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Academic All-PacWest Teams Announced, Chaminade Sets Record

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A record-100 Chaminade University student-athletes were named Thursday to the Academic All-Pacific West Conference Teams.

The number broke the previous standard of 93 set during the 2017-18 academic year. It marks the fifth time in the past seven years that the Chaminade Athletics set a record for student-athletes recognized as Academic All-PacWest.

A total of 102 Silverswords were actually named but two student-athletes earned academic all-conference in two different sports.

Women’s volleyball senior Nina Torio (Mililani, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i/Mililani) capped off her college career with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in Business Administration. She was one of nine seniors in the PacWest to post perfect GPAs.

Men’s soccer had the most Academic All-PacWest eligible members with 18 followed by women’s soccer with 16, women’s volleyball with 15 and softball with 14. Women’s basketball had all 10 of its eligible student-athletes honored.

Among small-roster sports (10 student-athletes or less), women’s tennis had all seven members recognized as Academic All-PacWest. Men’s cross country and women’s cross country had six each.

A total of 1,742 student-athletes in the PacWest were named on the academic all-conference teams.

To be recognized as Academic All-PacWest, student-athletes must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, have completed two semesters at their current institution and competed in at least one regular season game or competition. Chaminade competes in 10 of the conference’s 15 sponsored sports.

