Chaminade University of Honolulu

Student Life

Economic Lesson

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Chaminade students teach Jarrett Middle School students about economics

Standing in front of 13 William P. Jarrett Middle School students, Chopper Correia ’27, Brayden Braga ’27 and Roselyn Macias ’26 started their lesson by asking the students what they knew—if anything at their age—about economics. Some boisterously screamed out “money,” while others yelled “business.”

“In preparation, we’ve outlined a lesson plan,” said Macias, studying her notes before the class began. “This is my first visit here so I’m not sure what to expect.”

It was the second for Correia and Braga, both freshmen Silversword baseball players and Business Administration majors. “We’ll cover such topics as price control and budgeting,” Correia and Braga echoed. “And we’ll play a little game with them because they can easily associate with playing games.”

Turning to the class, Braga posed a second question: Who has ever heard the terms micro and macro? One jokingly bellowed, “MI-cro-nesian,” and another fired back with “small and big.” Right, Braga responded to “small and big,” then simplified the terms by explaining that microeconomics and macroeconomics are related, but separate approaches to studying the economy.

Macias took Braga’s explanation even further by expanding the subject to cover the definition of price control, price ceiling and price floor. “Price control comes in two forms,” the sophomore Business Marketing major said. “A price ceiling keeps a price from rising above a certain level—the ceiling. And a price floor keeps a price from falling below a certain level—the floor.”

Roselyn Macias looks on as Jarrett Middle School students complete the task of creating their personal budgets.
Roselyn Macias looks on as Jarrett Middle School students complete the task of creating their personal budgets.

Braga, Correia and Macias are all participating in Chaminade’s Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement program, which aims to empower students to define and deepen their classroom learning experience through impactful need-based community engagement rooted in Marianist and Native Hawaiian values.

“Our vision is to foster a collective sense of place through investment in community partnerships, service learning process and pedagogy, and a commitment to serving others,” said Mitch Steffey, Chaminade’s Associate Director of Service Learning and Community Engagement Service. “We envision a campus culture that embraces service and service learning as a valuable community-focused vehicle toward personal growth.”

The benefits of service learning extend to both the students and the communities they serve. For students, service learning allows them to apply classroom theories and concepts to tangible, real-world situations. This hands-on experience enhances their understanding of academic material and fosters critical thinking skills. Students also often acquire a diverse set of skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership. These skills are transferable to various professional and personal contexts, contributing to their overall development.

Meanwhile, the benefits to the community are many. First and foremost, service learning projects are designed to address specific community needs. Whether it’s tutoring, environmental initiatives or healthcare support, students contribute directly to ameliorating the well-being of the community. Secondly, universities and communities can build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships through service learning programs. These collaborations promote ongoing support for community initiatives and foster a sense of shared responsibility.

“We also have a similar program with Palolo Elementary School,” said Jacob Escuza ’25, a student worker who acts as the Chaminade University liaison between Jarrett Middle School and Palolo Elementary School. “The Palolo program, though, is more of a one-on-one tutorial session with the kids.”

Steffey distinguishes the difference between community service and learning service. Citing an example of the latter, he uses a biology student who could go out in the lo‘i kalo (taro patch) to test the waters to see why one part of the patch produces more kalo than another.

“He/she can test if there’s too much acid in the water,” Steffey explained. “So, we’re going to the community to fulfill a need with the expertise that we already have through our professors, courses and classrooms.

“You don’t have that at beach cleanup,” Steffey continued. “The cleanup is good for the community, but there isn’t much learning being done.”

Jarrett Middle School students certainly learned about budgeting when Correia asked them to take a piece a paper out and pencil, and then pointed to a list on a whiteboard that included such budget line items as rent, food, water, video games, savings, candy, toys, furniture, toiletry and bike. Each was assigned a value from one to three points.

“You have 10 points or consider it the amount of money you make,” Correia instructed. “Now, choose the items you want until you reach 10 points and no more. And that will be your budget.”

The majority of the students prioritized rent and food, followed by video games, candy and bike. “I’m going to need a bike to get to work,” one student rationalized for adding the necessary transportation to the top of his priority list. “And I’m going have to eat, but I’m going to need a place to eat.”

