In an era fraught with troubling headlines and controversial news, Chaminade University was proud and honored to host a local journalist to share her perspectives with students and staff, as well as her advice on how to make the most of the opportunities we have.
This week, Chaminade University Silverswords were treated to fun stories and words of inspiration from a well-known Hawai‘i media figure: Catherine Cruz.
Cruz is the host of the popular show The Conversation on Hawai‘i Public Radio. Her visit to Chaminade University and lecture kicked off the 2026 speaker series hosted by Chaminade’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, a forum for students interested in developing future business ideas and models.
A former KITV television journalist, Cruz was selected to be the first guest speaker for the Hogan Spring Gathering. The event drew strong interest from both on and off campus, packing the Kieffer Hall lecture room with Hogan Entrepreneurial Program participants and alumni, curious Chaminade students, and visitors to our Kaimuki campus.
Cruz kicked off the evening by speaking of her recent travels to London, where she set out on a personal mission to find an 18th Century Chamorran-built outrigger sailing canoe renowned for its speed and sophistication for the time.
The type of vessel in question, the Sakman, was named the “flying proa” by an early English explorer. Cruz said she believes a surviving Sakman could have made its way to London via a collector, sending her off on the quest.
Unfortunately, she was unable to find the canoe on this recent trip of hers to the United Kingdom, but Cruz is undeterred. She shared that she’s planning to return to London soon, confident that she’s on the right track. This determination underscored a main lesson she imparted to the audience, a lesson she took from her years spent interviewing successful entrepreneurs and business people: never give up.
“Don’t get discouraged by the failures,” she said. “Be prepared to fail.”
Cruz, originally from Guam, also shared how she came into a career in journalism.
After college, she applied for a back-office support role at a TV station in Guam but landed in their newsroom instead. She’s never looked back.
Cruz said her journey shows how anyone can overcome adversity. She explained how she was very shy in her youth but quickly learned how to break out of her shell and grow into the public figure she is today thanks to the news business.
“I got over that shyness,” she said.
You can listen to her show, The Conversation, on HPR on weekdays from 11 am.
