Chaminade University of Honolulu

Alumni

Hawaiian Leadership Values

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’19 MBA graduates co-author book for future leaders

Dressed in a tank top, shorts and slippahs, Nolene Gega ’19 scouted the streets of Kalihi, shopping around for a commercial printer. She finally found one that agreed to print a book, which she and nine other then-MBA Chaminade students co-wrote for their Island Business Po‘okela capstone project. “Hawaiian Values for Future Leaders: Definitions & Stories” was born from the idea that no reference book exists that highlights the importance of Hawaiian leadership values.

“The intent was to make a book that could be shared and approachable,” says Gega, a military veteran who was deployed to Kuwait from 2011-2012 and embedded as a civilian in Afghanistan from 2012-2014. “Every single book on Hawaiian values is so dense, and we wanted ours to be a sort of quick guide.”

Spearheaded by Gega, the 50-page book covers a series of key Hawaiian values, including Aloha, Cooperativeness (Kūpono), Humility (Haʻahaʻa), Helpfulness (Kōkua), Generosity (Lokomaikaʻi), Patience (Hoʻomanawanui), Hospitality (Hoʻokipa), Unity (Lōkahi), Courage (Koa), Responsibility (Kuleana) and Dignity (Hanohano). According to Gega, these 10 values were chosen based on the commonality of Lili‘uokalani Trust Trustee Thomas K. Kaulukukui’s journal Hūlili Vol. 10 and George S. Kanahele’s book Kū Kanaka–Stand Tall: A Search for Hawaiian Values.  

Shawn Uehira, left, and Nolene Gega co-wrote a book about Hawaiian leadership values.
Shawn Uehira ’19, left, and Nolene Gega ’19 co-wrote a book about the importance of Hawaiian leadership values among local businesses.

“It’s a tool for storytelling,” said Gega’s fellow MBA graduate and co-author Shawn Uehira ’19, who tapped retired Hawaiian Electric executive and current President of the Collaborative Leaders Network, Robbie Alm, for his mo’olelo about Aloha, Lōkahi and Pu’u (sharing with future leaders). “We didn’t want our book to turn into a MLA-style manual. We even included blank pages in between the chapters so people could write down their own stories to share for future generations.”

In addition to Gega and Uehira, other contributing MBA cohort members included Tiana Brede ’19, Auli‘I Mafi ’19, Jeffrey Pi‘imauna ’19, Cliffton Pires ’19, Dan Scroggins ’19, Faisha Solomon ’19, Kim Spring ’19 and Xiao Yi ’19. Each was responsible for choosing one of the values and finding a storyteller who would be willing to share his/her perspectives regarding that particular value. Among the storytellers and community leaders are Cindy Asada, Director of Guest Relations at Four Seasons Hualalai;  Esben Borsting, Chaminade’s Director of Native Hawaiian Partnerships; Ed Demello, owner of Emerald Isle Plumbing; Kristiana Kahakauwila, “This is Paradise: Stories” author; Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, O‘ahu Island Burial Council; Anne Matute, Cromwell owner; Elizabet Sahtouris, Chaminade professor; Lilette Subedi, Director of Resource Development for the Whitmore Economic Development Group; Ramsay Taum, owner of Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific; and Michael Toyama, Senior Principal with Bowers & Kubota.

“I contacted Lilette, a Native Hawaiian practitioner and Indologist, whom I met while she was a Navy contractor,” Gega said. “We met in ‘Aiea under a tree, and we just talked for hours about what it meant to be a Native Hawaiian. It was truly inspiring.”

When asked about the meaning of Haʻahaʻa, Subedi offered an anecdote, relating to a past event during which she was asked to speak about her role as the Sex Equity Coordinator for the state of Hawai‘i.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God! I need to sound smart,” Subedi recalled. “I prayed on it and went up and spoke. It didn’t matter the number of people because you start don’t look at that, you speak from the heart and just be who you are. It was well received.”

After giving this talk, Subedi learned not to be shy. “I fought and changed my path,” she added. “I learned to be assertive, not aggressive. I learned to stand and be who I am, as who I always was. Not in the mindset of being Hawaiian, just being me!”

