Chaminade University of Honolulu

English

Immersive Experiences Through Summer Institutes

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Dozens of Hawai’i public high school students converged on Chaminade’s campus over the summer for a host of immersive learning opportunities—trying their hand at everything from spoken word poetry to marine conservation to designing a safehouse for a zombie apocalypse.

Chaminade’s Summer Institutes 2021 offerings, part of the University’s ongoing commitment to early college programming, gave rising juniors and seniors at two public high schools the chance to do a deep dive into disciplines of high interest.

The intensive, 10-day courses were free to McKinley and Kaimukī high school students and also included standalone college preparatory sessions on how to pay for higher education, apply for financial aid, select an academic pathway and build leadership skills.

Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, said 37 students participated across five Summer Institutes courses. The offerings were made possible in part thanks to a US Department of Education GEAR UP grant.

Davidson said GEAR UP is focused on boosting college attendance among low-income students. To promote that goal, she said, the Summer Institutes program at Chaminade offered participants a high-quality, engaging college-level experience.

“The students had rewarding experiences on our campus—with each other and with their faculty and peer mentors,” Davidson said, adding that enrollees also benefitted from co-curricular sessions with the University’s advising, financial aid and admissions offices.

“Through our Summer Institutes, we aimed to support the academic growth of students, but also provided a series of college readiness sessions. We look forward to growing on our successes this year and provide even more institutes next summer.”

Doing It Yourself: A New World
high school students working together on a business plan project during the business summer institute

Among the available academic sessions was a course—taught by Accounting Professor Aaron Williamson—on entrepreneurship, business modeling and communication skills. “Doing It Yourself: A New World” also included an emphasis on leadership and team building.

Williamson said he wanted the immersion program to give students a “taste of what business really is. At its root, business is the thoughts, dreams and initiatives of a multitude of folks from history to present who simply had an idea and acted on it.”

He added that he was most excited to watch students tap into their passions and personal interests—and then figure out how to direct that energy into a business plan.

“I fully expect to be walking into a few of their establishments one day,” he added.

Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop
high school students at the museum of art during a field trip for the english summer institute

English Professor Dr. Allison Paynter drew from English 256 (Poetry and Drama) to design her summer institute course entitled, “Word Wizards: The Magic of Poetry and Hip Hop.” In addition to analyzing hip hop lyrics, traditional poetry and verse-driven dramas, students wrote poetry and then put on spoken word performances.

Paynter, herself a performance poet, said she most enjoyed seeing her student participants collaborate with one another on writing.

“I also loved watching my students perform their original poetry during our Spoken Word event,” she said. “I would like to believe each student felt empowered through the process of writing creative pieces.”

Marine Science Immersion
high school students at the beach looking at marine life during the marine science summer institute

Dr. Gail Grabowsky, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade, co-taught a “Marine Science Immersion” summer course with Dr. Lupita Ruiz-Jones, an assistant professor of Environmental Sciences. Students in the session spent the first week exploring the ocean environment from the perspective of a marine scientist and the second considering the impacts of humans on marine ecosystems.

Participants spent time in the classroom, lab and, of course, the ocean.

Ruiz-Jones said students took field trips to Waimea Bay, Sharks Cove, Makapuu, Makaha and Ala Moana Beach. They even took a walk from campus to nearby Pālolo Stream, inspiring three students to return the following weekend for a stream cleanup project.

Grabowsky said a central takeaway of the course for students was just how incredible marine systems are—and how important they are to preserve.

“I wanted them to walk away with a knowledge of the ocean, of course, but also a feeling that college is wonderful and an understanding of how it works,” she said. “I hope they all came away loving Chaminade!”

Psychology Studies

Psychology Associate Professor Dr. Darren Iwamoto led a course in Psychology Studies, challenging students to take a journey of self-discovery and self-awareness to understand the importance of mental health in everyday life.

Iwamoto, who is clinical director of the School Counseling and Undergraduate Psychology programs at Chaminade, said he kicked off the course with two questions: Why do we do what we do? And why do we think what we think?”

