Criminology and Criminal Justice

Community Service

January 11, 2023 by University Communications & Marketing

Making a difference through data science and service

Community service has always been a big part of Katherine Gonzalez’s life.

And her passion for making a difference followed her to Chaminade. It’s why she jumped at the opportunity to start a Latinx Club at the university to celebrate her culture with others, and why she was central to an effort to make care packages for the homeless during the pandemic. And it’s what ultimately landed her in data science, where she found an innovative way to serve others.

“Service is what being a good citizen means,” she said, in a recent interview.

Gonzalez, who is slated to graduate in 2023, is originally from Los Angeles.

She’s majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Data Science but found Chaminade through her interest in Forensic Science. Gonzalez quips that she switched after a grueling semester of Chemistry, but she also found Criminology and Criminal Justice more in line with her interests in public policy and social justice.

During her freshman year at the university, Gonzalez kept her schedule busy. In addition to launching the Latinx Club, she was in student government and joined the Residence Hall Association. She said club activities helped her from getting homesick and gave her the chance to strike up new friendships.

It was in the summer before her sophomore year that she first learned the power of data science.

One of her mentors, Data Science Program Director Dr. Rylan Chong, encouraged her to participate in Chaminade’s exciting hands-on collaboration with the Texas Advanced Computing Center. The program is called Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) and challenges participants to use data science methodology to interpret, communicate and visualize big data sets in new ways.

Students like Gonzalez walk away with a new appreciation of just how instrumental data can be in educating and informing communities—and helping to drive positive change. For SPICE, Gonzalez dove into data around missing children in Hawaii. She also tackled a project through the Chaminade Summer Research Institute that looked at health and wellness trends among foster children in the islands.

Almost immediately, she was hooked.

“People think coding is so hard, but it’s like everything. Once you learn it, it becomes more manageable,” she said, adding that she was honored in her sophomore year to continue her studies by participating in the Advanced Computing for Social Change Institute through Chaminade.

Like her other data science work, the program had a strong community service focus. And she said it prepared her for a new challenge in her junior year: to serve as a peer mentor for that initiative along with the Pacific Region Data Science Challenge, a competition with students from around the country.

Gonzalez said helping other students built her confidence—and her passion for data science studies. “It’s just the best feeling to teach other people and help other people do things they never thought they could accomplish,” she said. “I realized that mentoring also helps you build your own skills.”

As a senior, Gonzalez is as busy as ever while looking forward to her next steps after graduation. In addition to participating in Campus Ministry, her Latinx Club and Chaminade’s Civic Engagement Club, Rodriguez is a peer mentor for a freshman orientation class and an assistant in the residence hall.

She also has an active internship with Dr. Janet Davidson, vice provost for Academic Affairs and Criminology and Criminal Justice professor, to provide data analysis on human trafficking. She said the work has given her a better understanding of what she wants to do after college.

First off, she said, she wants to attend graduate school to hone her coding skills.

And then she hopes to bring those skills to bear and drive positive change.

“I want to be able to help people,” Gonzalez said. “And this is a way that I can help in a big way.”

Data Mining

December 21, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Alumna sifts through databases to produce Hawaii’s Uniform Crime Reporting

For most of us, a dashboard primarily indicates a vehicle’s rate of speed, RPMs, engine temperature, gas gauge, mileage and maybe even a personal playlist. However, for Zoey Kaneakua ’22, an instrument panel means something completely different. A 2022 Chaminade University alumna with a degree in Data Science, Analytics and Visualization (DSAV), the 22-year-old Kauai native implements dashboards to measure crime statistics in Hawaii.

“In my sophomore year, I considered leaving Chaminade because I wasn’t enjoying my choice of major,” recalls Kaneakua, a recipient of the Ho‘oulu Scholarship, which is awarded to Native Hawaiian students pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). “Then my mom suggested that I major in data science, which I wasn’t sure about, but I’m glad I listened to her. She was right.”

In middle school, Kaneakua developed an interest in computer coding just so she could personalize her Tumblr profile. Data science, though, was not in her purview nor in her future. But forensics was, or so she thought. Now she’s a self-described “research geek,” who prefers math over the arts, and enjoys designing dashboards with custom colors and functions.

“I really grew an interest in juvenile justice and criminal justice data when I was at Chaminade,” Kaneakua asserts. “I wanted to use data science—using statistics and computer science—to make it more understandable, interactive and accessible to the public.”

