with other recipients of the “Most Admired Leader” honor.