Chaminade University of Honolulu

Communication

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

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Like many of us, Blaze Mancillas’ 2020 didn’t go quite as he had planned.

The pandemic meant that the actor and comedian, a 2009 graduate of Chaminade, wasn’t able to audition as much as he had hoped, couldn’t do many comedy shows or other events and had to spend more time than he ever has in his (somewhat cramped) New York apartment.

But lockdowns and COVID precautions didn’t keep Mancillas from staying busy.

In fact, his work as a host on app-based music trivia game show “SongPop Live” earned him a 2020 Webby Award, which honors the “best of the internet” in everything from websites to apps. He also launched a podcast, called “Let’s Get Lit” that combines two of his loves—comedy and literature. 

Mancillas’ Webby Award

Reached on recent day, Mancillas was hopeful about 2021 would bring.

As the number of COVID infections in New York declined, auditions have slowly resumed—and he’s looking forward to new opportunities. He said that after a very difficult year for everyone, he’s grateful for what he has and is charged up to seek out new ways to hone his acting chops and share his comedy.

Mancillas scored a hosting role on “SongPop Live” before the pandemic started. When the city shut down, he was sent home with a lot of technical equipment and instructions on what to do next. He and the other three hosts finished out their work for the game show from the comfort of their living rooms.

It was a transition for Mancillas, who said before the pandemic he rarely spent much time at all in his apartment. Instead, he would always be out in the city—enjoying all that it has to offer. But he made the most of it and in October launched his new must-listen podcast, in which he reads from a classic book (the first season features “War of the Worlds”) and invites comedians on to offer commentary.

The podcast is already getting some buzz, including in Paste Magazine and on the Comedy Cake website. Mancillas describes it as a chance to actually read those books you were supposed to read in high school, with some great comedians to join you to keep things light and keep you laughing.

In a recent interview, Mancillas remembered his time at Chaminade fondly.

It was there that Mancillas discovered his love of acting. He scored leading roles in Chaminade productions of “The Elephant Man,” “Amadeus,” “Pippin” and “The Pirates of Penzance,” to name a few. From Chaminade, he headed to New York to study acting at Columbia University. He graduated with a Master’s in Fine Arts from Columbia in 2012, and has been building his career ever since.

In addition to doing stand-up comedy and hosting for “SongPop Live,” Mancillas has appeared on TV episodes, commercials and done motion capture acting for video games. He’s interested in doing more on-screen acting work but also wants to continue to build his chops as a game show host, he said.

Mancillas with Bro. Gary Morris

At Chaminade, Mancillas was a communication major with a minor in performing arts. He credits three mentors—Music Professor Tim Carney, Father Robert Bouffier and Brother Gary Morris—with recognizing his talent, helping him muster the courage it takes to get out in front of an audience, and then challenging him to apply for graduate school on the mainland.

“They left a profound impact on me,” he said. “They were really wonderful.”

Mancillas is also thankful to Chaminade for giving him the space to find his passions—and not just in acting. At the university, Mancillas was also on the cross country and golf team, and was an announcer for basketball games. “I was running all over the place,” he said, adding that Chaminade helped him grow as a person and an artist. “There are lots of opportunities to try different things.”

To learn more about Mancillas’ work, including his new podcast, head to his website.

Pushing Boundaries: Sushi with Attitude

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Remi Kohno '15

At Chaminade University, we talk a lot about adaptation and change—educating for adaptation and change is one of the five core tenets of a Marianist education. The concept is woven throughout our curricula, and our students learn about the importance of embracing change and adapting to meet it as they move through our programs.

Adapting to change is something that is very familiar to Remi Kohno ‘15. She came to Chaminade University from Pasadena, California to play basketball and major in elementary education. But after her first year, she realized neither of those were the right fit. She didn’t like the competition she found on the basketball court, and teaching wasn’t her passion. So she quit the basketball team and switched her major to communications with a focus in marketing.

Her junior year brought even more change when she joined the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. It quickly started pushing her out of her comfort bubble, and it altered the way she reacted to pressure. 

“I saw all these great people join the Hogan program and I wanted to be just like them,” recalls Kohno. “Hogan definitely pushed my boundaries, which was nice. It really helped me grow as a person, both professionally and personally.”