Men’s Basketball
  • Isaac Amaral-Artharee, Freshman, Business Administration major, Portland, OR
  • Andre Arissol, Senior, Communication major, Northampton, England
  • Tyler Cartaino, Senior, Accounting major, Newbury Park, CA
  • Telly Davenport, Junior, Business Administration major, Idaho Falls, ID
  • Kevin Kremer, Freshman, Business Administration major, Chico, CA
  • Kobe Young, Freshman, Biochemistry major, Honolulu, HI
Women’s Basketball
  • Cheyenne Ardona, Sophomore, Business Administration major, Mililani, HI
  • Jamia Bailey, Sophomore, Elementary Education major, Yokosuka, Japan
  • Ellyonna Bankofier, Sophomore,Nursing major, Happy Valley, OR
  • Kali Benavente, Senior, Business Administration major, Tamuning, Guam
  • Arianna Blowe, Sophomore,Psychology major, Monument, CO
  • Destiny Castro, Senior, Accounting major, Talofofo, Guam
  • Michaella Dean, Sophomore, Behavioral Science major, Irvine, CA
  • Breann Nueku, Senior, Psychology major, Honolulu, HI
  • Grace Underhill, Sophomore, Biology-Integrative and Organismal major, River Forest, IL
  • Kirstin Wong, Senior, 3.62 GPA Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Laguna Niguel, CA
Men’s Cross Country
  • Elijah Bernardo-Flores, Junior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Waipahu, HI
  • Rocco Deangelo, Junior, Biology-Integrative and Organismal major, Mebane, NC
  • Beau Larsen, Freshman, Communications major, Papillion, NE
  • Peyton Oshiro, Freshman, Undeclared, Honolulu, HI
  • Josiah Rodrigues, Senior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Honokaa, HI
  • Matthew Schmidt, Senior, Forensic Science major, Hanalei, HI
Women’s Cross Country
  • Alena Albertson, Freshman, Environmental Science major, Austin, TX
  • Riley Hallman, Junior, Nursing major, Renner, SD
  • Hannah Hovestol, Sophomore, Nursing major, Modesto, CA
  • Montserrat Lanfranco, Freshman, Environmental + Interior Design major, Honolulu, HI
  • Eri Leong, Freshman, Communications major, Las Vegas, NV
  • Olivia Mariucci, Junior, Nursing major, Templeton, CA
Men’s Golf
  • Colby Gunderson, Junior, Biology-Cellular and Molecular major, Kaneohe, HI
  • Demond Mello, Senior, Communications major, Kaneohe, HI
  • Jeren Nishimoto, Senior, Business Administration major, Honolulu, HI
  • Schuyler Peterson, Freshman, Communications major, Huntington Beach, CA
Men’s Soccer
  • Quinton Brown, Freshman, Business Administration major, El Paso, TX
  • Kelton Cheney, Junior Undecided, State College, PA
  • Curtis Coburn, Senior, Biology-Integrative and Organismal major, Huntington Beach, CA
  • Lyric De Leon, Junior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Kapolei, HI
  • Tyler Ebisuya, Junior, Business Administration major, Kaneohe, HI
  • Jamin Fonseca, Junior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Mililani, HI
  • David Gewargis, Freshman, Business Administration major, San Jose, CA
  • Reece Hambly, Senior, Business Administration major, Binghamton, England
  • Steven Harris, Junior, Psychology major, Monroe, WA
  • Brison Kim, Freshman, Undecided, Honolulu, HI
  • Taka Kosins, Junior, Elementary Education major, Tokyo, Japan
  • Isaiah Kuloloia, Senior, Business Administration major, Mililani, HI
  • Colin Roemer, Junior, Undecided, Cologne, Germany
  • Matthew Schmidt, Senior, Forensic Sciences major, Hanalei, HI
  • Michael Stafford, Senior, Psychology major, Honolulu, HI
  • Tasman Turner, Accounting major, Kailua, HI
  • Joshua Wong, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Aiea, HI
  • Brandon Yasue, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Honolulu, HI
Women’s Soccer
  • Rachel Arakawa, Senior, Biology-Integrative and Organismal, Kaneohe, HI
  • Breanna-Leigh Bactista, Junior, Business Administration major, Mililani, HI
  • Camryn Cabudol, Freshman, Undecided, Ewa Beach, HI
  • Sharon Cain, Sophomore, Forensic Sciences major, Honolulu, HI
  • Randi Fontes, Junior, Nursing major, Wahiawa, HI
  • Alyssa Francia, Freshman, Religious Studies-Christian Studies major, Surprise, AZ
  • Laina Jumawan, Freshman, Biology-Integrative and Organismal major, Kaneohe, HI
  • Kira Nishiki, Freshman, Elementary Education major, Mililani, HI
  • Dayna Nishimura, Sophomore, Biology- Integrative and Organismal, Mililani, HI
  • Jordan Taboniar, Senior, Elementary Education major, Anahola, HI
  • Naomi Takata, Freshman, Nursing major, Honolulu, HI
  • Kyla Takazono, Sophomore, Elementary Education major, Pearl City, HI
  • Cierra Toledo-Muragin, Senior, Nursing major, Hilo, HI
  • Nicole Vontsolos, Freshman, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, San Diego, CA
  • Lindsey Wilson, Freshman, Nursing major, Mililani, HI
  • Kirstin Wong, Senior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Laguna Niguel, CA
Softball
  • Karyna Baldomino, Sophomore, Elementary Education major, Diamond Bar, CA
  • Kobe Brown, Freshman, Psychology major, Mililani, HI
  • Kaitlyn Castillo, Senior, Forensic Sciences major, Makawao, HI
  • Ronni Gallegos, Junior, Communication major, Long Beach, CA
  • Kailah Gates-Koyaso, Freshman, Business Administration major, Waianae, HI
  • Taylor Genera, Freshman, Biology-Cellular and Molecular major, Norwalk, CA
  • Malia Ka’akimaka-Moisa, Junior, Forensic Sciences major, Ewa Beach, HI
  • Kieren Lopez, Freshman, Biology-Cellular and Molecular major, Bakersfield, CA
  • Hailey Matsumura, Sophomore, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Honolulu, HI
  • Cheyne Obara, Sophomore, Elementary Education major, Pearl City, HI
  • Alexas Presto-Ahsing, Sophomore, Business Administration major, Pearl City, HI
  • Yolanda Racaz, Freshman, Elementary Education major, San Pedro, CA
  • Jehna Ramiscal, Freshman, Forensic Sciences, Visalia, CA
  • Madelyn Stockslager, Junior, Psychology major, Torrance, CA
Women’s Tennis
  • Cai Yan Fang, Senior, Data Science, Analytics and Visualization major, Zhongshan, China
  • Tomomi Kohno, Senior, Psychology major, Tokyo, Japan
  • Kayleen Lau, Freshman, Biology-Cellular and Molecular major, Wailuku, HI
  • Catrina Liner, Junior, Biology-Cellular and Molecular, Corvallis, OR
  • Mariel Navarro, Senior, Nursing major, Manila, Philippines
  • Emily Ramirez Miranda, Freshman, Environmental Science major, Honolulu, HI
  • Elyssa Shirai, Senior, Environmental + Interior Design major, Waipahu, HI
Women’s Volleyball
  • Alecza Abary, Freshman, Undecided, Fontana, CA
  • Alana Handy, Senior, Historical & Political Studies major, Burlington, WA
  • Leka Kiner-Falefa, Junior, Business Administration, Honolulu, HI
  • Tate Lutu, Sophomore, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Honolulu, HI
  • Riley Lynch, Junior, Psychology major, Kaneohe, HI
  • Rae Montrose, Freshman, Psychology major, Cedar Hills, UT
  • Rachel Reedy, Junior, Nursing major, Temple City, CA
  • Annah Rivera, Freshman, Biology-Cellular and Molecular major, Granada Hills, CA
  • Emma Tecklenburg, Senior, Criminology and Criminal Justice major, Plano, TX
  • Isabella Tessitore, Senior, Business Administration major, San Diego, CA
  • Tatiana Toleafoa, Sophomore, Psychology major, Union City, CA
  • Nina Torio, Senior, Business Administration major, Mililani, HI
  • Danielle Wiley, Junior, Elementary Education major, Peoria, AZ
  • Jacqueline Wolfe, Junior, Business Administration major, Laguna Hills, CA
  • Claire Zanon, Junior, Business Administration major, Beaverton, OR