Kaneakua was the ideal candidate for the Data Science program, which encourages students to work in grassroots and community organizations, a fundamental principle in the pedagogical approach at Chaminade, which the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliance selected to lead a groundbreaking $10 million grant project aimed at creating new opportunities in STEM and data science careers for historically underrepresented populations across Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region.

“You can apply data science to every field—education, healthcare and mental health, environmental science and climate change, and criminal justice,” explains Dr. Rylan Chong, director of Chaminade’s Data Science program. “It’s not just about crunching numbers, but ensuring the numbers reflect different viewpoints and getting those numbers into the right hands.”

Sitting in front of two screens at her office in the Department of the Attorney General’s Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, Kaneakua demonstrates how she monitors and reports crime statistics in Hawaii and then uploads the data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), an incident-based reporting system in which law enforcement collects data on each crime occurrence.

“When I was in school, all my research was in criminal justice,” Kaneakua says. “And I was especially interested in looking at juvenile justice.”

Ironically, the crime reports that Kaneakua once poured over are now her kuleana (responsibility). She also now understands how there could be discrepancies in the numbers. Hired in September as a data analyst with the Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, the former Silversword is now the point person, to whom police departments on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Kauai submit their monthly crime reports. Citing her education at Chaminade—and specifically her mentor Dr. Chong—as reasons for being in her current position, Kaneakua points out that she wasn’t even aware that this position was open.

“This was one of the hardest jobs to pursue because the state requires any new hires to have at least one-year experience,” Chong says. “In Zoey’s case, she needed at least one year of experience in both data science and criminal justice since she was filling the role of a database specialist and a data analyst.”

In her junior year, Kaneakua joined aspiring data scientists from across Hawaii and the mainland to participate in Chaminade’s monthlong Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) Data Science Summer Institute.

“That was my first independent research involving juvenile justice,” Kaneakua says. “And I think I built my first dashboard in three days using Python (a high-level, general-purpose programming language).”

For her next project, Kaneakua participated in C4C (Computing for Change), looking at domestic violence across the U.S., and trying to make sense of the data and its limitations. Today, she works on real-time projects, which allow her to use all the skills and knowledge that she learned and honed while attending Chaminade.

“None of this would have been possible without Rylan,” says Kaneakua in praise of Chong. “He believed in me and helped me navigate and find my niche. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity and I am proud to represent Chaminade’s DSAV program as I continue to conduct criminal justice research in Hawaii.”

Man on a Mission

December 16, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Alumnus Continues to Pursue Social Justice Passion

When Antonio Bonnetty ’19 started at Chaminade University, he wasn’t even sure if college was for him.

By the time he graduated, he was inspired to head to law school.

And in Spring 2022, the new dad—married to fellow Silversword Maria Weisser ’19—graduated from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University. In short order, he passed the Pennsylvania bar and was accepted into the prestigious U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.

It’s an impressive trajectory—that he never would have imagined for himself before starting at Chaminade. “When I was graduating from high school, I didn’t have all my ducks in a row,” he said. “But Chaminade prepared me for adjustments later in life. It took me a little bit to get there, but I did.”

Growing up, Bonnetty moved around a lot as a “military brat,” and graduated from Moanalua High.

He decided to apply to Chaminade after a friend told him about the university. Bonnetty says he was intrigued by the idea of smaller class sizes and strong relationships with mentors. And it didn’t take long for him to realize he’d made the right decision: he joined the cross country team and student government, eventually becoming president, and was also active in campus ministry.

What he appreciated most about Chaminade, he said, was the strong connections to the community.

He said that he’s still moved when he thinks about a service learning project he participated in as a freshman in which he joined with other students to provide meals at homeless shelters. “When you’re homeless, there’s such a stigma. But for the overwhelming majority, it’s just bad luck and cards,” Bonnetty said, adding that message resonates with him as he begins his law career.

“The government as it stands can do a lot better to support people like that,” he said.

Bonnetty said he also grew his confidence at Chaminade—as he took on new challenges with the support of his professors. His interest in the justice system drove him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree. He also double majored in Environmental Studies because of a personal passion for gardening and the outdoors. It was a perfect combination, he said.

“It was a culmination of different things in my life,” he said.