A common question posed among all the interviewees was: Is there anything you feel is important to share today with future leaders? While the answers varied, from individual kuleana to community lōkahi, all believed in sharing aloha.

“Aloha means so many different things for each person,” Gega noted. “There’s no one true definition. I believe Aloha is that thing when all of the right things happen at the right time, and the right place for our good and the good of others, which means it comes from within you. It is something you have to bring to the situation as much as you receive in the situation.”

Pathway to Success

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Articulation Agreements help advance careers in healthcare

A 2018 alumnus, Hyo Park graduated with his Doctor of Medicine from George Washington University earlier this month. And he credits Chaminade with helping him get there. Thanks to the university’s Articulation Agreement program with The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Park was able to secure an early admission spot at the institution. And he recently learned that his first choice of residency at Hilo Medical Center (HMC) was approved. He will start later this summer.

“While at Chaminade, I learned the importance of dedicating myself to something greater than my personal ambitions—through service,” said Park, who attributed his successes to the connections, mentorships and support he received from the university. “I’m happy to return to Hawaii to serve the community.”

At its essence, an Articulation Agreement document is between two colleges or universities, and lays out a transfer plan between two program offerings. Depending on the program and degree, students can set an early course to advanced studies as an undergraduate—establishing a strong academic record and completing prerequisites while at Chaminade. The agreement helps the student by ensuring all completed classes (credits) transfer and shows a clear pathway for continued advancement.

Amber Noguchi met with Dr. Hyo Park while visiting Washington, D.C.

“Each agreement differs by institution, as well as degree,” explained Amber Noguchi, Ph.D., Chaminade’s Program Director with the Undergraduate Research & Pre-Professional Programs. “And each agreement represents a binding legal contract between the universities.”

Students who want to take advantage of participating in an Articulation Agreement, for example with Boston University or George Washington University, should apply in January of their sophomore year. “This timeline avoids any gap year between undergraduate and graduate programs,” Noguchi noted. “They would learn of their acceptance by April, and invited to take summer courses after their sophomore year. They would return to Chaminade for their junior year and then move to Boston for their senior year.”

Articulation Agreements streamline the transfer process for everyone involved. This will help alleviate the stress surrounding the application process, the credit transfer process and several other issues students might encounter when applying to a graduate program. By simplifying this process with transfer agreements, it is beneficial to all parties involved. 

In an editorial that she wrote for the Hawaii Dental Association Journal, Dr. Nora K. Harmsen shared Chaminade’s Healthcare Articulation Agreement Programs with her fellow dentists, citing that she was interested in the programs because many times her patients or staff members would discuss their goals of becoming a hygienist, dentist, occupational therapist or pharmacist.

“Chaminade University’s pre-professional program places students on a path that will lead them to a position in one of the much-needed healthcare fields here in Hawaii,” Harmsen wrote. “The student works with the profession’s counselors, and follows the required curriculum and requirements to graduate from Chaminade. They will then apply to one of the graduate programs, following the requirements for the program’s application process, which may include an interview and required GPA or DAT, MCAT, etc.

“As a result, these students will be on a direct path to the program of their choice, at one of the Programs with which Chaminade has a current Articulation Agreement,” Harmsen further noted. “Using this plan, the student does not have to apply to multiple programs to achieve their vocational dreams. I am always skeptical about the ‘too-good-to-be-true’ programs or ideas, but Chaminade has multiple graduates from these programs who have come back to encourage other students to use this plan for their future.”

Chaminade currently has Articulation Agreements with 11 different healthcare graduate schools across the nation, including A.T. Still University, Boston University, George Washington University, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts, University of Dayton and Western University. A recent contract with St. Mary’s University School of Law marks the first Articulation Agreement outside of the medical field.

