Chaminade University of Honolulu

Institutional

Heritage Awards

Honoring those who personify the Marianist Values

Overcome by emotion, tears cascaded down the cheeks of Victoria DelaCruz ’24 as Bro. Ed Brink named her as this year’s Founders’ Award winner, describing her traits of selflessness, commitment, hospitality, graciousness, faith and her family. A Chaminade Scholar majoring in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization (DSAV), DelaCruz ’24 exemplifies the Marianist education and values.

“Faith has been a part of her journey before coming to Chaminade,” said Brink, Vice-President of Mission and Rector. “This year, she joined the new Student Ministry Team and made a suggestion about having a praise and worship evening at the end of one of the meetings. Although it was one of the last ideas talked about at the meeting, it was one of the first events to move from an idea to an actual event. And that was because of Victoria’s commitment to it.”

Every year during Founders’ Week, the Rector’s office presents the Chaminade Award, the Marianist Award and Founders’ Award to a faculty member, supporting staff member and student, respectively, who embodies the Marianist values.

His voice crackling at times while reading the achievements of the winners of the Heritage Awards, Brink announced the other two honorees: Chaminade Award recipient Dr. Janet Davidson, Vice Provost and professor of criminology, who was described by one of her nominators as resilient, reliable and consistent; and Amy Takiguchi, Director of Financial Aid, Marianist Award, whose efforts to help students go beyond and above a simple answer.

“It was a chicken-skin moment when Dr. Babington informed me of the award,” said Takiguchi ’02, an alumna who started her career at Chaminade as a student worker with Human Resources and has since moved up the ranks. “I have a great team and that’s what makes working here such a rewarding experience.”

For Davidson, the Chaminade Award is not an individual feat, but one that belongs to her team. “I am honored and humbled, but I don’t like the attention,” she said. “But I could have never done it alone. The accolades and attention I receive are because of a great supportive team that works collaboratively to accomplish a lot.”

In his presentation during a special mass ceremony to celebrate Founders’ Week, Brink said these awards are meant to remind all of us of the mission of this University, and the importance of trying to live out that mission on a daily basis. “We gather today to be inspired and to hopefully recommit ourselves to being the best member of this community that we can be,” he added. “Fr. Chaminade wanted those who got caught up in the work that he inspired to be ‘a spectacle’—to give witness to others of how a life based in faith and service could make a difference in the world.”

Artificial Intelligence

Embracing the use of AI in education

Dr. Denise Dugan believes that AI will only continue to progress and evolve as new data flows in.
Dr. Denise Dugan believes that AI will only continue to progress and evolve as new data sets flows in.

Long before it was reduced to an uppercase two-letter acronym, artificial intelligence (AI) was already present in education with early systems focused on using simple algorithms to automate certain educational tasks. In the 1970s, the emergence of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) was designed to provide personalized instruction based on individual student needs, more commonly known today as Individual Educational Plans. These days, OpenAI dominates the conversation and headlines.

“AI has been in education in some iteration for decades now,” says Denise Dugan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education and Elementary Education. “The danger of AI these days is that current students have too much reliance on it, rather than simply using it as another available resource.”

In an op-ed to the “Chicago Tribune,” Chaminade Provost Lance Askildson opines that recent advances in artificial intelligence have given rise to hyperbolic predictions of the decline of many human roles and professions.

“In fact, purported AI platforms such as ChatGPT will never be meaningful replacements for writers, educators or people in general,” Askildson writes. “To understand why this is true, it is critical to remind ourselves of what ChatGPT is and how its architecture and capabilities relate to the science of human learning and the arts of writing and teaching, respectively.”

The conversation around AI didn’t just begin in 2023. The U.S. Department of Education initiated a project exploring the use of generative AI in 2020, partnering with Digital Promise to collect information and insights. Recently, the outcomes of that work were released by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. Titled “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations,” the new report addresses the clear need for sharing knowledge, engaging educators, and refining technology plans and policies for artificial intelligence (AI) use in education.

The report further describes AI as a rapidly-advancing set of technologies for recognizing patterns in data and automating actions, and guides educators in understanding what these emerging technologies can do to advance educational goals—while evaluating and limiting key risks. This paper also explains AI in education and gives a pros-and-cons summary, and suggests districts develop a policy defining parameters for AI use in education.

During an educator workshop hosted by Hawaii Education Association, Dugan and Chaminade students Abigail Eli ’23 Gabe Zapata-Berrios ’24 were among the attendees who discussed not only the ethical dimensions of AI, but also its legal ramifications.