It was through those lines of inquiry that Iwamoto encouraged students to consider how they tackle stress, handle change and plan for the future—and how they might apply new and healthier coping strategies in their own lives to promote personal wellbeing.

“It was so memorable to watch so much personal and academic growth in just two weeks,” he said, adding that he also learned so much about his own teaching from the experience.

“I had to learn different strategies of student engagement because I didn’t have grades being the underlying motivator,” he said. “I really like how this Summer Institute flowed and how students experienced psychology versus being told about it.”

Visualizing the Future
high school student working on their zombie apocalypse safehouse during the art and design summer institute

The fifth offering over the summer was called “Visualizing the Future.”

Dr. Junghwa Suh, an associate professor of Arts and Design at Chaminade, led the course—modeled after Art 103 or Visual Design. Students were introduced to the power of visualizations and used problem-solving skills and design tools to create models.

After learning the basics of hands-on modeling tools, Suh set the students to work in groups to create a zombie safehouse—yes, you read that right. Suh said the engaging project required students to think about space planning while trying to figure out how to protect the safehouse’s occupants from a decidedly horrific fate.

“I wanted my students to get a clear and dynamic overview of arts and design, see the connection of arts and design to various disciplines … and use their creativity and logical processing to execute design solutions to given problems,” she said.

Suh added that the students’ final safehouse designs were impressive.

“I hope these creative minds gained some new perspectives in arts and design and understand various possibilities they can pursue with this study,” she said.

And she’s already looking forward to next summer’s courses. “It is so beneficial for students to see how different disciplines come together to solve world problems,” she said. “These types of institutes help high school students in making decisions on what they want to study.”

Serving Through Science

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Sometimes, plans change. Sometimes, you enter college knowing exactly what you want to be when you grow up—and then you leave on a completely different track.

Jerlisa Arizala '04

At least that’s what happened to Jerlisa Arizala ‘04.

The Saipan native had always had her eyes on becoming a pediatrician.

Her first step was to get into a good university. But Saipan is fairly isolated, and her parents didn’t want her to travel too far.

Chaminade offered the perfect balance—a high-quality education that was relatively close to home, and an island lifestyle similar to the one she was used to. When she visited, she fell in love with the atmosphere. She felt the academic presence, but knew it would be a place where the community would support her and offer help if she needed it. She also really liked the diversity she saw on campus.

And her experience did not disappoint.

“My college experience was one of the best experiences of my life,” says Arizala. “I think Chaminade was the perfect place to feel comfortable being yourself because it was such a big melting pot. Everyone was so different and had an interesting background. It felt like everyone was accepted.”

One of the things that struck her right away was the diversity. For the first time, she realized just how many ways there were to be an American.

“It stood out so much to me that there were a lot of students from other U.S. Territories who were also American,” she remembers. “It was really nice to see all of the different definitions of American in one place. It wasn’t what a typical mainland experience would have been like.“

She started Chaminade as a biology major on the pre-med track. That’s how she met biology professor Ron Iwamoto. Not only was he her advisor, but he also taught a few of her classes. He noticed right away that she had a talent for writing.

“As my professor, he was able to look at my strengths and communicate what those were to me,” recalls Arizala. “He told me I was a good writer, and I should pursue some sort of writing career. And he told me I could do that within academia.”

It was through his guidance that she was inspired to pursue research instead of medical school. She also decided to add on an English minor. It provided a nice balance to the heavy biology classes, and it helped her develop her writing skills.

When she graduated in 2004, she went on to earn an M.S. in Biological Science from California State University Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in molecular biology and virology from the City of Hope.

Sometimes she still thinks about becoming a pediatrician, but she never follows through because she really likes where her path has led her. She’s found that her ultimate goal was always to help people, and she can do that through research.

“I’ve learned so much about how to help people,” she says. “I have no regrets about the track I took. I know there are groups that need help, and I can help them through science.”