“Since our pre-health program was established in 2010, we’ve seen tremendous growth,” Noguchi said. “Forty percent of our students, who apply to a health professional program, now do so with one of our 11 Articulation Agreements.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2023

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Inspiring words from Dr. Lynn Babington, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami and Selected Student Speakers

In his opening remarks to graduating students, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami ’01, reflected on his time on campus with his wife Monica and his own commencement. “As I look out into the sea of graduates, I see my own reflection in you,” said the 2001 Chaminade alumnus. “It makes me realize how quickly time goes by. But time is just a measurement, until it is filled with very special people who make tremendous impacts in our lives. And today, on this beautiful occasion, as you generously give me your time, each of you becomes a part of my life as well.”

The Commencement ceremony began with a special invocation from Fr. Martin Solma, Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President at Chaminade. President Dr. Lynn Babington then addressed graduates, acknowledging their accomplishments and sacrifices—especially in the face of global uncertainty.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington addresses graduates at Commencement.

“One of the distinguishing features of a Marianist education is a focus on adaptation and change—skills critically important in today’s challenging world,” Babington exhorted. “You have certainly become more comfortable with navigating the unknown. The ability to work with ambiguity means you’ll be able to face uncertainties, adapt to change and be flexible as the mysteries of life unfold.”

For many graduates, the ceremony is a time of reflection, pride and perseverance, especially with this particular graduating class, which endured a once-in-a-century pandemic, Covid protocols and restrictions, social distancing and a pivot to an online schedule before transitioning to a hybrid model.

“We’re all here today together, making it across that finish line,” said undergraduate speaker Eri Leong. “Through fears and failures, exams and assignments, break-ups and breakdowns, even through a global pandemic, no hurdle was high enough to keep us from walking this stage. Instead, we emerged triumphant over every adversity under the sun. And we’ll carry that unwavering resolve into the abundant opportunities that lie ahead.”

In Simon Bronner’s 1990 book “Piled Higher and Deeper: The Folklore of Student Life,” a chapter devoted to graduation explores how commencement has been celebrated across campuses and throughout the years.

According to the book, some colleges host 100-day countdowns to commencement, with a number of graduation-themed activities. At other schools, graduating seniors leave wills to underclassmen. Some institutions celebrate graduation with a balloon launch to symbolize students moving upward, while others have held ceremonial bonfires where seniors burn course materials or early drafts of their senior theses. 

However, even with variation from campus to campus, the commencement ceremony itself remains very much a traditional event, a punctuation point to the collegiate experience with many customs deeply rooted in history, including the caps and gowns, university mace, and guest and student speakers.

“Commencements are a time to join as a community to celebrate the work of our faculty and staff who have supported you throughout your years of study with us, and we celebrate new beginnings,” Babington said in in her address to students. “You are leaving Chaminade University to go out and engage in the world as professionals, as neighbors, as citizens.”

Graduating with a Master of Arts in Teaching, Todd Sibley was selected by his peers to be the evening’s graduate speaker. Immediately preceding the pandemic, the native Californian worked as a social worker for a Hawaii nonprofit organization. When COVID spread across the islands, Sibley lost his job, and he decided to pursue his master’s in teaching social studies in secondary schools.

“Graduates, we have proven ourselves to be resilient, resourceful and resistant to giving up,” Sibley asserted. “The global pandemic would have been an easy excuse to have quit on ourselves and our dreams, but we didn’t. We persevered no matter the obstacle because that’s what we faced—obstacles not barriers.”

As Kauai Mayor during the pandemic, Kawakami confronted his own difficult decisions, turning camp grounds into Safe Zones, ordering shut downs and unpopular vaccine mandates. And through it all, he thought only of his constituents, responding to their needs in the most dire of times.

“What I got most out of my time at Chaminade wasn’t the correct way to structure a sentence or what I gained out of my statistics class; it wasn’t what I gained out of a book,” Kawakami said.  “It was the importance of the human element, and the power that simple random acts of kindness can shape the future of one person’s life. That although certain things will fade overtime, the people who cared, the ones that shared, the ones that believed, and made you believe in yourself, will remain with you.

“I feel incredibly grateful to witness this commencement of your next step,” he concluded. “Fair winds and following seas, always be caring and always be trustworthy. Congratulations to this beautiful graduating class of Chaminade University!”