A Leader of Leaders

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Whether it’s treating a Chaminade alumnus to lunch, spending her own time tutoring students for the nursing certification exam or serving as a faculty advisor to a student club, Chaminade professor of nursing Edna Magpantay-Monroe is notorious for going the extra mile.

Edna Magpantay-Monroe

“Once Dr. Monroe knows who you are,” says fourth-year nursing student Spencer Lee, “she won’t forget you…[she] often sacrifices her own time and money to provide services for students that better their education.”

That’s why he nominated her for the 2020 Weingarten Leader of Leaders Award. Each year, the National Student Nurses Association presents the award to a dean, faculty member or state consultant who goes above and beyond to support nursing students. Having worked with Professor Monroe as the president for Hawaii State Student Nurses Association and a former the Chaminade Student Nurses’ Association, Lee knew she was the perfect example of a Leader of Leaders.

“She was a key figure in revamping the Hawai‘i Student Nurses’ Association years ago, and since then has served as a faculty consultant and has mentored many future leaders in healthcare,” says Lee. “She has fostered the professional and academic development of all of the students she has interacted with.”

Professor Monroe was beyond touched when she learned she had won the award. “I was ecstatic when I opened my email congratulating me on this award,” says Monroe. “The nomination means a lot because it came from students.”

The award was to be presented at the annual National Student Nurses’ Association convention this month, but the gathering was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Hawai‘i Student Nurses’ Association, for which Dr. Monroe serves as the faculty consultant, also won both the national Newsletter Contest and the State Excellence Award.

 won in our category of schools for both the Newsletter and State Excellence

“Seven years ago, when a group of students asked me to help rejuvenate the state’s Student Nurses Association, I said yes but I did not have a clue what laid ahead,” said Monroe. “I have ended up loving this role as a faculty consultant and advisor. I feel proud as I see the students grow in front of me.”

