Chaminade students, faculty and staff gathered this week for the seventh annual Taste of Culture event.
The celebration spotlights Chaminade’s cultural diversity with foods from around the world.
The event April 9, organized by the Chaminade Student Government Association, was held on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
For more Chaminade events, click here to go to our online calendar.
A team of Chaminade University students took top honors at an international business competition, wowing the judges with their strong presentation skills and innovative marketing strategies aimed at bolstering grassroots social media engagement.
Some 40 U.S. and international university teams participated in this year’s Fully Virtual IACBE Live Case Competition. Students spent more than a month crafting a marketing and engagement strategy for a real company—WealthFluent—as it seeks to reach Gen Z professionals.
The winning Chaminade team included John Barayuga ’25, Blake Buonopane ’25, Madelynne Knowd ’26 and Brycen Shackelford ’26, and their first-place title meant they took home a $1,200 prize. Their winning strategy: Crafting athlete and university partnerships to build a strong brand.
“Participating in this competition helped me grow as both a learner and a leader by challenging me to apply real-world problem-solving skills in a collaborative environment,” said Buonopane, the team captain.
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“As a leader, I learned to communicate effectively, delegate tasks based on team strengths, and stay adaptable under pressure. The experience strengthened my confidence, decision-making skills, and ability to guide a team toward a common goal, preparing me for future academic and professional challenges.”
He added, “Walking away with the top prize feels incredibly rewarding and validating. It’s a reflection of all the hard work and teamwork we put into bringing our idea to life. More than just winning, it feels amazing to know that our solution made an impact and stood out among other strong competitors since this was the first year it was virtual.”
The students tackled the challenge as part of their Business Strategy 469 course.
Wera Panow-Loui, MBA, a marketing lecturer at Chaminade and an advisor for the group, said students worked hard to apply what they’d learned in a real-world setting and continuously hone their proposal. “Placing first among 40-plus teams is a prestigious achievement, especially considering the client and judges are highly-experienced professionals,” she said.
“I am incredibly proud of our students. They demonstrated exceptional critical thinking, business acumen and the ability to apply classroom learning in innovative ways.”
Eduard “Eddie” Merc, Ph.D., assistant professor of Business Administration and director of the University’s MBA program, noted that five Chaminade teams participated in the competition—held online for the first time this year.
“As mentors, we used our expertise in business analytics, marketing, and business strategies to prepare students with a comprehensive plan to solve the company’s biggest challenges,” Merc said.
Chaminade has participated in the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) competition for several years. In 2024, the University placed third overall.
Future Silverswords and their parents gathered on campus this weekend for Admitted Student Day.
Attendees got the opportunity to meet with academic programs, browse a Student Resource Fair, tour campus and pose for Silversword photoshoots.
The event also included an “Eat the Streets Lunch” with vendors serving up tasty favorites.
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President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. said the event is an “important time for some of our prospective students and their families to come have a look at our campus, meet some of our faculty and staff, and tour the residence halls. It’s a great opportunity for people interested in attending Chaminade University to come have an up-close look.”
In addition to academic open houses, financial aid counselors were on hand to discuss Chaminade’s financial aid packages and scholarships.
Among the attendees was Mathias Mafi, a high school senior.
“I’m just exploring the campus, looking at what they offer here at Chaminade,” he said. “My mom graduated from the School of Business so it’s like coming back home—great campus, great people around.”
Chaminade University welcomed more than 100 high school students Dec. 16 from Kapa‘a High School, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Saint Louis School for a full-day campus visit that included classes, tours, and workshops as part of the university’s Early College Program.
“Our Early College Summit is a unique opportunity for our students pursuing dual high school and college credit to learn more about Chaminade’s cutting-edge academic programs, chat one-on-one with their professors and get details on our individualized student support services designed to set them up for success,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D.
“Hosting these exceptional students is our honor—and part of Chaminade’s commitment to offering robust pathways for Hawai’i students to earn college credit, and for some their associate’s degrees, before they even graduate from high school.”
The Early College Program at Chaminade provides access to a college education for a diverse group of Hawai’i high school students as part of the University’s mission to prepare leaders for tomorrow, ready to make impactful contributions to their communities and professions.
Studies show that early college students are better prepared for full-time college entry, college life and expectations. Students who earn college credit while still in high school are also more likely to go to college, stay in school and graduate.
“The earlier you have the experience of being on a college campus, of experiencing classes, it gives you time to think about: Is college the right fit for me? What college do I want to go to? And also what might I want to study,” Babington said.
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“It also helps students realize they can succeed in these college classes while they’re in high school.”
In addition to a special welcome from President Babington and other University administrators, Early College students at the summit visited Chaminade’s state-of-the-art Nursing simulation labs, the United Nations CIFAL Honolulu Center, and Forensic Sciences Crime Scene Lab.
Loke Kaho’opōmaika’i Yokoyama ’25 hopes to pursue a career that allows her to bring together fashion marketing and sustainability. Those passions were on display in the recent Silversword Business Competition, which tasks participating teams with crafting a real-world business proposal.