Students who are accepted into the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program spend one or two years learning what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. They mingle and network with some of Hawaii’s biggest business leaders, they travel, they participate in internships and they work with industry leaders to design their own business plans and fine tune their public speaking abilities.

The program helped Kohno break out of her shell and become more confident in her abilities to lead and engage.

One moment in particular stands out in her memory. Every Wednesday evening, Hogan participants gather to welcome and learn from a guest speaker from the Hawaii business industry. Guests range from Mattson Davis, the former president and CEO of Kona Brewing Co., to Chuck Cardinal, a former Colonel in the United States Army and the former Chief of Staff to a WWII Commander.

On this particular night, the speaker was Eddie Flores, Jr., the founder of L&L Hawaiian BBQ. Flores has an inspiring story—he’s the son of immigrant parents and the eldest of seven children. His family moved to Hawaii from China when he was a young child. His father worked as a janitor and his mother worked as a restaurant cashier and dishwasher. He himself struggled with a learning disability growing up that kept him behind in school. But as a young man, he worked hard, ultimately earning enough money to buy his mother a restaurant, in what would become the first L&L location. His restaurant chain now has over 200 locations and in 2019 it was ranked as the No. 1 Asian food franchise by Entrepreneur. 

Kohno had been designated as the evening’s notetaker, which meant it was her job to document Flores’ speech and at the end of the evening, stand up to present a recap to her classmates while Flores watched on.

She was just a little intimidated. “You’re listening and engaging, but you’re also taking notes so that you can structure it into a recap and presentation,” remembers Kohno. “After [Flores] was done, I had to go up in front of the whole class and do a quick overview of what was most important. It was nerve-wracking. But then I got to give him a lei, which was nice and helped alleviate any tension.”

Remi Kohno '15 at the American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Student program

Kohno’s senior year, right after returning from a semester studying abroad in France, one of her professors recommended her for the American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Student program. She was one of only a handful of students selected from across the nation to participate in the intensive immersion program, designed to connect diverse up-and-coming advertising talent with some of the largest advertisers in the nation. She once again found herself at the airport, ready to embrace the unknown, this time in New York City.

Luckily, she had learned how to network and interact with business leaders through the Hogan program. “We got to meet a ton of people and tour their facilities and headquarters,” says Kohno. “It was an opportunity to connect with businesses and send them your resume, and hopefully get a follow up interview to help jumpstart your career after college.”

Through all of the change and opportunity that came her way at Chaminade, Hogan taught Kohno to remain calm and collected, and cool under pressure. Through Hogan and her professors, she learned to see challenge as opportunity. It’s something that has served her well after college, particularly today.

Remi Kohno '15 with her family—Sushi With Attitude

Before COVID, her family ran a small restaurant stall called Sushi with Attitude at a night market in Los Angeles. While she has a full-time job at NBC during the day, she helps them on the side. When the pandemic shut down the market, they had to completely rethink their strategy and their focus. With Kohno’s help, they converted the business into a cloud kitchen model, meaning they are operating completely on delivery apps without a storefront, and launched a new product: the sushibi. It’s a combination of sushi and musubi.

“We wanted to offer musubi, but a lot of people in Los Angeles don’t know what they are,” says Kohno. “We also wanted to be able to show up in the sushi category on delivery apps—it is one of the most used keywords. So we rebranded our musubi to be sushibi to bridge the gap.”

The business has received a bit of media attention as a result, and Kohno’s Hogan training has come in useful.

Remi Kohno '15 and her family being interviewed for their family business, Sushi With Attitude

“Hogan helped me learn to speak and structure what I’m going to say, which has helped a lot with media interviews,” says Kohno. “I recently interviewed with KTLA news. I was really nervous because it was live, but it was nice to be able to do something that I wasn’t really comfortable with, and Hogan taught me how to do that.”

Kohno attributes much of her recent success to Hogan and the opportunities she had at Chaminade. “Definitely Hogan, all of the professors I had at Chaminade and being part of the American Advertising Federation, they have all helped me grow into this role that I have right now.”

She works full-time as a manager in paid social media at NBC. And only five years after graduating from college, she feels like she’s almost landed her dream job.