“I can see how AI is having an impact on educators and students,” says Eli, who is pursuing her master’s in counseling psychology at Chaminade and is one of three Community Homeless Concerns liaisons with the Hawaii Department of Education in the Nanakuli-Waianae Complex Area. “I think it could be beneficial for our Waianae students who struggle with the concept of writing. I think they can learn from seeing something that’s well written.”

Starting his student teaching in Kailua, Zapata-Berrios has experimented with AI in his own studies, using it, for example, to create lesson plans, which typically take a lot of time.

“AI will write a complete lesson plan in less than 10 seconds,” Zapata-Berrios says. “This lesson plan is typically pretty good as a first draft. If I want I can ask the AI to revise it for me or I can just take that draft and revise it myself. I would always recommend revising it yourself because AI is not perfect.”

Abigail Eli '23 is now pursuing her master’s in counseling psychology at Chaminade.
Abigail Eli ’23 is now pursuing her master’s in counseling psychology at Chaminade.

While academic dishonesty tops the list of educators’ concerns about AI in education, teachers also worry that increased use of AI may mean learners receive less human contact. It’s a valid point that Askildson succinctly affirms in his letter to the editor, noting that “the science of human learning has shown us that students learn not only through their abilities of reasoning, interpretation and creative expression—which ChatGPT lacks— but also with the help of teachers who engage them in a two-way dialogue accompanied by feedback that is adjusted to their understanding and overall needs.”

From a student’s perspective, the use of AI in education comes with both benefits and potential pitfalls. Some view AI-powered tools as a way to provide additional support to students with diverse learning abilities, making education more inclusive. It can then assist in addressing specific challenges students may face.

Others are skeptical about its accuracy and its susceptibility to spread misinformation and disinformation. It’s also biased since AI can only be as smart or effective as the quality of data it is provided, and algorithms can be manipulated and skewed.

“Some of the teachers we heard from said they wanted to stay away from AI all together, that it was too controversial,” Dugan says. “They were afraid of plagiarism and cheating, and not being able to detect it. But I say AI is here to stay; it’s not going to go away and it will only progress.”

“AI is going to keep growing and infiltrating more parts of our lives,” adds Zapata-Berrios. “It’s already all over the place and constantly analyzing and improving. It will become more prevalent in classrooms, however, I don’t think it will become something that the students use to outsource their thinking. I think it’ll be present without the students knowing it’s there.”

Medical School Journey

Rachel Arakawa enters her final year at George Washington

She’s more accustomed to dispensing medicine than she is advice. So, when asked what she would advise students to expect when they’re in medical school, Rachel Arakawa ’20 offered this simple suggestion: “Keep focus on your goals. And remember, you are just as qualified as anyone there.”

During a casual information session with students enrolled in Dr. Amber Noguchi’s HP 390 class–Advanced Topics in Health Professions Preparation—Arakawa shared her journey to George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Like many freshmen who entered college amid a global pandemic in 2020, the former Silversword soccer and tennis player had to decide whether to stay home or move to Washington D.C.

“Even though all my courses were going to be online, I decided anyway to move to D.C.,” said Arakawa, who hopes to do her residency either in the Maryland–Virginia area or on the west coast. “That first year was really tough because it was my first time being away from home, and I had six to eight hours of online lectures every day, and then another two to three hours of reviewing the previous day’s content. We covered everything I learned as an undergraduate in two months.”

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington welcomed Rachel Arakawa '20 back to campus this month for an informal discussion with students.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington welcomed Rachel Arakawa ’20 back to campus this month for an informal discussion with students.

Discipline and academic rigor, though, weren’t new to Arakawa. At the beginning of her sophomore year, the Kaneohe native decided to formally enter into an Articulation Agreement between Chaminade and George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

At its essence, an articulation agreement document is a formal arrangement between two colleges or universities, outlining a structured transfer plan for specific program offerings. Depending on the program and degree, students have the opportunity to initiate their path towards advanced studies as undergraduates. This involves building a robust academic record and fulfilling prerequisites during their time at Chaminade. The agreement benefits students by guaranteeing the transfer of all completed classes (credits) and providing a clear pathway for ongoing academic progression.

Students who want to take advantage of participating in an articulation agreement, for example with George Washington University, should apply in January of their sophomore year. “This timeline avoids any gap year between undergraduate and graduate programs,” Noguchi noted. “Applicants are required to have spent two years (four semesters) in an undergraduate program of the contractual college and to have completed approximately 60 semester hours of course work by the end of the semester during which they apply.”

