Institutional

Hogan Speaker Series

November 16, 2023

Panelists share their insights into entrepreneurship

What guides you? How do you find mentors? How do you overcome failure? What advice would you give your younger self?

These questions and many more were posed to three diverse and accomplished community leaders who served as panelists during the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program speaker series on Nov. 15 in a packed Keifer Hall Room 9. Panelists Haelee Tallett ’18, Shane Hanson ’16 and Julie Morikawa navigated the questions with ease and decorum, freely sharing their personal and professional experiences with students, alumni and faculty, all eager to soak in knowledge and insight.

Tallett is the founder, owner and lead designer of Ocean Creations, which she started as an online business and now has several brick-and mortar-locations. Alumnus Shane Hanson is founder and owner of Freedom Fiduciaries. Morikawa, a hospitality industry executive, is the president of non-profit ClimbHi, which creates bridges between high school and college students from education to career paths, and is dedicated to workforce development in Hawaii.

Hogan program director Roy Panzarella opened the discussion by asking the panel, “What is your ‘Why?’” or “Why do what you do?”

Hanson shared that being an entrepreneur is something innate, that he would rather work 80 hours for himself than 40 hours for another corporation. He also shared that he came to Chaminade to play basketball and eventually participated in a competiton in which student groups created their own products and marketing plans. The fulfilling and exciting experience has remained with him and sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.

Being an entrepreneur is more important than being a jewelry designer to Hallett. While her company’s product is jewelry, what really motivates her is bringing a sense of confidence and beautiful design to customers who wear or give jewelry as gifts. Jewelry is the means to achieving that goal of the entrepreneurial journey of ideation to product to customer satisfaction.

When asked how to create sustainable products that are not as profitable, Morikawa replied, “Why do they have to be separate, sustainability and profitablity?” She described a federal grant that ClimbHi recently received that involves partnering with local environmental and sustainability-focused organizations to maintain and improve an important ahupuaʻa (land division) on Oʻahu.

The 90-minute panel discussion served its purpose. The community leaders on the panel thoughtfully answered questions. Students respectfully asked questions. And all left the room with an understanding and insight into how following one’s dream is what it takes to be fulfilled and to have a meaningful impact.

The next Hogan Program speaker will be Gary Hogan on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Kiefer Hall Room 9. Hogan is the CEO of Hogan Hospitality Group and Hawaiian Hotels & Resorts, as well as CEO and Board Chair of Pleasant Travel Service.

Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise

November 6, 2023

First responders put skills to the test during emergency response drill

Imagine an aircraft explosion on landing and the immediate aftermath. The moments after an airplane crash are undoubtedly critical, as nursing student Sigfried Halili ’23 learned firsthand during the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise. This every-three-year, mandatory certification requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration tests airfield disaster preparedness and response by simulating a full-scale aircraft emergency disaster. The drill tests and evaluates the operational capacity of emergency response in a stress environment.

Mock patients in moulage (make-up) are treated by Chaminade nursing students during the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise.

Divided among four groups colored Red, Green, Yellow and Black, Chaminade nursing students treated patients with varying injuries, with the Red group receiving the most seriously injured, the Green team tending to those with superficial abrasions and contusions, the Yellow team looking after patients in between Red and Green, and Black team announcing mortality.

“The firefighters and EMS would perform triage and assess where the injured passengers would be taken,” explained Halili, the senior representative of the Student Nursing Association. “Of the five patients I treated, one was mortally injured, another belonged to the Green category and the three others were in critical condition.”

This triennial, multi-agency exercise involved hundreds of volunteers—including 175 nursing students from Chaminade University—and airport personnel who acted as injured passengers. Participating agencies included Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Airports Division staff, HDOT Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) units, Securitas, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, City & County of Honolulu Fire and Police Departments, Emergency Medical Services, American Medical Response, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Federal Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Public Safety and airline personnel.

