Chaminade University of Honolulu

Campus Event

Competition Spotlights ‘Business for Good’

High school students from campuses statewide gathered at Chaminade University in April for a daylong series of hands-on activities aimed at underscoring the role businesses can play in making a positive difference in communities and embracing environmentally-sustainable practices.

Nine high schools participated in this year’s “Business Olympix” on April 25.

Eddie Merc, Ph.D., director of Chaminade’s MBA program, said the annual gathering was first launched in 2023.

Student participants work their way through activity stations that feature a long list of learning themes, including accounting, business analytics, marketing, economics and finance.

In the competition, students also collaborate in teams to tackle a challenge and present a business idea.

“This event promotes the importance of business in our local community as well as awareness of globalization,” Merc said. “It also prepares students to explore business topics for study in college.”

Micah Kalauli, a sophomore at Waiakea High, said the competition solidified his interest in pursuing economics or accounting as a potential career choice.

“I also learned a lot of good life skills, like communication, collaboration, thinking under deadlines and operations management.”

Kaiser High student Logan Leong added that the event helped him see just how critical business is to everyday life.

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

“Every decision we make is a transaction between risk and rewards,” he said, adding the group presentation challenged participants to “see flaws in our own thinking.”

Diana Lau, a teacher at Waiakea High, appreciated how engaging the day’s activities were. “I saw my students laughing and I think that’s always a good sign,” she said. “It was also a great way to introduce the campus and the idea of college. Continuous exposure—that’s what we want to do with our students just to let them know there are many options.”

Merc said he’s happy to say the event has grown every year since its launch.

One key takeaway for students is the importance of doing “business for good.”

“That’s the slogan we live by,” Merc said, “and I think today, we witnessed students are really amplifying the importance of sustainability and helping the community with business applications.”

Nursing Students Mark Pinning Ceremony

Graduating Nursing students at Chaminade gathered Friday for the time-honored Pinning Ceremony, which commemorates the completion of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.

Some 74 Silverswords received their BSN stoles and nursing pins at the gathering, held at Chaminade’s Richard T. Mamiya Theatre. They also recited the International Pledge for Nurses, “sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, and to promote health.”

“It’s really important to bring these nurses into the workforce. At the moment, we have a strong need in our community and we prepare nurses for all walks of nursing,” said Lorin Ramocki, DNP, RN, interim dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions.


Natasha Gourlay ’25 is among the graduating students who participated in the Pinning Ceremony.

“It’s a super important part of completing Nursing school, probably even more than Commencement. Pinning is kind of the end of the road, but also the beginning of our new chapter as nurses,” said Gourlay, who plans to pursue a career in public health nursing.

The Pinning Ceremony symbolizes the end of students’ formal education and the beginning of their nursing careers and serving the community. The roots of the Nursing Pinning tradition date to the 1860s, when Florence Nightingale—the founder of modern nursing—was awarded the Red Cross of St. George. Pinning ceremonies later grew to mark the beginning of a nurse’s career.

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

“The pinning ceremony is a heartfelt tradition that symbolizes students, hard work and dedication throughout their coursework and clinical training,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., a nurse herself. “Healthcare is more than just a profession. It’s a calling and a passion.”

Babington continued, “We congratulate our nursing students and hope they will become transformational and compassionate leaders in the medical community.”

Community Gathers for ‘International Extravaganza’

It was an evening of cultural celebration and Silversword pride.

Scores of students, faculty, staff and members of the community gathered at Chaminade’s campus April 11 for “International Extravaganza,” which featured performances from Ka Ipu Kukui Me Ka ‘ie ‘ie: the Hawaiian Club, the Taotao Marianas Club, the Filipino Club, and Lumana‘i O Samoa.

The annual event on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn is always a big hit.

And this year was no exception.

Victoria Zembik ’26, who is president of the Chaminade Student Government Association, said student cultural clubs spent months preparing for the special evening.

“A lot of the performers are seniors and this was their big send-off,” she said. “One of the biggest highlights of this year’s event is that they always top their performances from previous semesters, which I absolutely love.”

International Extravaganza aims to showcase the cultural traditions and diversity of the Chaminade community through performances. Zembik said lots of time, passion and sweat go into preparing for and organizing the event.

“It gives students, regardless of their major or cultural background, a chance to meet, connect, and build community,” the Nursing major added.

“It’s a space where they bring a piece of themselves, their families, and their heritage to the stage.”

