Chaminade University of Honolulu

Business Administration

Adult Education

Carlos Escuza ’23 describes Flex as an ‘awakening experience’

Call it a 40-year college plan. And when Carlos Escuza graduates in December with a B.A. in Business Administration, he will finally finish what he started decades ago when he was an undergraduate student at University of Phoenix in Riverside, Calif.

Like then, Escuza doesn’t represent the typical college student. He was in his 30s when he started, and he is now in his 60s as he completes his degree. As the nation’s baby boomers age, their influence continues to reshape the economy, the labor force, infrastructure and institutions. Some have called the demographic shift a “silver tsunami.” And that shift is apparent in higher education as a new wave of older students—like Escuza—return to college in pursuit of new opportunities.

“I stopped going to the University of Phoenix in 1992 because I got promoted as National Account Manager with the United States Postal Service,” Escuza says. “And I also had U.S. Army obligations.”

Since walking in a U.S. Army recruiting office in Chicago in 1979, Escuza has been all that he can be, a riff on an old Army slogan that prompted the then-20-year-old military veteran to enlist in the first place.

“The military gave me structure in my life,” says the native Peruvian. “Just like Chaminade University has taught me discipline in my pursuit of my bachelor’s since I started in January 2021.”

Jacob Escuza attended his dad Carlos Escuza’s retirement ceremony aboard the Mighty Mo in October 2019.

A new report by Lightcast, a leading company that provides labor market data, found that going back to college is an especially sound investment for adult learners. An analysis of more than 125 million online career profiles found that this group was 22 percent more likely to achieve upward mobility and earned annual salaries 140 percent greater than peers who didn’t return to college.

“When I retired from the Army on the deck of the Mighty Mo back in October 2019, I wasn’t sure of what I was going to do,” Escuza admits. “That’s when I turned to Cassandra Kam, a former educational counselor with the Veterans Affair. She was the one who told me about Chaminade University.”

Born in Chicago but raised in Lima, Peru, after his parents decided to move back to their native homeland when he was a 1-year-old baby, Escuza immediately returned to Chicago after graduating from high school. His formative years spent in the South American nation meant growing up with an extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles, and embracing a Hispanic culture.

“When I first moved back to Chicago, I was living at the Y, which is all I could afford,” Escuza recalls. “I received a grant and wanted to go to school, but I later decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.”

Escuza has no regrets enlisting in the Army and making it a career. He has been deployed to Europe, Afghanistan and Iraq, joining the ranks of thousands who were part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In Iraq, he was part of the Multi-National Security Transition Command’s convoy security team known as the Rough Riders. Contrary to the sound of its name, the Rough Riders participated in goodwill missions to provide school supplies, gifts, candy and toys to Iraqi children in Baghdad.

“I was already in my 40s, but I was told I was needed because of my maturity and experience,” Escuza says. “Being involved in a war changed me profoundly in so many ways.”

When he returned from Iraq in 2008, Escuza manifested his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  “When I went through Kuwait, on a post-deployment, I saw outside the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) compound, this long wall with the names of soldiers who had died in the line of duty,” Escuza recounts. “They were listed in alphabetical order, and when I saw my friend’s name on it, I broke down and cried uncontrollably.”

Today, Escuza enjoys the support of his wife, Pam, his son Jacob and daughter Jaclyn Mills. He also appreciates the encouragement and understanding of Chaminade staff and faculty, whom he describes as inspirational. After he graduates, he says he plans to enroll in the M.S. in Counseling Psychology (MSCP) at Chaminade.

“This has been an awakening experience,” Escuza says. “If I were to put down in words all the positive feelings that I have collected and digested during my time at Chaminade, I would be writing an essay. The Flex program has truly met my spiritual and intellectual goals, and I’m grateful for this experience.”

Dreams Come True

Faith Chang ’23 fulfills her lifetime dream

When she walks across the stage during the 65th Commencement, Faith Chang will have achieved one of her lifelong dreams: to earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. For the newly minted alumna, the four-year Chaminade experience has only strengthened and bolstered her beliefs in community service and religious faith.

“I’ve always believed in helping the community ever since I was a kid,” says Chang, the 2023 recipient of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program’s Aloha Spirit Award. “During my freshman year, I participated in a Service Learning opportunity at Kaimuki High School, where I helped high-school students with any of their class projects.”