Arizala is a cell biologist at Kite Pharma, a subsidiary company of Gilead Sciences, Inc., and couldn’t be happier. The research coming out of Gilead represents everything she stands for—she loves how they want to give to the community and make sure everyone has access to drugs they need. Gilead Sciences is known for its antiviral drugs used to treat HIV. They have also made the news lately for their promising COVID-19 treatment that is currently undergoing clinical trials, Remdesivir.

Arizala’s expertise lies in reengineering T cells, a type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell, to attack and kill cancer cells. It’s a developing treatment for certain types of lymphomas and leukemias, and her company was responsible for the first T cell lymphoma treatment product to be approved and released on the market.

Her work is something she holds very dear to her heart. It’s a source of pride, and she finds it very rewarding. “Working for Kite Pharma is a great way to make a direct impact on a cancer patient’s life,” she says. “I help them have a better quality of life by allowing them to live longer and eradicate their cancer.”

Arizala credits both Iwamoto and Chaminade for the impact she’s had on others. If it weren’t for Iwamoto’s guidance, her educational path would have been very different.

In fact, their relationship came full circle right around 2012 or 2013. She was finishing up her Ph.D. at City of Hope, a world-class cancer hospital in Los Angeles. He was there as a lymphoma patient, receiving a transplant.

“We had dinner together and he met my husband,” she recalls. “It was the last time I saw him in person.”

Though they are in different states now, she still keeps in touch with her professor—he sends her updates of his grandchildren, and she sends him updates about her children. He’s also served as a reference, and helped her get into graduate school and get her first job.

Her time at Chaminade not only fostered her passion for science, but it also taught her to recognize her strengths and embrace who she is.

“Going to a school that was very warm and friendly taught me to be that way with others,” says Arizala. “It taught me to be genuine and to keep my morals.”

As a female and as a minority in the sciences, that has come in handy. She recognizes the responsibility she has in paving the way for others and has been able to stay true to herself and always represent where she is from.

“Chaminade prepared me to be a role model,” says Arizala. “Not only in building my passion in science, but also by building my character.”

Mentorship Goes Beyond Graduation

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Emma Chisholm never thought she’d be one to go to college. It was such a large initial investment and higher education comes with a lot of bells and whistles. For the public school graduate, it was hard to justify the cost.

Emma Chisholm graduating from Chaminade

So when she graduated from Chaminade University in 2019, thanks to the help of scholarships, it was a big moment. But it was also a scary moment.

“I had no idea who I was and what I actually wanted,” says Chisholm. “I knew what I enjoyed, but I didn’t know who I wanted to be.”

Like so many new graduates, Emma suddenly felt the whole world open up. “The truth is, the road is all over the place and you can go in any direction.”

Chisholm has always had a passion for writing. Upon graduating, the English major did a short stint teaching English online before taking on a few freelance writing jobs. And when she did, it was as though something clicked inside.

“When they decided to hire me, I was extremely happy,” describes Chisholm. “I was thrilled at the prospect of writing professionally. It would be a job where I could call myself a writer.”

Although she didn’t have a clear cut path after graduating, Chisholm took solace in the fact that she found strong mentors in her Chaminade professors.

She initially established a connection with Dr. Allison Paynter after taking one of her classes. She recognized a shared analytical mindset and a sense of enjoyment for reading. She shared the same mindset with other professors as well, but there was something about Dr. Paynter that kept her coming back.

Emma Chisholm

“She thought more about me,” says Chisholm. “It seemed as though there was a developing relationship between us where we could talk easily about our interests and build on that, but she also pays attention to me. She heard me, and she saw me.”

And the feeling was mutual. Dr. Paynter saw a talent in Chisholm that she was excited to help her explore.

“I had told her during the Honors Ceremony at graduation to stay in touch,” says Paynter. “And she was one of those students who actually took me at my word. For probably close to a year I would meet with her every few months.”