Dr. Lynn Babington presents diploma to graduating student
Student Athlete
Graduating Students
Father Chaminade
Sarah Robertson is all smiles, even with crutches
Janine Abad posed with her family and friends.
Janine Abad posed with her family and friends.
MBA graduate Jeremiah Bautista poses with family and friends.
MBA graduate Jeremiah Bautista poses with family and friends.
Provost Dr. Lance Askildson
Keynote speaker Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami
Graduate speaker Todd Sibley
Undergraduate student speaker Eri Leong
A promising message on a mortarboard
Emcee Kaipo Leopoldino
All smiles and laughs
BSN graduates with Student Athlete
Graduates' family and friends attended the Chaminade Commencement at the Waikiki Shell on May 6.
Graduates’ family and friends attended the Chaminade Commencement at the Waikiki Shell on May 6.

Viral Video

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Chaminade alumna’s TikTok post viewed 15 million times

Even before the emergence of social media, Liz Rizzo was already documenting and sharing her life, snapping what are now largely known as selfies and keeping a diary for as long as she can remember. Then Facebook, Instagram and TikTok came along. The latter would help propel the Chaminade alumna to national and international stardom, attracting the media attention of multiple news stations across the country, 400 national and international newspapers, radio stations, “Inside Edition,” “Tamron Hall Show,“ “Good Morning America,” and even the U.K.’s “The Daily Mail.com.”

In a 49-second TikTok clip, Rizzo turned 82-year-old Carman Kelly’s life into a media sensation, taking her viral and being watched more than 15 million times. Due to health issues, Kelly has to use a cane—even when greeting shoppers at an Arizona Walmart.

Liz Rizzo’s TikTok post of Carmen Kelly has been watched 15 million times.

And that’s where the story begins.

“I saw Carman, and she just cracked my heart open,” recalled Rizzo, who graduated from Chaminade with an Associate Degree (’00), BA in Psychology (’10) and master’s in Criminal Justice (’14). “I see this elderly woman with a cane, leaning on a shopping cart, and working. I just turned my camera on. I didn’t even think about it. I felt it was divine intervention.”

Rizzo stayed true to her word, promising Kelly that she would make sure that her TikTok post would go viral. And it did. In the post, Rizzo pleaded with viewers to help Kelly by donating to a GoFundMe account she had set up for the 82 year old.

“We talked afterwards and I asked her, ‘Do you have to work here?’” said Rizzo, adding that she asked Kelly for permission to share the video beforehand. “We did her bills and it came up to about $10,000, so that’s what I put on GoFundMe.”

At 82, Kelly is one of many Americans who are 65 and older and likely have to pay higher medical costs out-of-pocket, according to a 2022 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency. Another report from the Kaiser Family Foundation also estimates that about 41 percent of adults have some kind of medical or dental bill debt, showing Kelly’s situation isn’t unusual.

Liz Rizzo and her late service dog Buddy at a “Save Our Beach Park” rally in Kailua.

To date, over 9,000 donations, totaling more than $133,000, have poured into the online fundraiser for Kelly, who had only $50 in the bank when she first met Rizzo.

“I’ve been having a really hard time money wise, medical wise and I’ve fallen quite a few times over the past year, and so I had some big hospital bills from that,” Kelly told “Good Morning America.” “My Walmart money, it helped me pay for food and gas and other things.”

However, now that she’s about to receive a big windfall, Kelly said she “still can’t believe it’s happened.”

“I’m going to be able to pay off all my bills, get a new place to live, hopefully [an] assisted living place to just help me with life,” she said. “I can never ever, ever thank her enough for doing this. I mean, she was a total stranger to me and it’s like God sent her to me. And I really feel that way because she has been absolutely wonderful.”

For Rizzo, doing good and helping others was instilled in her by her late grandmother, who used to instruct her to remove any pebbles from the sidewalk so older people wouldn’t accidentally trip. Kind, generous and empathetic help describe the 68-year-old music publisher. But what defines her are her actions.