And it led him to his future career: law. At Chaminade, he said, several professors encouraged him to consider law school and underscored its value to projects of social justice. “I see such great opportunities in law to change policies and help improve people’s lives,” he said.

Also at Chaminade, he met his future wife—on day one of a student retreat for freshmen.

They started dating as sophomores, married after graduation and soon, they’re hoping their story together will come full circle: by baptizing their first baby at Chaminade. “For both of us, Chaminade was just a big part of our lives and our lives together,” Bonnetty said. “There are so many good memories.”

Bonnetty said he also decided to attend Duquesne University, rather than the University of Pennsylvania, because of his experience at Chaminade. “It just seemed similar to Chaminade; the people were so nice and the vibe was perfect,” he said. “It immediately felt like home.”

Looking to the future, Bonnetty said he’s honored to serve with JAG.

Before graduating from high school, Bonnetty said he had actually applied to every branch of the military but was denied for all of them because of a medical condition. “At the time, I was discouraged. But it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. I got into Chaminade and got a chance to really thrive,” he said, adding he is looking forward to serving his country in a different capacity.

“After learning I might be considered for JAG, I applied and got in,” he said.

Now he’s gearing up for what’s next—at work and at home.

He recently took to Facebook to announce he’d gotten a letter in the mail officially confirming his admission to the Pennsylvania bar. The notification, he said, “cemented trust in myself” and had him giving thanks to the people who have supported him through good days and tough ones. He expressed gratitude to his wife and extended family, to his newborn baby “for being my purpose,” and to his professors. “I am so thankful,” he wrote, “for all the help I had along this journey.”

From Chaminade to the Hiphop Archive

November 22, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

Dominique Bocanegra '13 in the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard University

Dominique Bocanegra ‘13 will never forget the advice that changed her life. It was from an inmate.

Bocanegra had just graduated from Chaminade University with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, returned to her hometown of San Francisco and landed a job at a jail helping inmates to transition back into the community. The work was challenging: recidivism rates were high and success stories rare.

One day, Bocanegra was working with an older man who was just about to be released and — she believes looking back on the moment now — he likely caught onto just how much she was struggling with her role and how little she could do for men trying to begin their lives again in their 40s, 50s and 60s.

“He told me, ‘Dominique, if I had had someone like you when I was young, I probably wouldn’t have lived the life I lived,’” Bocanegra recalled, in a recent conversation with Chaminade Magazine. “He was telling me to work with youth. To let them know this — in jail — is where you don’t want to end up.”

The inmate’s words inspired Bocanegra and started her on a journey that would take her to the Episcopal Service Corps, grassroots work with youth in communities and finally to Harvard University, where she now helps to oversee an innovative project to archive hip-hop’s rich and ever-evolving story.

Looking back on her path to one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, where she serves as administrator of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute and works with a team of rising researchers and young scholars, she credits her time at Chaminade with helping her realize the importance of service and reflecting on the positive change just one person can make in the lives of others.

“The Marianist heritage and values. Campus Ministry. I remember that being a big pillar of my experience at Chaminade — finding ways to reflect,” she said. “The service, the search for justice and peace, I believe that was something really engraved in all of our teachings at Chaminade.”

Finding her way to Chaminade University

Dominique Bocanergra '13 with softball teammate on senior day

Bocanegra grew up in a little town in California called Brisbane (population: 4,000). It’s outside San Francisco and was the kind of place where a kid could be a kid. She grew up playing lots of sports, but it was soccer that she really loved. And it was soccer that would take her to Hawaii the first time.

Bocanegra was in fifth grade and traveled to the islands for a soccer tournament. She ended up not staying in Waikiki, but at a friend’s family home in Nanakuli. The surroundings and ambiance were everything that she’d imagined: sunny days, balmy nights and the food! She felt right at home.

“That was the start of the story,” Bocanegra said.

Years later, in high school, she was pondering where she wanted to attend university. She knew she wanted a campus with small class sizes and a strong criminal justice program. It was about that time that Chaminade made a visit to her campus. After sitting down with an admissions counselor, one on one, she knew she’d found the right place. “I felt like everything was individualized,” she recalled.