Student Athlete

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Haley Hayakawa ’24 has all the bases covered

Haley Hayakawa gets sworn in at the Kapolei field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Accepted into the FBI’s “Honors Internship Program,”Haley Hayakawa gets sworn in at the Kapolei field office.

Her fellow classmates think she’s playing Candy Crush on her laptop. But in actuality, Haley Hayakawa ’24 is eyeing her Google calendar, which is scattered with different colors, each representing a lab, class or work hours that she has committed to during the week.

When the California native is not in a class or lab, she’s out in left field, shagging flies as a member of the Women’s Softball team. And during the summer, Hayakawa was working 40 hours a week at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s field office in Kapolei, where she participated in the “Honors Internship Program,” which only accepts a sliver two percent of all its applications.

“It was my first full-time job,” said the 22-year-old Forensic Science major. “It has been the best experience I’ve ever had; everybody there wants to be there, and they all want to help you.”

An avid softball player since the eighth grade, Hayakawa committed to Chaminade University when she was a junior in high school, the earliest a student athlete can officially commit to a Division I or Division II college. 

“I was recruited by Division I and Division II schools, but some wouldn’t allow their recruits to participate in sports if they plan to major in a hard science because of all the required labs,” Hayakawa said. “Chaminade does, and it’s one of the reasons I chose to come here.”

She was also familiar with Chaminade’s Forensics Science program, which requires its students to complete a rigorous, 135-hour internship with such offices as the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner, police departments in Hawaii and Guam or the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Central Identification Laboratory. 

“During my junior year, I interned with the Medical Examiner Department, which gets involved with deaths as a result of violence, substance abuse, trauma, accidents or suicide, among other suspicious causes of death,” Hayakawa explained. “After reading some of the suicide notes, I was thankful to be stressed out because those notes helped put things in perspective for me.”

An ambitious go-getter from an early age, Hayakawa is the only child and holds high expectations from herself—and not her parents, Greg and Myra Hayakawa. In fact, her father often tells her “to be open to changes, and not everything happens as planned.”

“In my freshman year, all I could eye was being awarded summa cum laude, which requires a 3.96 GPA,” Hayakawa notes. “I’ve only had one B and that was in Organic Biochemistry, which lowered my 4.0 GPA to 3.96.”

Ironically, one of her two American Chemical Society awards was being recognized as the Most Outstanding Student in Organic Biochemistry—despite her B—and Most Outstanding Student in Forensic Chemistry, nominated by David Carter, Ph.D., Forensic Sciences director and professor.

Haley Hayakawa gets ready to take off from second base.
Haley Hayakawa gets ready to take off from second base.

“She also has minors in Biochemistry and Chemistry,” Carter says. “She is a stellar athlete on the softball team and she also works as one of our Forensic Sciences Laboratory Assistants.”

Hayakawa’s collegiate experience has certainly had its challenges. Her freshman year was during the height of COVID, which meant Hale Lokelani Residence Hall was in lockdown mode, limiting her interaction with fellow students except for her roommate Naomi Noguchi from Kauai. It was also her first time living away from home, and she couldn’t leave campus for three weeks. Meanwhile, the softball team couldn’t take to the gym and was forced to conduct its workouts via Zoom videos.

“My classes were from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, which was crazy,” Hayakawa recalls. “I was so overwhelmed, and when I went home for the winter break, my parents asked if I was OK because I had lost 30 pounds.”

When she returned to campus in the spring, Hayakawa now had to juggle between her softball season and her studies, maintaining a batting average of .377—earning her the team’s batting champion— and a perfect 4.0 GPA. 

“It’s easy to manage time, when your time is managed for you,” Hayakawa quips. “I’m all in … all the time.”

As she completes her final year as a Silversword, Hayakawa fondly reflects back on her time on Kalaepohaku campus, on the softball field, in the labs and with her friends. She already has future plans to attend graduate school, after having turned down a job offer with the FBI field office in Kapolei. 

“I’ve always wanted to help the community through criminal justice,” says Hayakawa, who will graduate as summa cum laude, thus achieving her ultimate freshman goal. “I made the right decision to come to Chaminade, not only because of its small class sizes, but because I got to form relationships with my professors and formed new friendships.”