Yokoyama and her group of three other students—John Paul Pacura ’25, Brianna Gutierrez ’25, and Heavenly Campbell ’25—used $250 in seed money to develop “Charmed by Kalaepōhaku,” selling hand-crafted, sustainable jewelry that celebrates the natural beauty of Chaminade’s campus.
“We aim to educate Chaminade students, faculty, and the broader community on the indigenous and invasive plant life thriving on Kalaepōhaku, the hill upon which the university resides,” Yokoyama explained. “Each piece is designed to connect wearers to the land’s beauty.”
That way, she added, people can “carry a piece of Kalaepōhaku wherever they go.”
The innovation, heart and meticulous planning at the center of the team’s business proposal wowed judges in the competition, held Nov. 22 on campus. And at the end of the night, Charmed by Kalaepōhaku walked away with a $1,000 check to reinvest into their small business.
Dr. Masahisa Yamaguchi, an associate professor of Strategic Management at Chaminade, teaches the Business 469 class that culminates in the competition and said all participants—not just the overall winners—get the opportunity to build relationships with mentors and gain real-world experience.
That’s made the competition, first held in Fall 2021, a hit with students.
“Students prepared for the business competition presentation by thoroughly understanding the competition’s rules, criteria, and target audience,” Yamaguchi said.
“They crafted a clear and compelling story that highlights the problem, the solution, market opportunity, business model, and financial projections, supported by professional, visually appealing slides.”
Four groups participated this year, including one that sold tapas and another that offered soccer training.
“The idea behind this competition was to give Chaminade students a greater appreciation for what they are learning in business, how it is applied in the marketplace and the importance of relationship-building,” Yamaguchi said. And that’s exactly what students gained along the way.
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Judges for the competition were:
• Kynan Pang MBA ’13, a commercial Realtor
• Kendrick Morikawa MBA ’22, of SmartClean
• Chaminade Regent Eric Fujimoto MBA ’94
• Kristine Stebbins ’87, chief experience officer at Bank of Hawaii
• Jay Higa, SBC Advisory Board member
• Kristal Koga, local small business owner and Soroptimist International board member
Yokoyama described the competition as challenging, stressful and rewarding—much like running a real business.
“The seed money helped us kickstart our business with a budget higher than we were willing to provide from our own pockets,” Yokohama said, adding that she has made jewelry in the past as a hobby and jumped at the chance to turn a fun craft into a business that she could get behind.
The group sold their creations at a recent open market held on campus.
With a big win under their belt, the team is excited about pursuing next steps.
“We ran into various time constraints as a team due to our individually demanding schedules and commitments outside of class,” Yokoyama said. “However, I will say that we were dedicated to upholding strong communication to ease any of our stressors, and remain on the same page.”
In addition to comprehensive individual, crisis and group counseling for students, Chaminade has also trained a cadre of peer mentors as part of an innovative program aimed at offering another layer of support to Silverswords who may feel uneasy seeking help or don’t need intensive services.
Earlier this year, five Silversword juniors—now all seniors—went through 16 hours of rigorous QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training, learning the signs and warnings of what to look for in their classmates as part of their preparation for Chaminade’s Peer Mentorship Program.
Director of Counseling Services Leilani Harness says a Marianist grant helped start the mentorship program in Fall 2023, and she was able to add five paid peer-mentor positions this semester.
Harness adds she has always valued peer-to-peer mentorship and jumped at the chance to start the initiative.
As NASPA-certified peer educators in the Counseling Center, Annie Kramer ’25, Micah Sanders ’25, Megan Nakamura ’25, Mya Dawkins ’25 and Claire Heffernan ’25 have helped their fellow Silverswords struggling academically, emotionally or mentally. Some of those they’ve helped are worried about grades, while others are concerned about personal relationships.
(Historically, NASPA stood for National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. However, the organization updated the name of the association to NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.)
According to Kramer and Sanders, students many times want more information about school-work-life balance, followed by stress management and coping skills.
“We saw between 10-12 clients last semester,” said Kramer, who is now the administrative assistant at the center and peer mentor co-lead with Sanders and Nakamura.
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Kramer said the peer mentoring program is effective because some students feel more comfortable sharing thoughts with people “who are their same age and who look like them.”
The peer mentors lend an empathetic ear to any student who needs support. They seek to build trust, create a safe environment, and show compassion. Sometimes, they just hang out.
“It feels more organic,” said Sanders, who spent hours under the supervision of Harness.
“Having a program like this peer mentorship is extremely important, especially on campus where students might feel anxious and homesick.”
Sanders said his biggest piece of advice to students is: Go out, meet new people and get out of your comfort zone. “The Counseling Center is a lifeline to the different departments,” he adds.
As the school year progresses, Harness emphasized that the Counseling Center is available for individual sessions, couples therapy and small friend groups Mondays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“I am always available after hours, so feel free to contact me at any time,” Harness adds. “That’s literally my job—to be here for students and employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
For a full list of crisis resources available to anyone in need, click here.
All five peer mentors say they appreciate the hands-on experience of talking with fellow students and, most importantly, being able to help.
“This program really aligns well with what I want to do, which is to become a high school or college counselor,” Kramer says. “And Chaminade is providing the opportunity for me to reach that goal.”
