Chaminade University of Honolulu

Student Life

NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program

Two Chaminade students, Eri Leong ’23 and Andrew Ancheta ’21 were accepted into the 2020–2021 class of NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP). Hosted by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) in Higher Education, the highly competitive fellowship gives students from traditionally underrepresented and historically disenfranchised communities a chance to learn more about careers in student affairs and higher education.

Eri Leong '23, 2020–2021 class of NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program
Eri Leong ’23

Students apply together with a mentor from their home university, and spend one year participating in on-campus mentorship, professional development events and scholarship opportunities.

For her mentor, Leong chose Allison Jerome, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Chaminade. “She seems to be brilliant at everything she does, and if I were to become a student affairs professional, I would want to embody that brilliance of hers as much as possible” says Leong when asked about her decision. “I chose Dean Allison because I look up to her immensely and I know she has an incredible amount of information to guide me with.”

Ancheta had similar praise for the mentor he selected, Joseph Granado, Chaminade’s Director of Student Activities and Leadership. “It is easy to tell that Joseph genuinely wants to see all of his students succeed,” says Ancheta. “He knows how to connect with them, how to understand them, and most importantly, how to challenge them to reach for the stars that they desire. He is a great inspiration to many.”

Leong and Ancheta both felt connected to the organization’s mission: to increase the number of historically disenfranchised and underrepresented professionals in student affairs and/or higher education, including but not limited to those of racial and ethnic-minority background; those having a disability; and those identifying as LGBTQ. And they both see student affairs as a potential long-term career path.

“I’ve always loved helping people and student affairs is a profession that has the joy of getting to do that everyday,” says Leong. “I’m drawn to the possibility of having a profession that allows me to assist the next generation in flourishing into the best possible versions of themselves.”

Andrew Ancheta '21, 2020–2021 class of NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP)
Andrew Ancheta ’21

“My lifelong journey is one of self-improvement,” explains Ancheta. “I am really just hoping to gain the tools and skills that will help me be successful in improving lives. I want to walk with others on their journey toward self-discovery, internal reflection and professional development.”

Leong and Ancheta will have access to the entire Student Affairs division at Chaminade and gain a better understanding of what a profession in student affairs entails. They’ll also participate in the regional NASPA conference that will be held in November.

Although the conference will be virtual, they’re both excited about the networks they’ll create with students from other universities.

“I’m looking forward to meeting and connecting with other NUFP members,” says Leong. “People-oriented is a characteristic I heavily consider myself to have, so with every new experience I’m always looking forward to the people I get to meet and learn from.”

Similarly, Ancheta says: “As someone who was born and raised in the beautiful state of Hawaii, it is not too often that I hear fresh perspectives. Hearing new stories from new people is a great way to continue the development of my own personal outlook on life situations, social issues, etc.”

In the meantime, they’re just excited to continue learning from their mentors and gaining new insight into student affairs as a profession.

“As [Joseph’s] NUFP mentee, I am looking forward to learning more about all of the skills, techniques, and methods that he has picked up throughout his years as a student affairs professional,” says Ancheta. “I have absolute confidence that I will continue to learn from him.”

“We Care” Packages

Though unable to gather in person, Chaminade students still felt the love. Faculty and staff volunteers gathered to distribute celebratory care packages to all students (day undergraduates, online undergraduates, graduate students and PsyD students) at a drive-through event today.

Students who pulled up to the Chaminade campus were greeted by a group of Chaminade staff and faculty members cheering them on and giving words of encouragement. They were directed to pull up to the distribution table, where they were handed a care package full of hot meals, breakfast foods, fresh fruits, baked goods, snacks and more through their passenger side window.

“With COVID-19, we have to be creative and find new ways to show our students that we care about them, and we miss them, says Allison Jerome, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students at Chaminade University.”

For some students, this was the last time they got to see Chaminade faculty and staff before graduating next week. “I’m so grateful that they took the time to put on this event for us,” says Theresa Dao, a soon-to-be-Chaminade-graduate and biology major. “It’s been really hard having to finish out my senior year without seeing my Chaminade ‘ohana, so it was nice having a chance to say goodbye, even though I could only wave from my car. I’m really going to miss them.”

Chaminade plans to reopen campus in the fall, and their official graduation ceremony has been postponed to December 14, 2020.

A Cultural Experience

There are few traditions as beloved – or as fun – at Chaminade as the Pacific Island Review.

Pacific Island Review 2019, Samoan Club performance

Every year, hundreds come together to watch members of the University’s student cultural clubs take to the Sullivan Family Library Lawn to showcase their talents in music and dance with high-energy performances. It’s an evening punctuated by good food – and lots and lots of good cheer.

And this year was no exception.

From sunset well into the night on October 26, dozens of students from the Hawaiian, Micronesian, Marianas, Tongan and Samoan cultural clubs donned traditional garb and took to the lawn to perform.

Along the way, they got plenty of applause and encouragement from the big crowd, which included students, members of Chaminade’s faculty and staff as well as attendees from the community at large.

The Pacific Island Review is annually one of Chaminade’s biggest events.

And this year, it got some buzz in the press.

In the ramp-up to the big day this year, the Samoan Club got a chance to perform on KITV morning news. And the Star-Advertiser attended the event to capture hundreds of photos for an online gallery.

Missed it? Don’t worry, Jackie Martinez ’23 created a video recapping the exciting event.

New Student Retreat

Before the fall 2019 semester got into full swing, Campus Ministry treated incoming and transfer students to a weekend retreat on the beach to make sure their welcome to Chaminade was done right.

New Student Retreat 2019

The retreat August 30 and 31 was held at a beach house in West Oahu and included lots of opportunities for play and fun — along with some chances for reflection, spiritual growth and relationship building.