“I’ve always approached life like a buffet,” quipped Rizzo, whose late service dog, Buddy, used to accompany her to classes when she was enrolled in Chaminade’s master’s program. “I want to sample everything—and I have. I’ve never wanted to work at a same job for 40 years, take a cruise and then retire. There’s too much to do, and people to help.”

Hogan’s Hero

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Haelee Tallett ’18 Champions Entrepreneurial Program

Before ceding the room to Haelee Tallett —or Haels, as she prefers to be called— Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program director, Dr. Roy Panzarella quipped that the Hogan Speaker Series is setting a new Guinness World Record tonight by inviting the youngest guest speaker ever.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get to that,” Tallett joked about her age. “I’m not mysterious and I don’t put on any façades. I’m an open book with a story to tell and I’m glad to tell it.”

Tallett’s entrepreneurial achievements certainly belie her youthful age of 26. Owner and CEO of Ocean Creations, a custom jewelry company inspired by her love for the ocean, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program ’16 and Chaminade ’18 Business Administration graduate began her now-thriving business as a hobby when she was a young 16-year-old teenager.

“I just learned that when Haels was a freshman at Chaminade, she already wanted to enter the Hogan program, which wasn’t possible because entry requires students to be juniors, seniors or graduate students, but she was determined,” Panzarella told attendees. “It’s powerful what she has been able to achieve, and is now giving back to the community.”

Entrepreneur Haelee Tallet discussed her business, Ocean Creations, during the Hogan Speaker Series.

The point wasn’t lost among attendees and Tallett’s support network of 10 employees and close friends, including her former Chaminade classmate, Brandon Espiritu, ’16. “She has always worked hard so I’m here to support her,” he said. “It’s nice to see Haels achieve so many milestones and I’m super proud of her.”

Tallett’s modest beginnings started with her brother’s passion for diving and bringing home shells of all shapes and sizes. Initially, she would turn the shells into whimsical jewelry for herself, but she would eventually give them as gifts in hopes of saving money. Then the compliments and requests came in.

“I wanted to make jewelry that was affordable and made young women feel good,” says Tallett, who recently expanded Ocean Creations with a second location at Ala Moana Center. “I wanted to empower young women to be the best of themselves.”

Tallett credits Chaminade for shaping her as an entrepreneur, and teaching her what she calls the necessary “soft skills” to run a business. “The professors here taught me confidence building and effective communicating,” said Tallett, who opened her first brick-and-mortar shop at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei. “They told me about challenges that an entrepreneur will face and how to meet them.”

Haels, though, isn’t the first generation of Talletts to attend Chaminade, Panzarella pointed out. “I believe her grandfather came here [Willibrord “Willie” K. Tallett ’61] and also her aunt [Theresa (Tallett) Edwards ‘89].”

“I’ve always been super interested in Chaminade because of my grandpa,” the younger Tallett said. “And I’ve always wanted to be in the Hogan Program. My relationship with the faculty still stands out as very special because my professors were so committed to helping us along the way. They would always go the extra mile, and my classmates and I knew we could count on them to help us, even if it wasn’t directly related to our classwork.”

As for the future, Tallett hopes to grow her business and to continue to have the opportunity to support young women. Standing in front of the class, the young entrepreneur encouraged the budding MBA students to pursue their dreams.

“When I was in your position I had no idea I would have two stores in two of Hawai‘i’s largest malls,” she said. “I wake up sometimes and I feel like I have impostor syndrome, and I ask myself, ‘How did I get here?’”

Art Teacher

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Amy Rose Craig ’18 overcomes obstacles on her path to becoming an art teacher

During her senior year at University of South Florida, Amy Rose Craig required surgery to remove a benign tumor the size of a beach ball. Her fiancé had left her for another woman. And she could neither work nor attend classes, setting her back emotionally, financially and academically. It was a disastrous trifecta that had her in a downward spiral and ready to quit.

Then, she had an epiphany.

“I discovered my own faith,” says Craig ’18 (Master’s of Art Teaching), with tears welling up in her eyes. “I asked God to intervene and to help me.”

This would be her first proverbial miracle.