The two spoke frequently about Chisholm’s future goal and next steps, and Dr. Paynter’s guidance helped lead Chisholm to explore graduate schools.

“I had a friend at the time who had just gotten her Masters in Fine Arts in poetry,” says Dr. Paynter. “I wanted to share that with Emma to see if that was something that would interest her. We started looking at New York University publishing programs, and in the process Mills College in California started to appeal to her.”

It was partly the location that attracted her. “I don’t feel like I see myself in a state like New York,” says Chisholm. “I’m more in tune with the atmosphere in California. Ultimately, I’m looking for a place where I can establish myself with a career.”

Chisholm has since been accepted to both the MFA in creative writing program at Mills College and the MFA program at the University of San Francisco for this fall and is deciding between the two. She plans to continue freelance writing on the side while pursuing her degree.

Growing as a Writer and Learner

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Sami Eastwood published her first book at 17, when she was a freshman at Chaminade.

Three years later, she’s completing final edits on a sequel and has already started working on a third novel in her science fiction series. She’s also the co-founder of a boutique publishing house, helps her parents grow their business in her spare time and is a year away from finishing her bachelor’s degree.

If that’s not impressive enough, Eastwood decided to double major in English and History.

Sami Eastwood, an online undergraduate student who lives in Oregon

Eastwood is an online undergraduate student at Chaminade, taking classes, completing assignments and communicating with professors and her peers remotely. While she lives in Oregon, she said she counts her professors as close and valuable mentors who have helped her grow as a writer and a learner.

“Every term I’m learning new things that contribute to sparking my creativity,” Eastwood said.

She said she decided to pursue her degree at Chaminade after taking a few classes at a large public university that she said wasn’t a right fit. Chaminade’s Marianist tradition of helping others and building a better world was an especially important element to her and her family, Eastwood said.

“I decided on an English major because I want to write books for a living and it’s good to know the rules of any trade you go into and how to analyze other works of fiction and nonfiction,” Eastwood said. “I chose history as well because I’ve always been fascinated by it, especially American history.”

In fact, Eastwood said she’s also interested in pursuing a future career in museums.

Her first love, though, is writing. And she has no plans to give that up. “My goal is to stay as closely connected to both worlds as possible,” Eastwood said. “The literary world of writing books along with the historical world, and I’m hoping my degrees can help me with that process.”

To publish her first book, Eastwood worked closely with another online undergraduate student at Chaminade–English major Jodi Clark. The two are good friends (and Oregon residents) and have found the university’s online program has allowed them to pursue their passions.

Clark even served as Eastwood’s editor for her first book, “Blackstone Asylum.”

The book is set 100 years in the future in a world in which superpowers are common and misunderstood. The novel’s heroine, Andrea Rosales, was born with the ability to heal. It’s that power that makes her a target for a villain who kidnaps paranormal children to turn them into weapons.

Eastwood said all she’s learned at Chaminade has given her a multitude of new story ideas and techniques for tackling them. “I learn endless amounts of information from both my English and history classes,” she said. “Even the smallest fact can blossom into (yet another) story idea.”

There are No Boundaries When Pursuing Your Passion

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Jodi Clark knew by the time she was 10 that she wanted to be a writer.

“I wrote a 400-page manuscript that has never seen the light of day,” said the English major, who’s minoring in History and Political Studies. “I fell in love with writing dialogue and complex characters.”

Jodi Clark, online undergraduate student

Fast forward a decade and change and Clark is still as inspired by words as she was back then. The difference? They’re central to her job now, and not just a hobby. In addition to seeking her undergraduate degree at Chaminade online, Clark is a content editor for a small publishing house and social media manager.

She says that being able to attend class remotely — she lives in Oregon — has allowed her to feel connected to her Chaminade professors and to the university while completing her coursework on her own schedule. “The online program at Chaminade is fantastic because despite weekly deadlines, there are no strict requirements for when and where you have to ‘show up’ for class,” Clark said.

She added the flexibility allows her to arrange her schedule in a way that makes sense for her.

