Leila Morinaga and her daughter, Maelia Thomas, share a lot.
They both believe in hard work and they both have a passion for business and finance.
And at Chaminade’s Commencement on May 3, they both got to share the stage—accepting their respective degrees on the same memorable day. Morinaga graduated with her MBA and Thomas accepted her associate’s degree, earned through Chaminade’s Early College partnership with Sacred Hearts Academy.
She was among 17 Sacred Hearts students who completed their associate’s degrees this Spring—and part of the first cohort to achieve the milestone.
Maelia, 17 and a senior at Sacred Hearts, said her mother inspires her every day with her example.
For Morinaga, the feeling is mutual. She decided to go back to school and get her MBA after watching her daughter juggle the dual obligations of high school and college work.
“I’m just so glad that I get to share this special moment with her,” Morinaga said, before the Commencement ceremonies on May 3.
Added Maelia, “I’m really happy that I get to graduate with my mom. What really kept me going with this program was seeing my mom every night working on homework, staying up late. Seeing how she can do all this and still manage to get a master’s.”
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Morinaga is chief operating officer at KÉCO CAPITAL, an investment firm. She opted for Chaminade’s Professional MBA given her years of experience, and said she knew she’d made the right decision after meeting her fellow cohort members and professors.
“Everyone I’ve met in the program has been amazing,” she said. “They bring all kinds of strengths.”
She said networking was a weekly opportunity with her fellow students, executives from a diversity of fields. “Pharmacy, medical, tourism. It’s been very interesting to hear and see the way everyone works while we’re all trying to achieve the same goal,” Morinaga said.
Maelia said she decided to pursue the Early College program at Chaminade because of its cost-effectiveness, allowing her to graduate from high school with two years of college under her belt.
At Chaminade, she also found professors who challenged her to delve into ethics and social justice—topics that she believes will offer a strong foundation in her business career.
For now, though, her focus is on taking a moment to celebrate.
Her graduation party later in May will also mark another special occasion: Her 18th birthday.