Volunteers portrayed passengers who were injured, uninjured, unresponsive, fainting, deceased, family, friends, responders, medical personnel and other miscellaneous roles. Make-up (moulage) was applied to simulate varying injuries, from deep lacerations to serious tissue wounds. Participants were also asked to “role play,” pretending to cry, scream with injuries and yell confusedly. Others acted grief stricken, angry and demanding information. All these roles were to simulate a real-life event to help responders to be better prepared. This exercise is an opportunity to get an on-scene and behind-scene view of a real-life emergency simulation.

The main focus for the nursing students during the exercise was to practice use of the Incident Command System— a systemic tool used for the command control and coordination of emergency response—and perform disaster triage and treatment skills. The event was a great opportunity for nursing students from three local nursing schools—including Chaminade—to work cohesively in an intense and stressful environment, an experience most of them had never encountered.

“This was the first triennial exercise that I participated in,” said Halili, who will graduate in December and take the National Council Licensure Examination to become a fully licensed Certified Nurse. “It was amazing to see how many people get involved when an emergency happens on an airport tarmac.”

Amy Thompson of Mattel

November 3, 2023

’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.”

Yin and Yang

October 23, 2023

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.”

Silversword Alumni Reunion: A Time to Remember

October 20, 2023

Kalaepōhaku was the place to be this past week as generations of alumni returned for four different reunion events, each reconnecting and engaging Chaminade University graduates with their beloved alma mater. Satisfaction was achieved beyond expectations. Watch this recap video.

“As you gather with your fellow Silverswords, we hope you are rekindling friendships, sharing cherished memories, and creating new connections,” wrote President Lynn Babington and Director of Alumni Relations Jodi-Anne Yoshida, MBA ’23 in the program for the reunion dinner. “You can continue to be proud of your alma mater and how Chaminade has flourished.”

Back to School!

The Silversword Reunion week kicked off on Thursday, October 12, with an early evening tailgate party at Henry Hall Courtyard. Yoshida welcomed the guests, whose graduating years ranged from the 1960s to 2023. Guests received Chaminade alumni t-shirts and blue pompoms while enjoying a delicious dinner of BBQ chicken, kiawe-smoked pork chops, greens and more. Following the tailgate, the party was moved inside to McCabe Gymnasium to cheer on the Chaminade women’s volleyball team. The Silverswords swept the HPU Sharks!

Then, on Aloha Friday, October 13, alumni returned to campus for tours and an ono local-style bento lunch. Students Aleeyah Lemons ’24 and Noelani Tugaoen ’25 guided alumni on walking tours, strolling along Second Road, past Ching Hall and Eiben Hall, into the Sullivan Family Library and back to Henry Hall, where President Babington greeted them with her warmth and aloha. In the library, alumni perused past yearbooks and were amused to find their student photos. They recalled that the library was once housed in Henry Hall as they shared heartfelt stories from their college days.

Special Reunion Dinner, Alumni Awards and Mass

The long-anticipated reunion dinner was a great success, as nearly 300 alumni and guests gathered in the Ching Conference Center on October 14. Emceed by former Miss Universe Brook Lee ’96, the program opened with a blessing from Bro. Ed Brink, followed by the presentation of Alumni Awards and presentation of videos: Kahala Kabalis Hoke ’05, MS ’07 received the Marianist Alumni Award; Dr. Thomas Shieh ’87 received the Distinguished Alumni Award; and Lei Uʻi Kaholokula ’23 was named the Young Alumni Award recipient. Read more about the alumni award winners here. Lee brought her charisma and sparkle to the program, which featured music by Nick Laʻa and DJ Sounds by Pipi. Guests received the exclusive Chaminade tote bag by Eden In Love, reunion favors, and each other’s engaging company.

While alumni dined on Hawaiian dinner catered by Bill Quinlan, the memories and good feelings filled the room as people strolled down Memory Lane and reminisced about their Silversword days.

The following morning, a Sunday Mass was held as alumni gathered in the sacred Mystical Rose Oratory to celebrate faith, hope and love.

Online Education

October 16, 2023

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.

A hānai daughter, Laura Tanaka is the eldest of Angie Cabreira’s 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 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.”