Clark enrolled at Chaminade in winter 2018, after doing research about universities nationwide. She knew that she wanted to opt for an online program because she wanted to remain near her family. She was also looking for an institution that honored her religious values and belief in giving back to others.

“After much thought, we decided on Chaminade because of its religious values and because of its location since the Hawaiian Islands are very dear to my family and me,” Clark said, adding that what’s surprised her the most is how warm and welcoming the university community is — even from afar.

“Even from a distance, the family spirit of the school puts me at ease,” she said, adding that she’s planning to spend her senior year on campus. “My time at Chaminade feels so well spent and I am looking forward to the day I can visit … the people who have helped me pursue my education.”

People like Dr. Brooke Carlson, one of her English professors, who has helped Clark learn the “technicalities of writing” and challenged her to think more critically. Professor Justin Wyble, who encouraged Clark to take more risks in her writing. And Professor Karla Brundage, who worked with Clark on poetry.

Clark has also brought her own contributions to courses as a “beta reader.” She works for MaileKai Publishing, where she’s helped fellow Chaminade student Sami Eastwood publish her debut young adult novel “Blackstone Asylum” on Amazon and is in the revisions process for a sequel.

“Sami Eastwood came to me with the idea for ‘Blackstone Asylum’ as she wrote it,” Clark said. “I provided ideas and advice when and if she needed them. I started providing content editing for the book in about 2018, and by 2019, I helped plot and point out issues in large-scale revisions.”

She said working as a content editor, she enjoys “untangling knots in stories in their earliest stages.”

And her time at Chaminade has helped her become even more adept at that untangling, providing inspiration and feeding her creativity to as she works to develop her confidence in editing and writing. “When I was younger, my work ended up being either very formulaic or very scattered,” Clark said. “Thanks to my time in Chaminade’s online program, I feel that I have the tools … to take creative risks and see them through. My degree will be helpful for pursuing a variety of jobs in the writing world.”

Secondary Education Student Wins MLA Student Essay Contest

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Jennifer Nguyen '22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen
Jennifer Nguyen ’22 with author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Jennifer cited his work multiple times in her essay.

Jennifer Nguyen ’22 calls herself a “history fanatic.”

She’s an online undergraduate student studying Secondary Education at Chaminade and hopes to one day teach history. So when her English professor, Dr. Brooke Carlson, assigned her class an argumentative essay designed to be something of a self-exploration she knew instantly what she would write about.

She took on nothing less than the Vietnam War, a topic that has haunted her since childhood.

“I find many reasons to be proud of my American heritage,” Nguyen said, in a recent interview. “On the other side, I find myself drawn to the stories, the struggle, and the memory of a war that has affected not only my family but all those who were lost, displaced, resettled, disturbed.”

Her essay explores the problematic way in which Americans collectively remember the war, offering a powerful alternative for recalling a bloody and protracted conflict that Nguyen said is meant to reflect her “love for the American value of expression and a love for cultural identity.”

Her powerful perspective didn’t just impress her professor.

It also garnered a national award: Out of hundreds of submissions from around the country, “The Vietnam War, the American War: Literature, Film, and Popular Memory” was selected as a winner in the MLA (Modern Language Association) Student Paper Contest. A committee of judges said Nguyen’s essay not only had a clear thesis and excellent sources, but the topic and her argument were “compelling.”

In winning the award, Nguyen’s essay will also be published on the MLA Style Center, a hub geared toward students from high school to graduate school that’s meant to demonstrate how to correctly use MLA style – and, of course, write a good essay.

Nguyen said the essay was a “passion project” that was made possible thanks to her partnership with Carlson. Nguyen said her professor suggested she submit the essay to the MLA and then helped her cut the word count and offered other suggestions for tweaks.

“Without him, I would not have even known or considered submitting my work to the MLA contest,” Nguyen said, adding that “This essay really was a joy to research and write. I hope to continue on this path and produce more work that sheds light on important issues.”