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

Zembik added her focus for the event was making sure everything went smoothly behind the scenes so that the spotlight was on the performers.

“They’re the ones who really seal the deal and make this event as extravagant as it is,” she said. “This event wouldn’t be as successful without the dedication and commitment of the students. That’s why I work hard to make sure it’s worthy of their time—because they give so much of theirs to make it unforgettable.”

Photo Gallery: Taste of Culture

Chaminade students, faculty and staff gathered this week for the seventh annual Taste of Culture event.

The celebration spotlights Chaminade’s cultural diversity with foods from around the world.

The event April 9, organized by the Chaminade Student Government Association, was held on the Sullivan Family Library Lawn from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more Chaminade events, click here to go to our online calendar.

Got GRIT? These Student-Athletes Do

Chaminade student-athletes gathered recently to learn about the importance of GRIT.

That is, Gratitude, Respect, Integrity and Trust.

The Chaminade Athletics Department joined forces with Campus Ministry for the special program, aimed at spotlighting core values that will serve student-athletes “well into their futures,” said University Chaplain Fr. Martin Solma, S.M.

Some 170 participating student-athletes engaged in activities and heard from speakers about what it means to take what they have learned in sports to the campus community.

Sebastian Castro ‘25, a Criminology and Criminal Justice major who plays baseball at Chaminade, said his favorite part of the event was hearing from Silversword women’s soccer Head Coach Michelle Richardson about her own experiences as a student-athlete.

“I think for all of us student athletes, no matter the major, it gets overwhelming dealing with our studies and also the stress and anxiety of playing in our sports,” Castro said. “Being able to manage both of those and find a balance is a tough thing to do and shows GRIT.”

Emily Cooper ‘27 competes in women’s cross-country and is studying Environmental Interior Design. She said she walked away from the GRIT event with “new friendships and self-reflections that grew out of group discussions and prayers.”

Cooper added she found lots in common with her fellow student-athletes.

Getting to know strangers can be a great part of self-confidence because it helped me learn more about myself as a group listener and speaker,” she said. “My favorite part was listening to everyone’s goals and life journeys.Hearing the diverse backgrounds of everyone was inspiring and really made me realize the biggest steps in life come from accepting new opportunities.”

Dustyn Ragasa, Ph.D., who is director of the Master of Pastoral Theology program and an assistant professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy, spoke to students at the gatherings January 28 and February 5. His message to attendees: You’ve got GRIT, why not share it?

“Student-athletes are in an excellent position to be ‘women and men for others,’ a key characteristic of Catholic education,” Ragasa said. “I hope the students walk away with a greater sense of confidence in the best of themselves, a call to leaven our campus community with the gifts that they possess, but above all, some memories they make.”

He added events like the GRIT gatherings are important to helping students come together, reflect and have a little fun. “For busy student-athletes, it can be a challenge to set aside some time just to talk story or to share a meal,” he said. “GRIT reminds students about the faith dimension of their lives” and the importance of “building loving relationships.”

Nursing Students Honored in Pinning Ceremony

In a “heartfelt tradition,” 21 Nursing students at Chaminade gathered with loved ones Dec. 7 for a Pinning Ceremony, which marks the ceremonial completion of their bachelor’s degree journeys and the start of their professional careers.

During the gathering, students received their nursing stoles and pins.

They also recited the International Council for Nurses Pledge, promising to:

“Care for the sick with all the skills and understanding I possess, without regard to race, creed, color, politics or social status, sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, and to promote health.”

Hermaine Beltran ’24 was among the students honored.

“I’m feeling very happy, very exhilarated, very grateful for this moment,” said Beltran, who will be a nurse in the mother-baby unit at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children. “We worked very hard to be here.”

Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., a nurse herself, said the students are launching their careers amid a significant need for nurses in Hawai’i and nationally.

“We are proud that our students are answering the call,” Babington said.

She added, “The pinning ceremony is a heartfelt tradition that symbolizes students’ hard work and dedication throughout their coursework and clinical training.”

Never miss a post! Follow Chaminade University on Facebook and Instagram.

Chaminade School of Nursing and Health Professions Interim Dean Lorin Ramocki explained that the roots of the Nursing Pinning Ceremony tradition date back to the 1860s when Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern nursing, was awarded the Red Cross of St. George.

Pinning ceremonies grew to mark the start of a nurse’s career.