Dominique Bocanergra '13 receiving the Founders' Award, standing with Bro. Bernie Ploeger and Fr. George Cerniglia

More than that, Bocanegra said that from her first day at Chaminade she felt like she was part of a family. And there was rarely a moment where she wasn’t growing as a student and a person. She walked onto the soccer team in her first year and later played on the softball team and became president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also participated in the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and Campus Ministry.

Bocanegra acknowledged that she did feel homesick during that first semester at Chaminade. But support was never too far away. She fondly remembers one afternoon when a fellow student-athlete grabbed her and some other friends and headed up to the North Shore. It was during that excursion Bocanegra realized that she needed to enjoy the gift she’d been given and come out of her shell.

“I told myself, ‘I need to see what Hawaii has to offer,’” Bocanegra said. “It really helped me out.”

It also drove her to better understand Chaminade’s mission. As she sought to build on her own knowledge and consider her future career options, she started to ask herself, “How can I be of service doing the most justice I can? It was such a big part of Chaminade, including Campus Ministry.”

From Chaminade University to the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute

Dominique Bocanergra '13 with her peers in the Episcopal Service Corps

After graduation and that life-changing advice from an inmate, Bocanegra turned her attention to youth-focused initiatives. She enrolled in the Episcopal Service Corps, living on a stipend and seeking to help build better communities. After serving in Los Angeles, she moved to Boston with the Corps.

She later transitioned into part-time youth ministry and sought additional work at universities.

It was actually through a temp service that she landed a job at Harvard. Not long afterward, she was offered a full-time position at the Hiphop Archive, a center for exploring the scholarship and teachings of the hugely-popular musical genre. “It’s a complete lifestyle,” Bocanegra added. “A celebration of poetry and art. It has solely come out of the United States and spread around the world.”

In her current role, she works with a host of research assistants on new initiatives and develops community service projects aimed at engaging, inspiring and empowering youth. “As a hip-hop listener, I can tell you … it’s always had an undeserved negative connotation. Some call it ghetto music,” she said. “That’s inappropriate. Hip-hop music is a way to understand and celebrate modern America.”

Bocanegra added that it is so important that an institution like Harvard show its support for this artistic movement, not least of which because of the message it sends to young people. “We’re taking this research and using it for community-building activities. That’s so powerful,” she said.

And wherever Bocanegra goes, she brings Hawaii (and what she learned at Chaminade) with her.

“A big part of my job is to bring the aloha everywhere,” Bocanegra said, adding that she’s become known as the woman who wears aloha shirts and throws shakas. “It’s just letting folks know there are different ways to the world and that a smile is often the start of important conversations.”

Paying it forward

The 2013 graduate also stays connected to Chaminade through friendships with other alumni.

She’s remained very close to two fellow Silverswords — also former student-athletes — and they’re hoping to spearhead the start of a scholarship for student-athletes at the University. “We’re trying to find ways to be good stewards for the future. How can we give our time, talent and treasure?” she said.

That’s also got them looking ahead to their 10-year reunion, which they hope to hold on campus.

As she reflects on her time at Chaminade, she said her biggest takeaway was the power of the aloha spirit. “There’s nothing that can top my experience at Chaminade more than walking away with my love for others — the people, the place and staying true to that aloha and that mission every day,” she said.

Bocanegra added her message to current students at Chaminade is one of strength in fellowship: “You’re part of a bigger community, whether it’s those who came before you or those who will come after you. You are there to receive and then leave something even better for the next students.”

And that, she said, “is what countless Chaminade alumni have tried to do for you.”

Dr. Joseph Allen: Reevaluating Our Criminal Justice System

July 28, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

What does it look like to pursue social justice in the American justice system?

Social justice movements across the US have prompted many to ask that question—and then quickly realize the answer is far more complicated and nuanced than they initially imagined. But that, says Dr. Joseph Allen, shouldn’t deter us from doing the hard work of reevaluating our criminal justice system.

The director of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Chaminade notes that critical research into the justice system is unpacking the actions of law enforcement agencies and how they can develop policies and practices that serve to protect communities while also committing to fairness and transparency.

Unfortunately, Allen notes, there are no quick fixes in this regard.

That’s because injustice isn’t hidden in a single institution or policy—or person. But Allen, who is also an associate professor at Chaminade, believes action research and dialogue across communities can help to drive positive change and highlight constructive and proactive (rather than reactive) solutions.

Allen recently sat down for a conversation on the justice system, the long history of social justice movements in the US and recent changes to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies program that reflect modern developments and academic inquiry around the justice system in America.