“I love what I do at NBC. They’re a really great company,” says Kohno. “I want to continue to grow and become a director, and continue to be knowledgeable about all the various platforms and their nuances and updates. That is my dream goal. I think I’m almost there.”

Alum’s Passions Turn into Business Ventures

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It’s not often that our childhood fantasies turn out to be true. For many of us, our dreams of going to the moon one day or riding on the back of a garbage truck are never realized.

But for the lucky ones, like Dan Mangum ‘18, the life they envision as a child turns out to be exactly what adulthood is all about. 

Dan Mangum '18

Growing up, Mangum had two passions in life: music and basketball. And a family trip to Hawaii in the fourth grade left him determined to make the islands his home as an adult.

Now, as a young professional, Mangum has made a career for himself in both music and basketball, all from his island home in Honolulu.

As a high-school senior in New York, eight years after that life-changing trip to Hawaii, Mangum had his eyes set on studying in the Islands. He explored a few schools, but Chaminade stood out. He liked that the classes were small and that he would be able to form relationships with his professors and classmates.

“I didn’t want to be just another statistic in the classroom,” describes Mangum. “I was hoping to develop long-term relationships with my professors and classmates, which, looking back, was absolutely the case.”

His parents were also impressed with how responsive and attentive the Chaminade staff was. It’s not easy for a parent to agree to let their child travel 5,000 miles away and across the Pacific for school. But the Chaminade admissions team took the time to answer all of their questions, no matter how small they were. That put his mom at ease.

At first, Mangum was struck with culture shock. Hawaii was polar opposite to New York—he had grown up with long, cold winters and a fast-paced energy, and suddenly he was surrounded by a warm tropical climate where everything operated on island-time.

Chaminade was also the most diverse school he had ever attended.

“At Chaminade, my immediate group of friends included people from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii and Australia,” says Mangum. “I don’t think you’re going to get diversity like that many other places.”

It didn’t take long for Mangum to adjust to the island lifestyle. He’s always been an outdoorsy person, and Oahu had so much to offer. He knew a lot of people that went off to college and started spending a lot of time at parties and at bars, but he didn’t want that for himself.

“I didn’t want to fall into the trap of just going to bars for four years,” he recalls. “Being on an island gave me healthier choices and provided alternative sources of fun, like hiking, surfing and diving.”

He remembers one of his philosophy professors, Dr. Peter Steiger, taking him and a few of his friends out surfing one morning during his freshman year.

“He woke us up at 5 a.m. and took us to this awesome local surf spot,” says Mangum. “He spent the day surfing with us and teaching us about local culture. I don’t think there’s a better place to learn philosophy than during sunrise on the ocean.”

But Mangum’s favorite class was news writing with Adjunct Professor Kim Baxter. He liked the class so much that he took it twice. Mangum was a writer for the student newspaper, the Silversword, and Baxter used to work for ESPN. She knew Mangum was a huge sports fan, so when the Clippers came to Honolulu for their pre-season games, she got Mangum a press pass to attend the team’s games and practices.

“I remember sitting courtside at this game, and I was right next to the reporters from the L.A. Times and ESPN. And here I was this 21-year-old kid from Chaminade,” says Mangum. “Not only was it an experience that I don’t think you can get at any other school, but it really gave me confidence that a professor who I had a lot of respect for was willing to put her reputation on the line for me.”

Dan Mangum '18 with Bro. Bernie Pleoger (9th president of Chaminade University)

At Chaminade, Mangum was also part of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. Students who participate in the program meet several times a week to learn the ins and outs of starting and running a business, and they network with business leaders around the Island. He found a second family through the Hogan program and a true mentor in retired Hogan director Dr. John Webster, and it gave him the connections he needed to launch one of his companies post-graduation—an adult basketball league.

Today, the league meets weekly at the Honolulu Club and encompasses four teams and over 30 players. The sales manager at the club was familiar with the Hogan program, and had faith enough in Mangum to offer up the space for the league’s games. One of Mangum’s Hogan mentors now also plays in the league.

Dan Mangum '18

As a communications major, Mangum took away two key lessons: how to write and how to market. He believes he’ll use those skills for the rest of his career.

