Commencement – Chaminade University of Honolulu

Seven Halawa inmates earn their Associate’s

Graduations are no doubt a milestone achievement. And for seven Halawa Correctional Facility inmates, Commencement meant even more than simply receiving their Associate’s degree in Business Administration. The occasion truly marked a new beginning—and literally a second chance.

In her opening remarks, Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington invoked the fundamental question about the role of prison: Is it designed for punishment or rehabilitation?

“At Chaminade, one of our primary Marianist values is to advocate for social justice for transformative change,” Babington said to the newly-minted graduates and their families. “We support a rehabilitation-through-education narrative, which we know is essential to incarcerated individuals finding a pathway to a second chance and a better future.”

First established in 2015 by the Obama-Biden Administration, the Second Chance Pell Experiment was to provide Federal Pell Grants—which is the nation’s largest federal grant program for low-income undergraduates enrolled in Title IV colleges and universities—to incarcerated individuals to allow them to participate in postsecondary education programs. According to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Education, to date, students have earned more than 7,000 credentials, building new skills and improving their odds of success through this initiative.

Graduates hold on to the Commencement program.

Raphael Holley embraces his parents, Robert and Lory.

Dr. Annette Santos congratulates Albert Batalona.

Father Marty Solma shakes the hand of John Granger.

Earning their Associate’s degree while incarcerated.

Graduates prepare to flip their tassles.

Dr. Lynn Babington congratulates Albert Batalona

Commencement program

Drs. Janet Davidson and Lynn Babington share a light-hearted moment.

Providing education in prison has indeed proven to reduce recidivism rates, and is associated with higher employment rates, which will improve public safety, and allow individuals to return home to their communities and contribute to society. Moreover, a 2018 study from the RAND Corporation, funded by the Department of Justice, found that incarcerated individuals who participated in correctional education were 48 percent less likely to return to prison within three years than incarcerated individuals who did not participate in any correctional education programs. RAND also estimated that for every dollar invested in correctional education programs, four to five dollars are saved on three-year, re-incarceration costs.

“This is the first college degree graduation in a Hawaii correctional facility,” said Public Safety Department (PSD) Director Tommy Johnson. “Today, we are here for the commencement of seven individuals who have strived hard and applied themselves under difficult circumstances to obtain their Associate’s degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu while incarcerated. Doing so is an outstanding achievement that should be celebrated, like we’re doing here today.”

Flying in from Fort Myers, Florida, with his spouse Lory, Robert Holley couldn’t contain the emotions of the moment. Tears trickling down his cheek, he said he hasn’t been able to hug his son, Raphael, for six years. “All I want to do is hold him tight and kiss him,” Holley sobbed. “This has so much meaning, and he now has a second chance to change the trajectory of his life.”

The success of this pilot program—between Chaminade University of Honolulu and the Hawaii Department of Public Safety—demonstrates that partnerships can lead to transformative change.
Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade University Vice Provost

Parents of Kelson Akeo, Marlene and Daniel Akeo of Kona, Hawaii Island, expressed the same sentiments, adding that they were amazed when their son first received his GED in Arizona. “He never liked school,” Marlene Akeo said. “So, for him to get his Associate’s degree is exciting and a big deal.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Akeo offered his son some fatherly advice: “You can choose to use your brains … or your back.” The younger Akeo has chosen his mind.

“We are the founders of a new path here at Halawa,” said Kelson Akeo, in a pre-recorded video message. “We want to show the future cohorts that a higher education is obtainable just as long as they’re willing to commit.”

Chaminade Vice Provost Dr. Janet Davidson, along with the support of many faculty members, committed to this Second Chance program back in the Fall of 2021. And despite the challenges of COVID, Davidson was determined to see this program through its completion.