How has crime changed over the past few years?

It really hasn’t changed a lot recently. Overall, crime rates are down almost across the board, and they have been on a general decrease over the past 25+ years. The rates of crime we are experiencing today are similar to the rates of the 1960s-1970s. This is hard for most people to reconcile because crime is, more often than not, the lead story on much of our news and media feeds. But, it’s true. Again, everything today is generally low, to begin with. That said, we have seen a slow down in the decreases in aggravated assault and sexual assault — these have leveled off a bit over recent years.

Our official crime data (via the FBI) lags behind about a year or two due to the large data compilation and analysis efforts. So, our most recent data comes from 2019. Data and trends will be interesting to see for 2020 and 2021 when they come out. Due to the pandemic, I expect what could be a noticeable drop in crime overall (as opposed to the general gradual decreases). I then expect that this will “correct” itself a bit in 2021 and increase to “expected” levels.

Early indicators from the recent year and a half point to potential increases in domestic violence, substance abuse, and cases involving mental health. Albeit rare, we have seen some increases in gun and mass or workplace shootings. Lastly, white-collar and computer crimes are becoming more sophisticated and put those of us who are online at increased risk of having our personal information stolen or compromised. Many large corporations, online platforms, and government agencies have been hacked in various ways and are really in a struggle to keep up with digital security concerns. We each need to do our part and be safe when online.

How does social media play a role in criminal justice?

Social media spreads word of events far and wide, especially if the news is sensational. This is good for simple news and awareness, but I think it unnecessarily creates increased levels of fear and anxiety in all of us when it comes to extremely unlikely events. Rare events are taken out of context and we tend to feel more vulnerable. This is in spite of the probabilities of these rare events happening to us being very minuscule. It is good that we learn from these events that are often tragic, but we need to keep in perspective that, again, we’re essentially living 1960s/1970s rates of crime.

How has accountability changed?

With increased information, we become exposed to things that we may not have had in the past. Smartphones and social media have been the driving forces behind the amplification of this effect. To this end, we are all to some extent put under more pressure to act and behave accordingly. More so now than in the past, the criminal justice field has been forced to reflect on its policies and procedures. This has been the most noticeable in law enforcement due to several high-profile national cases. To say that many or even most of these cases were as “cut and dried” as some think, I believe is an understatement, but the truth of the reality is that there is almost always something to learn about, clarify, or update professional training when it comes to policies and procedures. These unfortunate incidents have made jurisdictions and agencies reevaluate legal policy and sometimes change procedures, especially when engaging citizens physically.

As for body-worn cameras (BWC), when I last studied the topic, a few things struck me as interesting. First, there was hesitation among most officers when first using body cameras (e.g., some felt that they would not react as instinctively and that the camera may put them at risk). Second, after using the cameras and getting used to them, most officers welcomed their use (e.g., could corroborate evidence, fewer complaints, less unfounded lawsuits). Third, everyone acts a bit “better” when they know the camera is on, both the officer(s) AND the individuals being engaged by the officer; in other words, things tend to not escalate as much with cameras in use. Lastly, and probably most importantly, is that the public felt that by putting BWCs on officers, there would be more transparency. This last point is vital when it comes to the citizenry trusting those charged with enforcing and carrying out the law.

When it comes to law enforcement, does a “bad egg” reflect that entire organization?

Law enforcement is not a profession for the weary. You must be prepared to face dangerous situations and dangerous people. When these things come together, the likelihood of someone having been victimized and there is a confrontation with police increases, and sometimes things can escalate. Mistakes can happen, whether it be the officer’s decision or following a bad policy/procedure, or something that is unclear or leaves a lot to interpretation. The leaders in our law enforcement field definitely feel the pressure to “get it right.” And I think that the vast, vast majority of the rank and file feel the same way, too. So, going back to the question, “does one bad egg [or incident] reflect the rest of the force?” To this, I say unequivocally, “Absolutely not.” No field is perfect, and you will always have bad actors or unfortunate incidents. To some extent, and rightfully so, I think that law enforcement gets put under the microscope at a higher magnification due to the core elements of being representatives of the law who are charged with protecting the public and property and serving the citizenry. In terms of government agencies and performance, the criminal justice system/field needs to continue to evolve and change so that integrity and trust are maintained, and results are shown. The police and other law enforcement agencies are not “off-the-charts bad” when it comes to efficiency, decision-making, and leadership. Like any other government agency and oversight, some cases bring about much-needed change and we all should agree that the law should apply to everyone equally, with law enforcement being held to the highest standard.