Articulation agreements streamline the transfer process for everyone involved. This will help alleviate the stress surrounding the application process, the credit transfer process, and several other issues students might encounter when applying to a graduate program. By simplifying this process with transfer agreements, it is beneficial to all parties involved.

Third year bio-medical major, Joshua Dumas ’25, plans to go to med school even though he didn’t pursue an articulation agreement. The aspiring physician’s decision was based on his preference to attend a school on the west coast so he can be closer to Hawaii and family.

“I was studying all winter break for the MCATs, but I decided to wait until I was better prepared,” said Dumas, a Regent Scholarship awardee and COPE Health Scholar with Adventist Health Castle. “It was inspiring to hear how her Chaminade experience helped her in med school, as I am sure it will help me.”

Now in her fourth year and two of three medical licensing exams behind her, Arakawa has applied to various residency programs and received 20 interviews. Her choice of post-graduate training will be in emergency medicine, a specific area that she has been interested in ever since she started her academic track in the health field.

“I did a lot of event medicine, like at concerts and marathons, and I really enjoyed it,” Arakawa told the students. “I get to look at trauma, but it’s not for everyone. You’ll have to find your own passion and specialty.”

Asked by sophomore Ku‘ulei Koko ’26 if she ever experienced the impostor syndrome, Arakawa unhesitatingly answered yes. “I am a first-generation medical student and the only Hawaiian–Japanese in my class,” Arakawa added. “Some of the other students were also more familiar with the social cues and mores of the medical field since they weren’t first gen. But, I overcame impostor syndrome by not comparing myself with others, and got involved with activities that I liked.”

Healthcare is indeed the perfect complement to Chaminade University’s mission. As a Marianist institution, faculty members educate their students to embrace adaptation and change, family values and community service, which are all core components of our healthcare system. And as a liberal arts school, Chaminade ensures that graduates have a wide breadth of knowledge and are able to think critically across a range of disciplines.

“I learned a lot during my years at Chaminade years—inside and outside of the classroom,” Arakawa said. “The small class sizes and the supportive faculty helped shaped my belief in serving the community and being an empathetic individual that can make a transformational impact.”  

‘Native Voices’

Traveling exhibit makes its first Hawaii stop at Sullivan Family Library

Among medical librarians, the “Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness” art exhibit is its own version of Taylor Swift’s “The Era Tours,” having traveled across the U.S. for more than a decade now. Officially opened at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) on October 5, 2011, the multi-media interactive exhibition explores the interconnectedness of wellness, illness and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians.

With a keen and long-held desire to help improve public understanding of Native American health challenges and honor the culture, tradition and healing ways of Native Peoples, Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D. (National Library of Medicine’s director from 1984-2015) interviewed more than 80 Native American health and community leaders, resulting in over 250 video clips, the largest such collection of Native American videos known to exist.

While the exhibition’s usual iPad stands didn’t make the trip to Hawaii, you can still watch the videos online. The traveling exhibition that’s on display at Sullivan comprises six free-standing banners: the title banner introduces the exhibition; and each of the other five banners focuses on one of the main themes of Individual, Community, Nature, Tradition and Healing. The categories touch upon such topics as Native views and definitions of health and illness, Native views of land, food, community, the earth/nature, and Spirituality as they relate to Native health and illness, and contemporary and historical roles of traditional healing in Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and Native American cultures.

Krystal Kakimoto stands in front of the free-standing panels that make up “Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness.”

“I think this exhibit will resonate with Chaminade students, and the community in general, because they might see parts of themselves reflected back to them in the panels of the exhibit,” says Krystal Kakimoto, ’22 (MBA), Sullivan Family Library’s liaison librarian and director of library technical services. “For too long, Native knowledge surrounding health has been dismissed. This exhibit gives viewers a chance to reflect and critically think about health and wellness while learning about the resilience and adaptation to change inherit to Native communities.”

Stories drawn from both the past and the present examine how the determinants of health for Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives and American Indians are tied to community, the land and spirit. Through personal interviews, Native Peoples describe how individual and community wellness were affected by the political and cultural events of the 19th and 20th centuries. Individual reflections show the impact of epidemics, federal legislation, the loss of land and the inhibition of culture on the health of Native individuals and communities today. Collectively, these stories convey how Native people use both traditional and Western methods to enhance wellness, ultimately presenting an inspiring account of renaissance, recovery and self-determination.