“The success of this pilot program—between Chaminade University of Honolulu and the Hawaii Department of Public Safety—demonstrates that partnerships can lead to transformative change,” Davidson said. “With the support and guidance of Chaminade’s distinguished faculty and support staff, and the cooperation and backing of Halawa Correctional Facility, these individuals have embraced the opportunity to redefine their futures. This program is part of Chaminade’s mission to educate for service, justice and peace. We hope that with their newly gained education, these students will have the skills needed to rebuild their lives upon reintegration into society.”

The youngest among the graduates, Raphael Holley, 23, plans to continue his education, hopefully to one day pursue a doctorate in business with a concentration in accounting. “This is just the beginning to a new life,” Holley said with a wide smile. “This is my greatest accomplishment so far and I’m going to have many more.”

As a Nation of second chances, it is critical that the United States’ criminal and juvenile justice systems provide meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and redemption. Every year, more than 640,000 people are released from State and Federal prisons, according to a White House briefing. And more than 70 million Americans have a criminal record that creates significant barriers to employment, economic stability and successful reentry into society.

As the U.S. Commander in Chief, President Joe Biden has supported educational access for incarcerated students, declaring in A Proclamation on Second Chance Month, 2022: “My Administration recognizes that making the criminal and juvenile justice systems more equitable, just, and effective requires a holistic approach.”

Words that resonate with Babington. “The Catholic, Marianist education you have experienced has prepared you well for these challenges,” she told the graduates. “You have received an excellent, integrative education—holistic by design with a strong focus on the importance of serving others for the common good.”

In his closing remarks, Johnson asked Dr. Babington two questions: “When will the next program begin? And can we expand to other facilities?”

Without hesitation, Babington responded, “The next class starts in the Fall and, yes, we want to expand this program to other facilities.”

Now that’s good news, and it means more second chance commencement ceremonies to come.

Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami ’01 delivers keynote speech

She had him at Chaminade. For many senior high-school students, trying to determine where to attend college depends on several factors: cost, location, size, personal interests, campus life, graduation rates and the potential return on investment. However, for Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami ’01, the primary reason he chose Chaminade University was simple—he met a girl.

“I know it sounds shallow, but it’s the truth,” said Kawakami, this year’s 65^th Commencement keynote speaker. “But knowing what I know now about Chaminade, I would have chosen it 1,000 times over any college in the country.”

The son of the late Charles and Arlene Kawakami, Mayor Kawakami is a third-generation Kaua‘i resident, and is now serving his second term as the Garden Isle’s chief executive officer. Having shepherded the island through a once-in-a-century pandemic and now through recovery, Kawakami does not shy away from the necessary hard work of what he calls, “the people’s business.” The physically fit 46-year-old is a no-nonsense-type of leader who likes to roll up his sleeves, get into his steel-toe-capped boots and don his hard hat at the drop of a dime.

During COVID, he was forced to make a series of difficult—and, at times, unpopular—decisions, including lockdowns, turning public camp sites into Safe Zones to prevent the spread of the virus, enforcing mandatory vaccine mandates and curfews, and instituting strict protocols and safety measures. Yet, through it all, he became widely known, erroneously by the way, as the TikTok mayor. A 30-second clip that he posted went viral on Twitter and not the aforementioned social media site. In the video, he performs an amusing dance and a card trick, then encourages people to wash their hands. It was all an effort, he said, to break the monotony of staying home.

With his wife Monica by his side, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami was sworn in for his first term by Kaua‘i Circuit Judge Randal Valenciano. (Photos courtesy County of Kauai)

Mayor Kawakami welcomed 11 new firefighters with the Kauai Fire Department. (Courtesy of County of Kauai)

Mayor Kawakami enjoys meeting and greeting his constituents from across the island. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Derek Kawakami)

The Twitter video that went viral.

Mayor Kawakami knew from a young age that he wanted to serve the people of Kauai. (Photo courtesy of Amanda C. Gregg)

Members of Mayor Kawakami’s cabinet.

Mayor Derek Kawakami during a groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Derek Kawakami)

Monica and Derek Kawakami enjoy participating in community events, including the long-running Taste of Hawaii.