After graduating he became the full-time marketing director for Nextdoor, a cinema lounge and concert hall in Honolulu’s Chinatown. He promotes their concerts, secures sponsorships and works with musicians to encourage them to visit Honolulu while on tour.

He also started his own company to book shows for musicians on the neighbor islands, and to market and promote events and small businesses. He loves his job—it puts him in contact with some of the musicians he used to idolize as a teenager.

Dan Mangum '18 and his parents

“These are all musicians that I was a huge fan of in high school,” says Mangum. “And now, just a few years later, I am able to be in business and work with them, which was a pretty cool realization.”

Coronavirus lockdowns have put much of his career on hold—concert venues are closed, musicians have paused their tours and the basketball league is postponed. But as a Chaminade graduate, the importance of adaptation and change is deeply ingrained in him. The core Marianist value has proved crucial as he finds ways to navigate the future.

“We’ve been adapting with various strategies to make sure we stay relevant, to find new ways to operate,” says Mangum. “I definitely credit Chaminade’s core values for helping me think through that.”

Mangum doesn’t know what the future holds, but if he can continue on his current path, he’ll be a happy man.

“I really love what I do now,” says Mangum. “I just hope to keep expanding and do it on a larger scale. Some day, I’d love to sell out something like the Blaisdell Arena. For now, I’ll just keep working harder and doing more.”

Student Named to Most Promising Multicultural Class of 2020

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Chaminade Communication senior Sofia Vela jetted off to New York in February for a four-day conference of the American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Class of 2020.

Sofia Vela in NYC for Most Promising Multicultural program

Vela was among just 50 students from around the country selected for the class, a prestigious honor that recognized her portfolio of work and academic accomplishments. A panel of industry representatives from across a host of big-name companies selected the honorees.

The federation launched the Most Promising Multicultural Student program in 1997 to link the advertising industry with top multicultural students from around the country, setting up sit-downs with mentors and recruiters in a bid to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

Those selected this year traveled to New York from February 10 to 13 for a packed agenda—with workshops, “industry immersion” opportunities, and the Building Bridge for our Future luncheon.

The students were also treated to a Broadway show: “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”

Vela said she couldn’t contain her excitement when she’d found out she was selected for the honor.

And the New York City conference didn’t disappoint. “I had no idea that this trip would be so life-changing,” Vela said. “Each MPM student was hard-working and driven. Together, we lifted each other up and created an energy that continues to motivate me, even after returning home.”

All the honorees in the class are minorities and 43 are women. The diversity left Vela inspired. “We were all there for a similar, unspoken reason: to redefine the norm,” she said. “The time to increase populations of multicultural men and women in the workplace is now.”

Vela said she’s now ready to take on just about anything after college. Whatever her next steps, she knows she’ll have some new peers to share them with. “I made some lifelong friends on the trip,” Vela said. “The students on this trip were all absolutely wonderful.”

Hogan Entrepreneurs Program Ignites Chaminade Student’s Dream Business

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When Sheehan Chase entered Chaminade University at the age of 28, he entered a community of learners that would nurture and challenge him to go beyond what he thought were his limits.

Chase had been out of school for a while before he finally returned. He purposely chose Chaminade because of its Marianist connection. As an alumnus of Archbishop Riordan High School, which is sponsored by the Marianists and under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, he was familiar with Marianist educational values and was seeking community. He was not disappointed. He found that students and faculty were involved and engaged. So was he, and he thrived in the smaller-sized classes.

Sheehan Chase (BA Communication '17)

“Chaminade has given me a great community and a small tight-knit place to grow in,” said the senior majoring in communications.

His growth took a quantum leap when he entered Chaminade’s Hogan Entrepreneurs Program.

To be eligible for the program, students had to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better and then continue that performance while in the program. They had to have a record of leadership or entrepreneurial experience and demonstrate evidence of creative thinking and the ability to consider the ethical dimensions of their actions.

Once part of the program, Chase and his fellow student-entrepreneurs learned about the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, the external environments of entrepreneurial organizations, the issues which affect entrepreneurial success and management of entrepreneurial ventures.  Then there were the professional development workshops which develop students’ skills in areas such as professional communications, business etiquette and protocol, media relations, sale and cross-cultural management.