“The hospital forgave my $30,000 debt,” Craig recalls. “And my professors all gave me A’s. It was truly a miracle.”

While recovering from surgery, her friends convinced her that she needed time to recuperate. So, she decided—wisely or not—to pack up her bags and work for a Northern Michigan Christian camp, making the 1,800-mile drive with her surgical sutures still intact. For two years, she worked at SpringHill Experiences with children with disabilities, bringing out the artistic talent in them.

Amy Rose Craig '18 now teaches art at Honolulu Museum of Art.
Amy Rose Craig ’18 now teaches art at Honolulu Museum of Art.

Faith would have it that Craig would befriend someone at the camp who was set to start a ministry at the University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa. A few months later, she found herself on a flight across the Pacific headed to then-named Honolulu International Airport.

“I was trying to enroll in UH’s BFA program, but I kept facing hurdles,” Craig says. “Again, I leaned on God to help me get through UH.”

And again, she received an answer from a higher being.

Craig would eventually graduate with her BA, matriculating in what she calls her own BFA program. Then she says she had a calling. As she pondered what to do next, she did a Google search, typing in four key words: master arts teaching hawaii. Chaminade University appeared at the top of the page.

“I didn’t even know there was such a program,” Craig says. “I was already teaching art on and off, so I applied and got in right away.”

To make ends meet, Craig worked part-time at the Cheesecake Factory in Waikīkī. It wouldn’t last long. But her luck was changing. Out of the blue, she received a letter from Kailua High School’s then-principal Francine Honda, who invited her in for an interview for an undisclosed job opening.  

“It turns out they had several emergency hire teaching positions open, and the one that they wanted me for was FSC/CBI (Fully Self Contained/Community Based Instruction),” Craig explains. “Teaching kids life and job skills, and helping them function in life; the position sounded wonderful.”

Her interview with Honda would again alter her life’s trajectory. “She explained to me that even though I would need to change the focus of my new master’s program, she thought that a master’s in special education was a much better fit for the art education role I was trying to design for myself, and she turned out to be right.”

Honda advised Craig that she could use art modalities and processes in many creative ways in meeting her Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) goals, which she has since instituted in her studios and classrooms. 

When Craig first entered University of South Florida, she had never stepped foot in an educational institution. Her parents not only mistrusted the public education system, but they didn’t believe in home schooling, preferring what Craig calls “unschooling.”

“They were pioneers long before home schooling entered the national lexicon,” Craig says. “I had an unusaul childhood, and we lived off the grid, moving around from northern, southern, eastern and western parts of the country.”

So when she started her undergraduate studies in Florida, she not only lacked structure, patterns and discipline, but she was never diagonsed with a learning disability, unable to do the simplest of assignments, such as write a short essay or solve simple math problems.

“Getting my master’s at Chaminade—knowing I had moderate disabilities—was one of the key [elements] that helped me begin to understand and unlock,” Craig asserts. “I started treating and advocating for myself as a person who had disabilities. Up until that point, I had hidden and ignored it, and I did my best to work around it and I kept it a secret. I was embarrassed and ashamed.”

In her bestseller “Educated,” American author Tara Westover writes about overcoming her survivalist Mormon family in order to go to college, and emphasizes the importance of education in enlarging her world. It’s a memoir that Craig strongly identifies with and relates to, having endured years of emotional and physical isolation, lack of support and empathy.

“I was part of my parents’ great social experiment,” says Craig, with a tinge of irony. “I always felt I was walking on egg shells, which is the title of one of my performances, and it is what I experienced during my childhood.”

Craig is currently a Teaching Artist at Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMa) studio arts, where her workshops/sessions are open to pre-school keiki and adults alike, covering a variety of subjects, from an overview of art and drawing to painting and assemblage. Her class, ‘Finding Beauty in the Everyday,” was inspired by walks with her mom in the forest, where she would collect leaves or anything that she deemed beautiful, and glue them to what she now calls “Amy’s Nature Sticks.”

“I resented how I was educated,” Craig says. “But now I’ve come full circle with a new perspective. I overcame a lot of obstacles to be where I am today, and I am glad I didn’t quit.”