Having the opportunity to intern while still studying affords college students a chance to build a professional network with industry leaders, and to hone their skills before entering the workforce. Internships also allow the intern to figure out one’s true passion.

For Chang, this meant following a path to seek a position with a nonprofit group, which could utilize what she learned at Chaminade and what she experienced as an intern with Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i.

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington, left, and Christine and Glenn Hogan congratulate Faith Chang for her 2023 Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s Aloha Spirt Award.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington, left, and Christine and Glenn Hogan congratulate Faith Chang for her 2023 Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s Aloha Spirit Award.

“Faith was also an intern with Chaminade University’s Economics Education Center for Excellence (EECE) from 2021-2022,” says EECE director and associate professor, Dr. Guanlin Gao. “During her time there, she identified and adapted over 50 lesson plans in economics, personal finance and Hawaiian history for K-12 teachers. In addition, she presented her lesson plans and shared the resource pool she built with over 30 local public school teachers at the EECE 2022 Summer Workshop, which benefited the teachers and ultimately the next generation.”

During her stint with Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i, Chang interned with the Finance and Operations department, where her financial responsibilities included processing donations and payments, paying vendors, ensuring the monthly financial statements are accurate, and preparing for the annual budget, financial audit and Form 990.

“We rely a lot on our interns,” says Shari Young, Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i’s Director of Finance, who supervised Chang during her internship. “Faith had all the qualifications that we require of our interns, including being an active community member, a willingness to grow and learn, and she possessed the heart for our mission.”

A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers indicates that the starting salary for college graduates who completed an internship and were employed in a private, for-profit company was $53,521, while those who didn’t complete an internship started with an average of only $38,572. The same study found that 72.2 percent of college graduates with internship experience got a job offer, in contrast to 36.5 percent for those who didn’t complete one. These numbers indicate that pursuing an internship during your college years can add a competitive edge on the side students, increasing their opportunity to get a well-paying job after graduation.

The same held true across industry sectors—nonprofit ($41,876 vs. $31,443), state/local government ($42,693 vs. $32,969), and federal government sectors ($48,750 vs. $42,501).

“I sought the internship to enhance my resume, and gain a better understanding of nonprofit finance operations and expenses,” says Chang who won this year’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s Aloha Spirit Award, which is given to a student who best embodies the spirit of the program. “Another takeaway from this internship was the reward of working with a nonprofit organization, like Make-A-Wish Hawai‘i, which is dedicated to the community, granting wishes and providing little girls and boys a lifetime of joy during a trying stage in their lives.

“I remember this one girl’s wish was to have a playground built in her backyard,” Chang recounts. “And when it was time for the reveal, her reaction and joy made me cry. And I immediately sent the video to my parents. It was just so heartwarming.”

With her expanded skill set, Gao predicts that Chang will continue her journey of making a real-world difference. “She is involved in so many community projects, including Chaminade’s Compassionate Cat Counting project, ‘Inana sustainability program, Earth Day thrift sale, as well as her church service at the Inspire Church conference,” Gao adds. “She has raised funds to sponsor children in Guatemala, as her passion is to make a real-world difference and give back to the community.”

Economic Education

Including indigenous cultures and values into education is not about making the Indigenous populations stronger. They are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”

Guanlin Gao, Ph.D., adapted from G.D. Anderson’s famous quote about feminism

Economics professor promotes financial literacy

Guanlin Gao, Ph.D., likes to play games. And during the recent National Association of Economic Education (NAEE) Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Chaminade Economics associate professor and Director of Economic Education Center for Excellence devoted part of her presentation playing the Public Goods Game (PGG), in which players are given tokens—in this case Kona coffee beans—and given the opportunity to anonymously allocate them in either private or public funds.

“The purpose of the game is to let participants experience the indigenous culture through a hands-on game,” Gao explains. “The game is also related to the shared natural resources and land management of ahupua‘a, where people have shared responsibility and contribute to the common good with their expertise.”

This fundamental economic game has become a classic laboratory environment for studying collective group decisions in which participants decide how much to contribute to a common pool. The countervailing effect, however, is that there is an incentive for group members to “free-ride” on individuals who contribute positive amounts to the common pool. 