Jeremiah Carter, director of Campus Ministry at Chaminade, said the gathering was designed to make sure students who are new to the Chaminade ‘ohana feel supported on campus.

“I think it’s one of the most important aspects for college students,” he said.

Carter, who started at Chaminade over the summer, is working to broaden the events Campus Ministry offers in hopes of attracting more students — along with members of the faculty and staff.

He said the retreat helped students prioritize their goals for the year and get an introduction to the Marianist philosophy, which is central to Chaminade’s mission. He said it was also a way to build friendships that have the potential to last through their college experiences — and beyond.

New Student Retreat 2019

Jacqueline Martinez ’23 was among the incoming students who attended the retreat.

Martinez, who is pursuing a degree in Communications, said the weekend allowed her to get to know her classmates better and hear from older students who are doing exciting things at the University.

“The part I enjoyed the most was how inviting the retreat staff was. Their attitudes were the main reason the retreat felt so fulfilling,” she said.

Martinez added that she’s looking forward to Campus Ministry’s next retreat.

So is International Trade student Christopher Grant DeVera Diego ’23.

Diego said the retreat was just good fun, complete with spooky stories and a bonfire.

“The retreat made me open up to many new people,” he said, “and see a side of people who I didn’t really know yet.”

Director of Student Activities and Leadership

Chaminade’s newly hired director of Student Activities and Leadership has called lots of places home.

Texas, Malaysia, California, Greece, Massachusetts, Tennessee.

All that bouncing around is likely why after just a few months in the islands, Joseph Granado has already found himself settled in—and ready to take on a slew of new initiatives.

Granado started at Chaminade in July—when the rest of his office was on summer vacation—and hit the ground running, helping to oversee fall kick-off and new student orientation events.

He said the speedy initiation to life in Hawaii and at the University allowed him to quickly craft a list of priorities for the weeks and months ahead.

One major issue he wants to address: the lack of formal student organization training that instructs on key skills like how to plan and submit a budget and how to take meeting minutes.

“Students turn over every year into their officer positions and nothing is passed down,” he said. “We’re reinventing the wheel year after year.”

Meanwhile, Granado has also broadened the scope of programming that Student Activities will take on.

In addition to the recreation and health and wellness events that students are used to from the office, Granado plans to offer other activities across key “competency areas.”

The beach outings and movie nights will still be part of the mix, he said.

But so will events centered around topics like safety and security, leadership and professional development and financial wellness.

“We’ve broadened our scope to reach a wider audience and provide skills development to our students,” Granado said, “so that when they graduate they can say they learned something from student activities that they weren’t necessarily learning in the classroom.”

Granado comes to Chaminade from MIT—yes, that MIT—where he served as associate director of student activities and leadership.

He loved the job, he said, but didn’t like the location (or the climate).

So when one of his mentors emailed him about the student activities directorship opening at Chaminade, he jumped at the chance to learn more—and pretty soon got the job.

He was elated.

“I thought, ‘This is not real,’” Granado said. “The job that you really want in a place, in a setting that is really desirable.”

Granado grew up in Texas, and got his bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio before going on to earn a master’s degree in Educational Administration at Texas A&M University.

In the years that followed Granado would travel extensively as he worked for a variety of universities and education-focused organizations. He even spent a year in Thessaloniki, Greece as the assistant site director for a cohort of study abroad students from Northeastern University.

He said that all those experiences better prepared him for his position at Chaminade. But, Granado added, Hawaii is also unique among all the places he visited.

The central reason: aloha is everywhere in the islands.

“Here, the word relationship means so much more,” he said. “For people at MIT, for example, relationship was, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ But relationship here is, ‘let’s go to a luau’ or ‘let’s talk story for three hours.’ I enjoy that a lot.”

Welcome Class of 2023

Students, faculty and staff came out in full-force to welcome the newest members of the Chaminade ‘ohana.

New Student Orientation officially began with move-in day on Thursday, August 22. The Chaminade women’s soccer team, men’s soccer team and women’s volleyball team greeted new students and their families in the parking lot to help unload. Later that evening, families joined for a welcome dinner and meet and greet with residence life staff at Hale Lokelani.

Friday began with a welcome by President Lynn Babington and a prayer service in the Mystical Rose Oratory. After, students broke out to meet their faculty while parents met with the Dean of Students. They reconnected over lunch with our Marianist brothers before heading to learn more about student life and exploring the local area on a guided trolley tour.

The day culminated at Academic Convocation, a time-honored tradition where faculty gather and dress in full academic regalia to welcome new students in an official ceremony. As explained by President Lynn Babington, “Academic Convocation formally marks the beginning of your educational experience at Chaminade, bringing together for the first time faculty and students.”

This year’s faculty speaker, Assistant Professor of Forensic Science and Chemistry Dr. Kate Perrault, encouraged students to embrace new opportunities and explore new passions. “You guys are in the driver’s seat now,” said Dr. Perrault. “Your education is in your hands. You will actively make decisions—some small, some a lot bigger—throughout the next four years that are going to shape this journey. Focus on things and decisions that will bring you happiness or fulfillment. Experiment with a new hobby and try new things, and if it doesn’t work, try something else.”

On Saturday, students explored Oahu on an island tour, stopping along the way to take in the sights at various lookout points, explore a Macademia nut farm and taste Dole Whip at the Dole Plantation. On Sunday, the official last day of New Student Orientation, students and their families took an early morning hike up to the top of Diamond Head before heading off to prepare for the first day of classes on Monday.

Welcome class of 2023—we can’t wait to see what you do with your time at Chaminade.