Indeed, indigenous art often serves as a powerful medium for expressing cultural values, beliefs and experiences related to health and illness. Many indigenous cultures also hold holistic views of health that encompass physical, mental, spiritual and community well-being. “Native Voices” lays bare these interconnected aspects, emphasizing the importance of balance and harmony.

“I think the special twist on the Native part is that it’s so embedded in the land,” says one of the exhibit’s early key collaborators Marjorie Mau, M.D., physician and Chair of the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, in one of the 250 video clips. “It’s like if the land is abused or misused or not cared for, the people are reflected by that. Hopefully, future generations will understand at least when Native people are talking about who they are, and how they can take ownership of their wellness, that they’ll understand their wellness can spring from their homeland and from where they come from.”

“Native Voices: Native Peoples Concepts of Health and Illness” will be on display at the Sullivan Family Library until January 19.

“Chaminade University connects academic learning with the local community, environment and culture, creating a unique college experience for our students,” says Kakimoto, chairwoman of the Hawaii-Pacific Chapter of the Medical Library Association, an organization of consisting of professional librarians, individuals and institutions in health sciences libraries. “This philosophy takes learning beyond the traditional classroom and aims to make learning more relevant, engaging and applicable to the real world. I hope this exhibit continues our tradition of place-based learning to contextualize health in relation to the ʻāina.”

Early College Exposure

High school students earn college credit

For the past two years, Kapaa High School seniors, Tatum Harper and Taeani Largusa, have taken several synchronous online courses with Chaminade University professors, earning college credit while simultaneously fulfilling their high school requirements. The hours of studying and discipline paid off. Learning she just got into Columbia University, Harper was ecstatic.

“It’s my dream school,” said Harper, during Chaminade’s inaugural Early College Summit, which was attended by a mix of 70 students from Kapaa High School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Saint Louis. “Participating in this program has really prepared me for college.”

Largusa echoed the same sentiment, adding that she expects to hear from Syracuse University soon. “When I took the virtual campus tour I fell in love with it,” says the first generation, soon- to-be-college student. “This program has given me confidence in knowing that I can handle the demand of college courses.”

Early college programs can provide several benefits, including the opportunity for students to accelerate their education, which can lead to the completion of college degrees at an earlier age. There’s also the perk of cost savings, reducing tuition costs for future higher education.

Sacred Hearts Academy counselors Ashley Luke and Sharlene Chock both agreed that Chaminade’s early college program will help students become familiar with the expectations and rigor of college-level coursework, easing their transition to full-time college later on.

Students circled the room to fill out their bingo-like cards.
Students circled the room to fill out their bingo-like cards.
Saint Louis and Kapaa High School students mingled during the Early College Summit.
Saint Louis and Kapaa High School students mingled during the Early College Summit.
Sacred Hearts Academy students played a bingo-like game, with the first one to fill all 25 boxes with the right answers winning the grand prize.
Sacred Hearts Academy students played a bingo-like game, with the first one to fill all 25 boxes with the right answers winning the grand prize.
Chaminade’s Early College Director, Kim Baxter, addressed the students at the T.C. Ching Conference Center in Eiben Hall before they set off to visit other campus locations.
Chaminade’s Early College Director, Kim Baxter, addressed the students at the T.C. Ching Conference Center in Eiben Hall before they set off to visit other campus locations.
Sacred Hearts Academy juniors completed their first semester of college courses.
Sacred Hearts Academy juniors completed their first semester of college courses.

“Some struggled initially with the transition because of the extra studies involved in taking college-level courses,” said Luke, who counsels 10th and 11th graders. “Even our top students were stretched because they didn’t understand process versus perfection, which they’re used to achieving in high school.”

With this first cohort of 17 Lancers, Chock believes the college exposure will help them navigate the waters of post-secondary education. “They have already been individually challenged,” said the 12th grade counselor. “I think the experience shows them that college is attainable.”

Saint Louis School students Landon Dimaya, Cash Acorda and Kevin Simmons will begin their college courses next semester. The three Crusaders cited different reasons for participating in the program. Dimaya is a fraternal twin whose sister Lindsey is already a Sacred Hearts Academy participant. “I want to reduce the financial burden on my parents,” he said. “It would be really expensive to have to pay tuition for me and my sister at the same time.”

“I want to get ahead,” offered Acorda, who plans to apply to Stanford, with Simmons further noting that the experience would look good on his application.