Guanlin Gao presents at the National Association of Economic Education Spring Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Those who invested in the private fund could keep the funds, and divide the shares among its members. However, for those who invested in the public fund, they could either share the return among all the groups or simply keep the yield within their own group.

“On the East Coast, players would largely invest in private funds,” Gao says. “But in Hawaii, most players contribute to public funds, which evenly distributes the return among all members. We have a more inclusive culture in Hawaii, as opposed to individualism.”

The NAEE’s three-day Spring Professional Development Conference was attended by economic educators at the state and federal level, as well as educational institutions that house the equivalent to Chaminade’s Economic Education for Excellence. One of NAEE’s primary missions is to provide professional development programs and training for educators to promote economics, personal finance and entrepreneurial education in the classroom.

“Right now, the country is having a movement about economic literacy, and it starts at an early age,” Gao says. “We want the younger generation to have a foundational understanding of personal finance and economics. We want to provide them the tools they need to make informed financial decisions, and create a better life for themselves and for those around them.”

The overall goal of the three-day conference was to promote economic and personal financial education from K-12 through college. Various departments of education around the country already stipulate that students take an economics or personal financial class in order to graduate. Gao is working on this with Hawaii Department of Education but, in the meantime, she’s sharing her knowledge with other teachers.

“I wanted the participants to walk away knowing more about the unique, yet diverse cultures, in this country, and promote economics and personal finance education in a way that relates and speaks to the populations we serve,” Gao notes. “I also talked about the traditions of sharing, not owning in Hawaii (for example, abundance means we have a lot to share, not how much we own), and why the conventional economic assumptions of ‘everyone is self-interested’ and ‘the only goal for a firm is to maximize profit’ do not resonate with our students’ identities and beliefs.”

Consider the Facts*

Many young people lack the basic financial knowledge and skills to prosper in life. Like many educators, the Council for Economic Education cares about equipping students with the knowledge they need to improve their futures.

40% of Americans have less than $300 in savings
24%
of Millennials demonstrate basic financial literacy
50%
of America’s youth will earn less than their parents

2 Million+
Students reached by CEE programs and teachers
Over 50,000
Teachers reached worldwide
1,000+
Lessons, guides & activities for teachers

*Council for Economic Education

Education Behind Bars: A Better Future Awaits

Dr. Janet Davidson is a leader in criminology. She has spent decades researching in the field, mentored hundreds of students, published a long list of peer-reviewed papers in scholarly journals. Put simply, she’s seen it all—so she was surprised to be surprised when she started teaching behind bars.

Last year, she spearheaded Chaminade’s innovative effort to launch a Second Chance Pell Grant program at Halawa Correctional Facility. Inmates are given the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in Business Administration after completing core and major-specific courses over two and a half years.

Second Chance Pell cohort

In addition to overseeing administration of the initiative, Davidson is one of the teachers for participants—nine in all after some natural attrition in the inaugural cohort. She expected classes with the inmates to be interesting, exciting and different. But she didn’t count on learning so much, too.

“It’s incredibly rewarding,” said Davidson, who is also vice provost for Academic Affairs at Chaminade. “They’re eager and they want to learn and they do their homework. I’m so proud Chaminade was able to launch this program. We educate for service, justice and peace and this program does that.”

Davidson said years of research have shown educational programs in prisons help bolster job opportunities for people once they get out of prison and decrease the chances they’ll re-offend.

And while there’s a stigma around inmates, Davidson said, the students in the cohort continue to impress her. “They’re just the best,” she said. “They’re not distracted by cell phones. They know this is a privilege so they’re engaged. It’s just a pleasure to have them in the classroom.”

Second Chance Pell student

Albert Batalona is one of those students. He said he applied to participate in the “second chance” program because he wants to be able to secure a better-paying job after he gets out of prison. He also hopes society sees his degree as proof that he can make a positive contribution to society.

“I’m really trying my best to learn all I can and take this seriously,” Batalona said, adding he’s enjoyed being able to connect with professors. “They have come to really teach us, not just go through the motions. They held no prejudice against me for my past mistake, something I’m not used to.”

Participant Anthony Chatman said it’s tough to always be judged by those past mistakes, but he’s hopeful Chaminade’s program could help change that. “Many in our community feel that we shouldn’t be given a second chance at freedom, let alone given the opportunity to educate ourselves,” he said.

Second Chance Pell student

That’s something John Granger has grappled with, too.