Student Research Project

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Pam Oda presents her research findings in Texas

It’s just the beginning stages of her research, but Pam Oda ’24 has already presented her preliminary findings at the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology (SPCP) in Arlington, Texas, thanks to monies from the Alliance Supporting Pacific Impact through Computational Excellence (ALL-SPICE) grant. Standing in front of her presentation board, Oda explained the importance of education in the law enforcement field, which has long been debated. While many agencies have historically required little to no college coursework for entry-level positions, research suggests a positive correlation between education and job performance at all levels of law enforcement.

With the mentorship and encouragement of Dr. Kelly Treece, Criminology and Criminal Justice director and associate professor, Oda’s study evaluated disciplinary actions taken against Honolulu Police Department officers. With access to open records, Oda was able to obtain the types of allegations of police misconduct, which are divided into four sections: administrative investigation, criminal investigation, quality assurance and accreditation.

“Most of the violations were for administrative reasons,” said Treece, a former sergeant and trainer with the Pewaukee Police Department in Wisconsin. “Pam did a really good job with her presentation, and she handled herself very well in front of a lot of professionals.”

Pam Oda stands next to her poster board in Arlington, Texas.

The recent calls for police reform—combined with mounting evidence that an educated police force can have positive effects—have sparked a nationwide conversation about raising education requirements for police officers.

“Currently, the minimum qualification to become an HPD officer only requires having a high school diploma or your GED,” Oda said. “I think we need to raise that standard in Hawaii.”

In her presentation, Oda noted that 51.25 percent of officers received a High School Diploma or GED, 27.5 percent held a bachelor’s degree and 15 percent have received their associate’s degree or completed 60 semester credits or more. The numbers are consistent with national statistics, which show that only one percent of local police departments across the U.S. require their officers to hold four-year degrees and only eight percent call for officers to have attended any college at all.

Oda further noted that early research indicates that there is a broad performance difference between officers who have a college education and those who do not.

Citing a paper written by S.M. Smith and M.G. Aamodt (1997) in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, the co-authors found that police officers who possess college degrees are better performers than those with only high school degrees, including overall performance, communication skills and decision-making ability. 

According to Oda, this type of research has been ongoing yet most departments are not implementing these findings into policy and practice. In addition, in a study conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (2019), officers with a four-year college degree had significantly fewer civilian complaints than those with only a high school diploma. 

Oda also pointed out that research shows higher education has significant benefits for law enforcement officers, including the ability to navigate the complexities of modern-day policing, which consists of critical analysis, enhanced communication abilities and a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system (S. Christopher, 2015, in Policing: A Journal of Police and Practice). 

Now in her fifth year at Chaminade, Oda will complete a double major in Criminology and Criminal Justice and Data Science, Analytics and Visualization with minors in Computer Information Systems and Psychology in December. The Hilo native hopes to continue her research with Treece at Chaminade while pursuing her graduate degree in Criminal Justice.

“That’s the plan right now,” said Oda, who serves as the president for the Chaminade Student Government Association, as well as the president of the Restauranteers Club. “Since starting in fall 2019, I have taken advantage of the countless opportunities that Chaminade has to offer, from student clubs and organizations to research and internship opportunities to student employment and the ‘ohana spirit.”

Treece, too, plans to expand the research to include the Sheriff Division of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety, which will then include statewide statistics and a broader representation. By doing so, she and Oda will be able to capture a more robust picture of the correlation between education and law enforcement.

“The next step is to write a paper, which I’ve asked Pam to help me co-author,” Treece said. “She’s a little hesitant and nervous about it, just like she was when I first approached her about presenting in Texas. I think she’ll do great.”

Yin and Yang

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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.”      

‘Sudisfaction’ Guaranteed

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Brothers establish essential men’s care

In 2020, Jacob Fernandez ’23 was in flight school until he was grounded by a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. With only 50 hours left to earn his private pilot license, the California native made, what he described, “as a spontaneous decision” to fly in a completely different direction—towards Hawaii.

“I had a friend who was going to Chaminade, and he told me it was a great school,” Fernandez says. “So, I decided to do my due diligence, and I looked into the nursing program, which I’ve always been interested in. Ironically, my friend decided he didn’t like nursing so he dropped out, but here I am in my final year.”