Research demonstrates that early college programs show strong and lasting evidence of effectiveness for all students. It promotes both post-secondary access and success. The data is undeniable that students who participate in such programs will be ahead of their peers and graduate from a four-year university either debt-free or with very little federal student loan debt. The latest data further supports the claim that students who participate in these programs are better prepared to transfer to a four-year university than students who attend the university without prior college experience. 

Moreover, encouraging students to attend college improves individuals’ earnings over a career, increases the amount of taxes the government collects, and reduces government spending on federal assistance programs. 

“This program is such a great opportunity for these high school students to earn dual credits,” said Kim Baxter, Chaminade’s Early College Director. “And it gives them that real college experience.”

Budget Analyst

Carol An Nacario ’23 to start new position with the Legislature

He had her at pizza. While walking past a classroom at Kieffer Hall, Carol An Nacario was swayed by School of Business and Communication assistant dean, Asoke Datta, Ed.D., to come in for some lunch. Not one to turn down free food — what college student does — Nacario willingly ambled through the door. Only then did she realize that she had just been recruited to enter the Silversword Business Competition.

“I only came in for the pizza,” laughs Nacario ’23, a business administration major. “I knew about the competition, but I had no intention of entering.”

Not only did she enter the competition, but on Nov. 16, she and her team members, Kelsey Sablan ’23, Epifania “Epi” Petelo ’23 and Elizabeth “Liz” Devine ’23, walked away with the grand prize of $1,500 for their “Re-Thread” entrepreneurial concept, which “sews new life into unused fabrics and transforms them into stylish and sustainable pouches.”

“Carol has been a highly driven student who values self-learning and entrepreneurial opportunities for growth in the world of business,” says Assistant Professor and MBA Director Eddie Merc. “This business plan competition event was an ideal opportunity to showcase her passion for teamwork and giving back to the community through service and sustainability efforts. I’m very proud of Carol and her team to represent School of Business and Communication so well at this important entrepreneurial venue.”

Re-Thread members (Elizabeth “Liz” Devine ’23 is missing) from left, Carol An Nacario, Kelsey Sablan and Epifania ‘Epi’ Petelo, won the $1,500 grand prize. The competition’s judges included, from left, David Oyadomari, Dr. Gail Grabowsky, Eric Fujimoto, Sharon Weiner and Hogan program director Dr. Roy Panzarella.

This was just the first victory for Nacario, who will end her collegiate experience on a winning streak. The second has even greater consequences. After seeing a flyer advertising that “The Hawaii State Senate is HIRING,” the Guam native decided to apply for one of the openings.

“I got a call asking me to choose an interview date,” Nacario says. “I chose Nov. 2 and a couple of weeks later, I found out I was hired, and I received an offer letter signed by Hawaii State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.”

Starting in January, Nacario will be a budget analyst with the powerful Senate Committee on Ways and Means (WAM), which oversees programs relating to overall state financing policies, including revenue enhancement, taxation, other revenues, and cash and debt management; statewide implementation of planning, programming, budgeting and evaluation; and government structure and finance.

“The day before the interview, I approached Dr. Merc for some advice about what to expect,” Nacario recounts. “He told me to relax, and to be prepared to be asked about my strengths and weaknesses.”

Nacario also summoned the STAR method—a lesson that she had learned from visiting assistant professor, Pamela Estell, Ph.D.—which is an interview technique that gives interviewees a straightforward format they can use to tell a story by laying out the Situation, Task, Action and Result.

“I was very nervous at first,” Nacario says. “They asked me a lot of questions about budgets and if I had ever worked on government budgeting. I had mentioned VLOOKUP, which is an Excel function that I learned from Shari Young (Director of Finance & Operations for Make-A-Wish Hawaii) during my internship, and they were impressed.”

For the 21-year-old Chamorro, the opportunities afforded to her by Chaminade almost never happened. She was initially enrolled to attend the University of Guam until a close friend convinced her to apply to Chaminade. Two weeks before the start of classes in Guam, Nacario finally received an acceptance letter from Chaminade University.

“For some reason, the letter was delayed and it was never delivered when it should have been,” Nacario recalls. “It was the year of COVID and I had to quickly make a decision.”

She made the right one. As she finishes her final exams and celebrates her 22nd birthday on Dec. 16, Nacario reflects back on her four years at Chaminade with a wide smile on her face.

“When I came to Hawaii, I had never been to any other mainland state,” Nacario says. “I don’t think I would have grown in Guam, like I have here. I was an introvert and intimidated with titles, but now I am able to work in a professional environment, like the State Legislature.”