The 37-year-old said earning an associate’s degree through the prison program will give him an opportunity to start over. “I have for a while had some good ideas, but I lacked the resources to convert those ideas into dreams and those dreams into goals,” said Granger, a Maui resident. “I believe that not only if you know better you do better, but if you know deeper you will achieve greater.”

Kelson Akeo said he wanted to apply for the program for a simple reason: he wanted to be the first person in his family to get a college degree. “I wanted to prove to myself that I can be more than just a construction worker,” he said. “I can be a person who can utilize both mind and body.”

Second Chance Pell student

Akeo said while he is still serving his time, he’s beginning to see a new and brighter future for himself.

“Earning this degree will show me that I am worthy of having a brilliant future,” he said, adding his experience so far in the program has been a “rollercoaster” of emotions. Sometimes, he’s feeling proud about how far he’s made it. Other times, he feels overwhelmed and wants to give up.

“But then I hear that little voice saying to me, ‘you got this’ since enrolling into this program and working towards my degree changed me to be more appreciative to those who believe in giving second chances,” he said, adding he is so thankful to his professors and their belief in him.

“These instructors make me feel free again and that is a very rare feeling to have in prison.”

Davidson said it has been incredibly rewarding to see the program’s students build their confidence bit by bit as they tackle new assignments and grasp new concepts. Together, the cohort has completed a variety of courses since launching in Fall 2021, including business administration, accounting, English, communication, biology and math.

Davidson says it’s a joy teaching at the prison especially in her most recent course, Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice. She says while the participants obviously bring personal experiences to the topic, they have focused on broadening their perspective with readings and class discussions.

“They wanted to understand the larger context and that’s powerful,” she said.

She called one of the students her “encyclopedia” because he’s so well-read and frequently brings newspaper clippings to class that connect with what’s being taught. Another student finished his GED in prison and can’t wait to finish the AA. “I’ve seen him coming into his own,” Davidson said.

Second Chance Pell student

Keola Rapoza chose to join the program because he wanted his years behind bars to count for something. He will also be the first person in his family to earn a college degree. “My experience so far has been awesome even though I’m doing a college program in prison and not in a college campus setting,” he said. “What I like most about this program is the professors are patient with us.”

Patient, he added, as in understanding inmates can’t always get access to the prison’s learning center and are sometimes further restricted by COVID lockdowns. And Rapoza said he’s proud to be paving the way for other inmates in the islands and setting a positive example. “Education is the most important thing in life,” he said. “I feel if everybody in this world was educated, there would be world peace.”

Second Chance Pell student

Nikkos Gordon has wanted to pursue a college degree since he was sentenced in 2012, and the Chaminade program has allowed him to think about what’s next in life. “I wanted to prove to others and myself that I can do this and I’ve always been able to do this,” Gordon said. “I wanted to show myself that I’ve changed and grew from the teenage boy who didn’t care much about pursuing a higher education. This program has shown me there are people who won’t treat me like an animal.”

Gordon added while he’s faced many obstacles on his academic journey, he’s determined to move forward. “I feel like knowledge is power and we can only change through education,” he said. “Society is so focused on retributivism it forgets that we’re still people even though we’ve made mistakes.”

Second Chance Pell student

Raphael Holley is so engaged in soaking up new knowledge he frequently writes down the books his professors mention so he can ask his family to order them and send them his way. “The experience has been a blessing for me,” he said. “It helps me to stay out trouble and it has given me another chance. Enrolling in this program and working towards my degree has changed my perspective.”

As part of the program, federal Pell Grant funding—through a pilot program—and private donations cover the costs of all tuition, books, and fees. Students had to apply and be selected for the first cohort. 

COVID presented an additional obstacle, including frequent pandemic-prompted lockdowns.

Davidson said the cohort will graduate in Spring 2023 and the next group will begin that Fall.

“If we want safer communities, if we want healthier families, if we want people who are incarcerated to have a chance when they come out, these are the types of rehabilitative programs we should be offering,” she said. “The idea is to shift the mindset. It will cost society less in the end.”

Second Chance Pell student

Ronald Page can attest to the power of the program.

He said the classes and discussions keep his mind sharp—and leave him wanting more.

“I know I’m doing something positive for myself,” he said.

