Chaminade University will hold its 67th annual Spring Commencement on May 3 at the Waikiki Shell.
This year, two ceremonies are planned—one for undergraduates and a second for master’s and doctoral students so families have more time to celebrate with their graduating loved ones.
The ceremony for graduates will begin at 10 a.m. and feature speaker Keiki-Pua Dancil, Ph.D., senior vice president of government affairs and strategic planning at Pulama Lana‘i and chair of the Chaminade Board of Regents. At Pulama Lana‘i, Dancil directs the efforts of the Community Development team and is also responsible for fostering relationships with government agencies, businesses and the permitting and entitlements process.
John Leong, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Pono Pacific Land Management and co-founder and CEO of nonprofit Kupu, will be the featured speaker for undergraduate students. That ceremony is set to kick off at 3 p.m.
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Pono Pacific is Hawai’i’s only comprehensive, private natural resource management company, providing conservation, sustainable energy and agriculture services. Meanwhile, Kupu seeks to develop the next generation of environmental stewards in the islands.
Madison M. Makishima ’25 will serve as the student speaker for the undergraduate ceremony. She is graduating with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. The student speaker at the graduate ceremony is Kelly Dolan-Sapp, Ed.D ’25, an experienced educational researcher and advocate.
Organizers said 320 Class of 2025 graduates are expected at the undergraduate ceremony while 250 are expected at the graduate ceremony. Because there are two ceremonies, each graduating student is allowed to bring up to 15 ticketed guests.
Lei giving will happen after the ceremony at Kapiolani Regional Park. The ceremonies will also be streamed live online.
Graduates and prospective attendees are asked to prepare for traffic in the area and to plan ahead for transportation and parking options. For the latest on the events, click here.