“I have to say my wife put me up to it and my daughter instigated it,” Kawakami chuckled. “We just wanted to help people get through some tough times, we wanted to do it together, and at the end of the day, we wanted people to feel like they mattered and that we cared about them.”

He attributes this empathy as one of the values he learned while completing his bachelor’s degree at Chaminade, where his now-wife, Monica nee DeBusca Lizama, also graduated with an undergraduate degree in 2001 and a master’s in education in 2003. A self-described average “C” student, Kawakami evoked the memory of several Chaminade professors, who made an impact in his life, during his commencement address.

One such individual was the late Marlene Baker, who enjoyed a 45-year career in the Students Success and Records office. Kawakami said he would bring Kauai cookies to her so that she would build him a favorable schedule, quipping that was probably his first sign of being a politician. Henry Gomes, or “Uncle Henry” as Kawakami affectionately refers to the late revered professor, would talk to him about “country-kine things,” and made him feel like it was perfectly OK to just be him. Then there was recently retired Yukio Ozaki, who opted not to cancel an art class, even though enrollment plummeted from 15-20 students to a lone Kawakami overnight.

“Now that I have 20/20 hindsight vision, what I’m about to say is the last thing my professors would want to hear,” Kawakami said. “As the sands of time have passed, some of the knowledge, some of the details of the countless hours of classroom lessons, lectures and knowledge have faded. But what has remained is how the power of the human element can change the trajectory of one person’s life. All it takes is just one person. One person that believes in someone and is willing to invest time, effort and kindness can uplift a community.”

It’s with this indomitable spirit that helps inform Kawakami’s leadership. He cited three principles that he follows: 1) Act in good faith, which helps build trust; 2) always act with the community’s best interest; and 3) establish a sound, prudent process of decision making.

“Not everyone will agree, but I can defend my position,” Kawakami asserted. “Compromise is an art, and by compromise, I don’t mean consensus, which, when I hear, often tells me that things are not going to move forward.”

Life for Kawakami has certainly had a forward momentum. When he graduated from Chaminade, his first job was a grocery clerk for Longs Drugs Kaimuki. The pay was $200 per week, and his duties included sweeping the floors, stocking the shelves and racks with those familiar yellow books, and whatever needed to be done.

“I had to put my business degree to work,” Kawakami said. “I started at the entry level, but that’s how I thought it would work. Just because I had a degree didn’t mean I was going to start at a higher level. My degree was supposed to give me the tools to get to that next level, and it did.”

One day, he received a call from his dad, asking him to come home to help out in their own grocery store. His dad told him If he could work at Longs, then certainly he can work at the family’s own enterprise. However, there was one problem: Monica was pursuing her master’s, and she wasn’t about to quit and return to Kauai. So, she proposed an ultimatum: He had to marry her.

“I went to Kahala Mall and applied for a loan, which was my first loan ever,” Kawakami recalled. “I qualified for $9,000—which was big bucks back then for me who was making $200 a week—and I went upstairs to a diamond specialist, and chose an engagement ring.”

Married now to Monica for 20 years, the couple has two children, Hailee and Christopher. A dedicated family man, Kawakami praises his family for their support throughout his two terms as Kauai’s Mayor, as well as his years of service on the State Legislature. He also credits his experience at Chaminade as helping shape his style of leadership.

“I have a lot of clear memories of my time at Chaminade, and the people who made an impact on my life; the faculty and staff truly cared for us,” Kawakami said. “I gained a worldly view of different cultures, and how to appreciate our differences.”

And despite all the pressures of governing, Kawakami said, from a pressure standpoint, being the Commencement keynote speaker was a big one.

“If I were to go back to my 20- or 21-year-old self, and be told that I was going to be the Commencement speaker at Chaminade one day, I would have said ‘Get out of here!’” Kawakami said. “I never imagined a picture in which I would be in a position speaking to the graduating class and their families. I’m grateful for this opportunity to come back around and to be part of this Commencement.”

Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami ’01 shared his memories of Chaminade while a student majoring in business administration.