Alumna Breaks Down Barriers in Construction Industry

The summer of Erin Kirihara’s junior year at Chaminade, she attended a job fair organized by the university mostly—she jokes—to appease her parents and stay busy. At the time, she wasn’t sure of a career path to pursue, so she decided to accept an internship offer at a construction firm.

It was an opportunity that would change her life.

Erin Kirihara '06, executive vice president of RLB

“I always thought I’d be really good at management, but I knew nothing about this field,” she said.

That summer spent at global construction and management consultancy firm Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) turned into an impressive career. Eighteen years and many promotions later, Kirihara is now executive vice president of the company’s North American practice and a member of the Board of Directors.

Kirihara, who graduated from Chaminade in 2006 with a degree in Business Administration, said her career trajectory is proof of her motto: “One opportunity used wisely can change your life dramatically.” Sometimes, she added, that means making your own opportunities.

“And you’ve got to be ready to put in the hard work,” she said.

Kirihara graduated from Maryknoll School and chose Chaminade University because she wanted a student-centered and individualized college experience. “I think I would have gotten swallowed alive if I went to a larger school,” she said. “Chaminade was more like a family and felt right.”

The best part, Kirihara added, was building strong relationships with professors.

“They knew you and you got to know them,” she said.

Erin Kirihara '06 giving a tour to Girl Scouts Hawaii
Erin Kirihara ’06 gives a Park Lane Ala Moana tour to a Girl Scouts Hawaii troop

When she landed that summer internship, Rider Levett Bucknall had global backing but only eight people in its Honolulu office, Kirihara said. Today, the firm has about 55 employees across the Hawaiian Islands and is behind several iconic projects, including the luxury Park Lane Ala Moana on Oahu.

The residential development is attached to Ala Moana Center.

“Now that was an amazing project,” said Kirihara, who managed it on behalf of the developer.

The mother of two young children said she’s thankful to her family for their support and to her employer for providing her with the chance to advance her career in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her own success has also inspired her to encourage girls and young women to pursue opportunities in construction. She said the field offers a diversity of jobs for all talents.

“Women just rock. We’re meant for project management,” Kirihara said. “We’re great communicators.”

Kim Hehir, Erin Kirihara '06, Lori Lum and Kay Mukaigawa
Kim Hehir, Erin Kirihara ’06, Lori Lum and Kay Mukaigawa at the Girl Scouts Hawaii Women of Distinction dinner

That’s exactly what Kirihara told a group of Girl Scouts in 2017 when she was named a Woman of Distinction by the organization and got the chance to give young girls a glimpse at what she does. “I walked them through a day in my life and they were like, ‘Wow. This is what you do? This is so cool.’ It opened their eyes to the possibilities they might find in this industry,” she said.

Kirihara said that back at Chaminade, she opted for Business Administration because she thought business was the most universal language. She learned the basics—like accounting and marketing—while also discovering a passion for community involvement and corporate responsibility.

“Everything can relate to business, including doing things that are right and ethical,” she said.

Kirihara added she’s proud to volunteer her time with several Hawaii organizations. She sits on the board of directors for HUGS (Help Understandings & Group Support), an organization that helps families with seriously ill children. She is also on the executive board for Child and Family Service, which programs for at-risk youth, domestic violence emergencies services, elder care and more.

“We have an obligation to make Hawaii a better place to live,” she said.

Her advice to young people just getting started out in the business world, including construction and project development, is to embrace flexibility and remain hungry for learning. “Turn that first opportunity into whatever you want to make of it, do what you have to do,” she said.

“Hard work, commitment, determination—they’ll help you excel in any career.”

Silverswords Business Competition

Students and faculty who participated in the Silversword Business Competition

It started with a suggestion.

Private wealth advisor Eric Fujimoto, MBA ‘94, who is chair of the School of Business and Communication’s Advisory Board, encouraged the university to craft a real-life business experience for undergraduates. The idea: help them understand all the skills required to run their own venture.

At first, the plan was to have students open and manage a pop-up concession on campus.

But then another approach was decided: in Fall 2021, the School invited students to participate in a business competition that would allow them to show off their creativity, their ability to work with others and their aptitude in everything from marketing to accounting and customer service.

Student teams came from accounting, economics, marketing and social media courses.