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic took higher education into unprecedented times. The necessary pivot from in-person to online teaching and learning proved to be difficult for many students, educators and administrators. Undergraduate nursing programs faced an even more complex decision because large portions of the curriculum rely on hands-on clinical experience. Ultimately, most programs completed the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester remotely, while the Fall 2020 semester looked different for many programs, some moving forward with in-person learning, others virtual.

Jacob Fernandez holds one of Broessentia’s handmade soaps.

On a positive note, there were opportunities for students to develop interventions and improve their experience, including changing the environment, learning via virtual gatherings, responding to the flexibility of faculty, undertaking supplemental learning and pursuing intentional self-care. 

That last point of self-care resonated with Fernandez and his older brother, Chris Fernandez. “Growing up, our mother would make natural, personal care products, which made us more conscious of what we used on our bodies,” says Jacob Fernandez. “So, my brother and I started a company that focuses on men’s personal care, and called it Brossentia.”

A portmanteau of brother and essential, Brossentia officially launched online on May 17, 2020, offering a line of natural, handcrafted bar soaps, which are made with a base of olive, coconut, jojoba or sustainable palm oil.

In between his nursing studies and starting an online business, Fernandez decided to enroll in the one-year Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, which he now credits for teaching him some valuable business skills. 

“The Hogan Program has provided insightful experiences through listening to entrepreneurs and hearing their journeys towards success,” Fernandez says. “It was inspiring to hear them speak about how they overcame their diversities and challenges.”

At the April 2023 Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Induction/Graduation Ceremony, Fernandez was honored with this year’s “In the Arena” Award for outstanding entrepreneurship. It was a well-deserved recognition, according to Hogan Entrepreneurial Program Director Roy Panzarella, Ph.D.
“Jacob will be a senior in the nursing program, which is one of the toughest and most demanding programs we have at Chaminade today,’” Panzarella says. “He’s also the first nursing major to be a Hogan Entrepreneur.”

Along with the objective to create a business and a product, the brothers conducted market research, which ranged from consumer type and market size to earth-friendly packaging and trends. Unlike commercial brands, Jacob and Chris Fernandez handcraft each bar in-house—literally, in their mom’s Hermosa, Calif., kitchen—to ensure the highest quality control. They also developed their own molds, using material that they bought from Home Depot. 

Their cold-process soap is made by combining oils and sodium hydroxide lye, which causes a chemical reaction called saponification. In the process, they get to choose the oils, scents, colorants and any other ingredients. Their line of soaps includes Bay Citrus, Black Moss, Crisp Mint and the popular Goated, which is made with oatmeal, a combination of oils, shea butter, essential oils of spearmint and eucalyptus and, yes, goat’s milk.

“Our competitors use drop-ship soap, which means they buy their soaps from a manufacturer and brand it as their own,” Jacob Fernandez explains. “Our cold-process soap is tedious, and it takes about a month for our soaps to cure.”

As Brossentia business takes off, Jacob Fernandez remains grounded, following the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s motto, “Doing business things that make social sense. Doing social things that make business sense.” 

“I would say that our business aligns with the Marianist value of family spirit,” the 22-year-old says. “Through shared experiences, we plan to partner with grassroot organizations that promote and expand quality mental healthcare for men, donating one percent of our sales to nonprofits.

“Chaminade has put me in a better position to become a registered nurse,” Jacob Fernandez continues. “Balancing life, studies, clinical hours, a part-time job and Brossentia can be demanding. Going into my fourth year, I feel like I need to fit a few more pieces into the puzzle before graduating, but I am excited for the future.”

As Brossentia’s tagline goes: Sudisfaction Guaranteed.

New Student Orientation

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Incoming class of freshmen familiarize themselves with campus resources

Across the nation, thousands of freshmen will mark a rite of passage this month, standing in that liminal space between what lies behind and what awaits ahead—between the familiar past and the unpredictable future. As Davis and Rian Wakefield helped their daughter, Shalei Parong, check in to the Hale Pohaku dormitory during New Student Orientation, they felt a mix of emotions: sadness, worry and excitement.