Over the past few years, there has been more interest in criminology and criminal justice programs—why do you think that is?

The main thing that I see from students and those entering the criminology and criminal justice field is a desire to help make communities safer and our society a better place. The range of positions run the gamut from law enforcement to legal work to corrections and treatment to things like working with underserved or marginalized populations (e.g., children, impoverished, homeless, substance abusers, offenders looking to get back on the right path). Also, there is always the presence of preventing people from becoming victims of crime and to help them if they do end up being victimized. So, prevention and treatment efforts across-the-board and increased investigation/legal efforts are stressed in order that we have less crime to begin with, that the crime we do have is accounted for and there is a proper balance of treatment and justice for offenders in order to have less repeat offending in the future.

Those who are looking at the field nowadays I think feel a bit more extra pressure to hold their positions with the highest level of integrity. Additionally, I feel some who have entered the field recently or are looking to enter the field in the future are also looking to be part of changing things for the better. For what it’s worth, I think now and going forward is a great time for going into the field. There will continue to be bumps in the road, but our students will undoubtedly be part of needed changes in the system.

Chaminade’s Criminology and Criminal Justice department updated its master’s program (M.S. Criminal Justice Studies). How does the new curriculum respond to the current criminal justice environment and community needs?

During this past year, we updated our Master’s degree program in CJ. Previously, it was known as the “Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.” It is now the “Master of Science in Criminal Justice Studies.” In general terms, we’ve made our curriculum more contemporary with a focus on not just the advanced pillars of the field, but also on contemporary issues that are entrenched in the criminal justice landscape today—ethics, research, civil rights, forensic psychology, terrorism, cybercrime and trauma and crisis intervention. The field is broadening from law and order to a sort of safety net for a host of social issues; those in the field, especially on the frontlines, dealing with a wider array of matters than in the past. This also includes more emphasis on the front-end (prevention efforts) and the back-end (treatment and reintegration). We feel that our curriculum better reflects these shifts in the field.

Lastly, on a practical note, a master’s degree gives students a leg up when they enter the field and during their careers. As things in the field open up as the mass exodus of the Baby Boomer generation continues to occur, advanced degrees will separate one from their peers even more. For entree into the field, a master’s degree will often help in terms of being able to substitute for years of experience (e.g., common is equivalent to 2-3 years of experience). Then, once in the field, opportunities that require or desire a master’s degree will come up; moreover, advancement and promotion in certain fields can get pushed up or given advantages because of the advanced degree. As time goes on and one becomes more entrenched in their career, a master’s degree in today’s work field is seen as a must if one is being considered for higher-level positions (e.g., director, supervisory, managerial). I feel that the “payback” or return on investment from obtaining a master’s degree is high in the long run for graduates; roughly a little over a year of studies will put the graduate in an advantaged position for the rest of their careers.

Finding Her Home Away From Home

December 10, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

When Melanie Legdesog Veltri originally came to Chaminade University as an undergraduate from Micronesia, her plan was to get a degree and then go back home to help her community. She wasn’t expecting to find a Micronesian community in Hawai‘i that needed her just as much.

Veltri had always wanted to attend university in Hawai‘i, and she was attracted to Chaminade’s small class sizes and intimate community.

“My parents and I both thought it would be a good transition after coming from a small place,” explains Veltri. And they were right. Veltri found a home at Chaminade. “I had just moved here and I didn’t know anything about what living in the U.S. was like—I really learned from Chaminade. I took a lot in since I was so young and impressionable.”

It wasn’t long before Veltri became a very active member of the Chaminade ‘ohana and Campus Ministry.

She graduated in 2006 with a degree in criminology and criminal justice, and immediately got a job working in the Records office on campus. She also enrolled in the master’s in Criminal Justice Administration program and would go to classes in the evenings.

She really liked the perspective she gained through the master’s program, and the fact that so many of her peers were already professionals in the criminal justice field.

“I was able to take classes with people who were professionals, a lot of military members who did various things and were able to contribute to whatever we were studying academically,” describes Veltri. “Hearing from their first-hand experience gave me a whole other level of learning.”