Dr. Bill Rhey, School of Business and Communication dean, said each team got $250 in start-up money—which was paid back at the end of the competition—and were told they’d be judged on their net profit, their “business for good” approach and their social media impact. Each of the four teams also had a faculty coordinator and mentor during the competition, which ran from October to December.

And the winners were promised a big reward: $2,500.

Washed Ashore with their $2500 check for winning the Silverswords Business Competition

That winning team was called Washed Ashore, and they created jewelry out of microplastics reclaimed from Hawaii beaches. The idea was an instant hit, and they plan to keep the business alive.

“Living in Hawaii, you go to the beach often,” said student Kelsie Inoue, who was on the five-student Washed Ashore team. “While you’re there, you usually see trash and plastic washed up on the beach. We thought about how these microplastics could be repurposed in a way that would bring awareness to keeping our beaches clean and the impact we make. By making necklaces sourced from the microplastic and sea glass found on the beach, our customers wear a reminder of the difference we can make.”

From the outset, Inoue said, the team wanted to create a business with a strong mission.

And they knew their environmentally conscious message would appeal to lots of younger people, including their peers. That’s why they started by creating an Instagram account with college students as their target audience. Their @washedashore808 handle kept hundreds of customers updated on their product lines, upcoming sales, environmental impact and when they were sold out of certain items.

“The biggest takeaway from this competition was that you always need to adapt,” Inoue said. “Sometimes, you need to think on the spot or adjust to situations that aren’t the most comfortable for you, but by doing so it provides newfound skills and confidence in yourself.”

Rhey said while there was only one winner, all the student participants got something out of the competition. They applied concepts of pricing, operations, marketing, management and leadership.

And along the way, they got to imagine themselves as small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“The idea behind this competition was to give our students a greater appreciation for what they are learning in business, how it is applied in the marketplace and the importance of relationship-building,” Rhey said. “The students showed resilience and resourcefulness that was surprising and gratifying.”

Silversword Sweets' s'more brownies

He said all four participating teams took very limited resources and created “impressive micro-businesses.” One of the other teams, Silversword Sweets, was popular on campus right as the holidays rolled around. Another team, We Over Me, sold beach clean-up bags. And 3rd Avenue Attire created custom art design shirts and got more than 3,000 hits on their social media page from potential buyers.

Dr. Guanlin Gao, an associate professor of economics at Chaminade and mentor for the Silversword Sweets team, said it was wonderful to see students working together to create a product line and seek to entice customers. “Students learn so much from this high-touch, high-impact activity,” she said. “Their biggest challenge was juggling between school, work and this business competition.”

Gao added that she was especially impressed with how well students worked together.

“I hope they gained experience of developing soft skills in team-working,” she said.

Wera Panow-Loui, a marketing lecturer at Chaminade and mentor for Washed Ashore, was also excited to see just how much students got out of the experience. “I am all about teaching theories and models in a way that makes them interesting, relevant and practical for students,” she said. “This was a great opportunity to engage the students and connect classroom learning with practical application.”

She said her favorite part of the competition was getting to see her students’ creativity.

And she is very excited about the future of Washed Ashore. She’s wearing the upcycled necklaces and said the students received interest for their products from people around the state and as far away as Germany. “I strongly encourage my students to keep going and even try to find some investors,” she said.

3rd Avenue Attire t-shirt design

Jackie Martinez, a junior in Communication, was captain for the 3rd Avenue Attire team and really enjoyed getting the chance to bring her artistic skills to the business competition. “I’ve always wanted to see my hand-drawn designs on tangible, wearable articles of clothing,” she said, adding that the “birth of the brand” came after a conversation among team members about the need for positive change.

The name, she added, was a nod to Chaminade and Kaimuki.

“My biggest takeaway from all of this is that anything is possible,” Martinez said. “This business competition gave me the confidence I needed to take on more challenging roles in both academic and employment settings. After seeing what I was capable of in such a short amount of time, I realized that I could realistically accomplish anything I set my mind to if I just approach it the same way.”

She added the clothing line is still taking orders under a new name, “World on Fire.”

And that is music to Rhey’s ears.

He said the competition had students doing everything from handling production to tackling group dynamics to showing off their leadership skills. Rhey added he’s grateful to Fujimoto for his vision and is looking forward to the next steps for the competition. The hope is that it will become a regular fixture at the school. “We’re discussing how we can weave this competition into our future curriculum,” he said.