In addition, one of the great benefits offered was that of access to the Hogan Mentors-in-Residence, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and the Leadership-Coach-in-Residence — a cadre of expert advisors and business leaders available for students to meet with one-on-one. These experts have been an invaluable resource for student-entrepreneurs.

The program offerings and the network of experts ignited Chase’s entrepreneurial passions. He already had an idea for a business seeded in his mind before entering the program. He had created a journal of his grandmother’s life that was so impressive, people encouraged him to start a business. Could he do it?

Sheehan Chase's biographical book about his grandmother

When Chase shared his idea with his Hogan advisors and mentors, they urged him forward. Dr. John Webster, the director of the program, was the one who advised him to focus on developing a prototype and perfecting that prototype. Following Dr. Webster’s advice, Chase prepared his grandmother’s book with her oral history to perfection.

Chase showcased the work to the Hogan Advisory Board and landed his first client. In December 2016, Chase’s business “Tale to Tell” was launched. As a communication major and a Hogan entrepreneur, Chase was uniquely qualified to blend the telling of a good story with a business niche.

“For any student with business ideas, the Hogan Entrepreneurs program is a great facilitator and a great provider of resources,” said Chase, who delved into program offerings with gusto and met regularly with Hogan experts regarding his new business.

Chase’s network of Hogan people did not let him stop at just having a business. They pushed him to compete in the state regionals of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, which recognizes the best in student-led business innovation. Hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization of Hawaii, the competition judged competitors as entrepreneurs and on their business plans.

Chase made his presentation to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs and competed with college business students from across the state. He had his doubts, but his mentors were confident. In January, Chase was recognized as one of this year’s top three regional finalists and was mentioned in Hawaii Business.

“I love Chaminade and what it has done for me,” Chase said. Chase is especially grateful for the Hogan Entrepreneurs because it equipped him with new skills, extensive connections, and the mindset to start new things wherever his career may lead him. “It has been such a great experience,” he emphasized.

Chaminade Communication Student Takes on the Big Apple

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It’s been a whirlwind week for Chantelle Aguilar, a senior Chaminade communication major, who was named to the American Advertising Federation (AAF) 2017 Most Promising Multicultural Student Class. Flown into New York City by AAF, she spent Feb. 13-16 meeting with professionals from top advertisers, media companies and advertising agencies at the exclusive Most Promising Multicultural Students Recruiters Expo.

Held in conjunction with the Expo, an Industry Immersion program provided her with invaluable networking and learning experiences. The Industry Immersion component of the program allows students to experience the excitement of a career in advertising firsthand by visiting major advertisers, ad agencies and media companies and attending workshops led by industry leaders. In addition, at the “Building Bridges for Our Future Awards Luncheon,” she dined among leading executives and multicultural industry pioneers. The luncheon provided an opportunity for networking and mentorship.

Representing 34 schools, the Most Promising Multicultural Student Class was a carefully selected group of top-tier students in advertising and marketing programs from across the country.  The class was selected for their excellent GPAs, demonstrated talent, leadership and service abilities.

In his recommendation letter, Aguilar’s adviser Dr. Cliff Bieberly said, “Chantelle is an extremely conscientious student who works hard and always takes on new challenges.”  Adding that she is an officer in Chaminade’s American Advertising Federation College Chapter, he pointed out Aguilar’s exceptional GPA.  “This very high-grade average has been earned despite the fact that she is a commuter student, works and is highly involved in our Hogan Entrepreneurs Club, Communication Club, our AAF Student Chapter and the university’s student government where she serves in a marketing communication role,” Dr. Bieberly said.

The 2017 MPMS Judges Committee reviewed the applications from more than 100 highly accomplished students.  Judges came from several top agencies in the advertising profession, including Arc Worldwide, Bloomberg, Droga5, FCB, fluent360, mcgarrybowen, Momentum Worldwide and Omnicom Health Group.  According to the AAF, the judges “were blown away by the talent pool” and that the final selection was quite difficult.

Chantelle is the seventh student from Chaminade to receive this honor since the Communication program began participating in 2004.