But her plan had always been to become an attorney—Micronesia needed lawyers and doctors and her plan at the time was to go back home to help her community. So after graduating in 2008 with her master’s degree, she left her job in the Records office and enrolled in law school.

“I didn’t really see myself doing business law or working in an office, I wanted to do something that directly impacts people,” says Veltri. “Becoming a public defender is what I was interested in since the beginning.”

Upon becoming a J.D. in 2012, she spent some time working for the Hawai‘i State Legislature as a staff attorney for the House Judiciary Committee while she waited for a position as a public defender to open up. She wanted to get some work experience and utilize her networks in Hawaii before she headed back home. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long, and by 2013 she had landed her dream job.

Veltri was drawn to working with underserved and underrepresented communities. She spends her days advising people who normally wouldn’t have access to an attorney or be able to afford legal advice. She helps them navigate a very complex and often overwhelming legal system.

“If I didn’t give them advice, they’d be lost,” describes Veltri. “It’s overwhelming for them. But when I help, I can see their appreciation.”

Veltri sees firsthand that the biggest issues on O‘ahu are the prevalence of drugs and the high levels of homelessness.

“People just can’t pay for rent and can’t get stable,” says Veltri. “We have a drug problem here that keeps people cycling in and out of the jail system. Especially with the rising cost of housing, I don’t see this problem solving itself in the near future.”

Veltri doesn’t know what the solution is on a policy level, but she knows that the work she’s doing is making a difference for the people who are struggling.

“If it’s a drug issue, maybe I can help divert them to the right program,” says Veltri. “Or if it’s a mental health problem, I can direct them to case management. I guess I’m trying to do something about the problem in a way that I know how. For me, it’s how I know how to help and it’s how I can contribute to the solution.”

Veltri says she draws on her Chaminade experiences and education all the time. She shares a lot of the values that Chaminade instills and she has taken those into all aspects of her professional life. She embodies the Marianist focus on community service and does what she can to serve her community wherever she is.

But Chaminade has also shaped her personal life. She and her husband got married at Chaminade, and her son was baptised at the Mystical Rose Oratory. She also encouraged her siblings to follow in her footsteps and attend Chaminade.

“I keep getting drawn back to Chaminade and I want to maintain that connection,” says Veltri. “It has had such a profound influence on who I am today. A lot of the decisions I make, I just keep coming back to Chaminade.”

So much of her network in Hawai‘i is because of Chaminade.

“It is very much a family-oriented school,” says Veltri. “You just feel this connection with your peers and classmates. The classes were so small, I know of my classmates—a lot of them are in the criminal justice field—and I still see them in the community. I guess it’s just, we grew up together.”

The tight-knit community is part of what has kept Veltri in Hawai‘i. But the fact that Veltri has found so much need in Hawai‘i has also kept her in the islands longer than she had planned.

“When I initially came out here to go to school, my goal was always to go back home and to help my community,” says Veltri. “But ever since I started doing the work I’m doing I find it hard to leave.”

Veltri has found that even though she’s miles away from home, she’s still helping her community. A 1986 agreement between the Federated State of Micronesia and the United States provides Micronesians with the ability to work, study and live freely in the U.S, and today, Micronesians are Hawai‘i’s fastest growing immigrant population. In 2018, it was estimated that there were 18,000 Micronesians living in Hawai‘i, and that number was growing rapidly.

At work, Veltri is involved in a project to support the Micronesian community. Through the program she works with legal aid, immigration attorneys and legal clinics to help educate the community.

“The most recent project had to do with all of these emergency order violations and violating quarantine,” says Veltri. “They were just ticketing everyone and a lot of people in the Micronesian community were getting these tickets and didn’t know what to do with them.”

To help educate the Micronesian community about new laws and regulations, they have started partnering with community leaders and relying on them to help disperse information. Recently, they held a virtual Q&A session to answer questions about the new regulations.

“It’s a project that I’m proud to be part of,” says Veltri. “We’re becoming more and more active and people are starting to reach out to us to ask for help.”

Veltri still does want to go home at some point, but not until she feels like her work here is done. “There’s still a lot to do, and there are still a lot of ways that I can help where I am,” she says. “I love that I get to help the Micronesian community—those are my people and that’s where I come from.”