“At least she’s close to home,” said Davis Wakefield, a firefighter with the Hawaii Fire Department based in Kona. “This is her choice to come here, and we support her decision; it’s a new chapter of her life.”

Writing their own stories was a key theme in Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington’s welcoming message to incoming students during the Academic Convocation at the Mamiya Theater. Another one of her keynotes involved the principles of a holistic, Marianist education, focused on service, justice, peace, adaptation and change.

“You’ve chosen to attend a warm and welcoming liberal arts University,” Babington told students. “You will form bonds here, and you’ll delve new ways of thinking and discerning who you are and who you want to be.”

Students write their names on tags.
Incoming freshmen received a lanyard for their student ID cards.
Checking in for New Student Orientation.
Signing in for New Student Orientation.
Waiting for the app Canva to open.
Faculty members stood outside of Mamiya Theater.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington to address students.
It was a full house at Mamiya Theater.
Trying to navigate the Kalaepohaku campus.
Faculty members gather for the Academic Convocation.
Faculty members gather for the Academic Convocation.
Fr. Chris Wittmann led the group in prayer.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington and faculty members welcomed new students during the Academic Convocation.
Chaminade Provost Lance Askildson explained that higher education is an intellectual exercise in application and reflection. 
Students applaud the words of Dr. Lance Askildson.
Chaminade Student Government Association President, Pamela Oda, advised new students not to fear change.
Students walk out of Mamiya Theater after Convocation.
A group of freshmen explored the Kalaepohaku campus.
Learning about campus resources.
Orientation leaders flash their shaka of approval.

Mandatory for all freshmen and transfers, the New Student Orientation (NSO) is designed to acquaint new students with the campus and the many available campus resources that enhance both academic success and personal development. Orientation activities focus on several important areas, including the curriculum, academic advising, college success, scholarships and financial aid, campus activities, student services, student organizations, Silversword Spirit and campus facilities.

“As I look into the audience, I see the many incoming college students who are unsure about what the future holds, already starting to feel homesick, thinking whether you made the right decision or not,” said Chaminade Student Government Association President Pamela Oda in her address to fellow students at the Academic Convocation. “College is a chapter in your life that involves the word that many people dread—change. Be open to the change and new experiences, don’t fight it!”

Freshman Jordan Ponsar ’27 said he was “stoked” when he was offered a soccer scholarship to attend Chaminade. The Long Island, N.Y., native was quick to make friends on move-in day, helping resident assistants, Kelsey Sablan ’23 and Micah Sanders ’24 at the check-in desk in the lobby of Hale Pohaku co-ed dorm.

“I’m going to make the most of my four years here,” said Ponsar, flashing the shaka sign. “This is all new so I look forward to all the future opportunities and experiences.”

In his opening comments, Senate Faculty President Dr. David Carter rhetorically asked, “Do you know what you’ve gotten yourselves into?” His question elicited some nervous laughter from the audience, but his answer was simple. “You’ve enrolled in a university where we want to get to know you,” said the Director and Professor of Forensic Sciences. “Being in the classroom with students is my happiest time of the week. I hope you learn from me as much as I learn from you.”

Navigating a successful collegial life is not always easy, especially during freshman year when everything seems foreign and unfamiliar. Yet Chaminade’s ‘ohana spirit provides a comfortable and safe environment that makes it easier for students to explore. Students are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, to be curious, to embrace adaptation and to try something new. 

“You are here because we see in you the potential for transformation through higher education and the opportunity to live an examined life in service to yourself and your community,” said Dr. Lance Askildson, Chaminade Provost and Chief Academic Officer. “This is, in truth, an exhilarating yet also quite challenging inflection-point in your life.  You will struggle and even fail at times to achieve your goals—and that is OK. We are all here, as a community of faculty, staff and administrators, to support you and your journey.”

In her concluding remarks, Oda offered some sage advice. “As you start this new chapter in life, be open to experiencing new things and opportunities because you never know what could happen,” she advised. “As you meet new people, keep in mind that everyone comes from different walks of life and may not have experienced the same things you have. Each of you has your own unique story, embrace it. Once again, welcome to the Silversword ‘Ohana and SWORDS UP!”