Dr. Monroe serves as the president of the Sigma Theta Tau International Gamma Psi-at-Large Chapter, co-adviser of the Chaminade Health Occupations Schools of America (HOSA) club, and co-adviser of The Filipino Club at Chaminade University. Additionally, she was recently a co-author of an abstract publication, “Student Perceptions of Just Culture in Nursing Education Programs: A Multi-Site Study,” that received the 2020 Generating Evidence for Nursing Education Practice Award presented by Sigma and the National League for Nursing.

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.”

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.”

Congratulations to our Chaminade Po’okela Award Winners

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Every year, Hawaii’s theatre community comes together to celebrate the best in local stagecraft. The Po’okela Awards are considered Hawaii’s answer to the Tony Awards.

And this August, Chaminade University students, alumni and productions got plenty of recognition. 

Among the awards netted by Chaminade students: Excellence in service, presented to Chaminade senior Katelyn Shedden, and excellence in ensemble performance in a musical, which the cast of Chaminade’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” took home along with musicals performed at Manoa Valley and Diamond Head theaters.

Meanwhile, Chaminade Technical Director for the Performing Arts Claire Paul, who’s a Chaminade MBA student, won an excellence in scenic design award for her work in Leeward Theatre’s “In the Heights.” And Chaminade’s Brother Gary Morris, a performing arts associate professor at Chaminade, was honored for excellence in performance for a non-traditional production for his featured male role in The Actor’s Group’s “Mining for Coal.”

Chaminade graduate Christopher Patrinos, who teaches in the University’s performing arts program, was recognized for directing the Leeward Theatre’s production of “In The Heights.”

Chaminade was also honored to see participants in the University’s 2018 Summer Theatre Festival spotlighted at the Po’okela Awards, including the cast of “Dead Accounts,” which won for excellence in an ensemble performance. The summer festival, a tradition at Chaminade, features student actors, designers and technicians from universities around the country.

The Po’okela Awards were launched in 1984. A panel of judges selects honorees in 23 categories, including for producing and directing, individual and cast performances, and design.

Here are all of this year’s awards to Chaminade students or faculty:

  • Excellence in Service: Chaminade senior Katelyn Shedden
  • Excellence in Ensemble Performance in a Musical: The cast of the Chaminade’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Those honored were: Aulani Oka, Elijah Abramo, Angelo Oasay, Kainoa Enos, Jr., and Sofia Vela
  • Excellence in Scenic Design: Chaminade Performing Arts Technical Director Claire Paul
  • Excellence in Performance in a Non-traditional Production: Brother Gary Morris
  • Excellence in Direction in Musical Theatre: Christopher Patrinos

Business Students Win in Las Vegas

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A team of Chaminade business students took home third place in the annual International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) student case study competition in Las Vegas. Lady Luck may have been on the students’ side, but their win was well deserved after weeks of hard work and preparation.

Business students at IACBE competition

The IACBE competition is held during the organization’s annual conference and is open to students from all IACBE-member and non-member institutions worldwide. It’s split into two portions over the course of two days—the live business case competition and the ethical case competition. This year’s conference and competition was held on April 9–12 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“This experience provides students with great opportunities for creativity, critical analysis and intellectual engagement, and can lead to a higher level of learning than mere knowledge absorption,” Dr. Guanlin Gao, assistant professor of economics and faculty mentor, said. “It also can help students acquire practical career-relevant competencies such as data analysis, writing and oral presentation skills, time management and the ability to give and receive constructive criticism.”

The first day of competition was the live business case. This year, competing teams were required to create a business plan for écree, a fast-growing writing support technology company based in North Carolina, which they then had to present to two panels of judges. The plan and executive summary submitted by Chaminade’s team included all the perspectives of growth strategy, sales and business development, marketing, research and development, reporting, financial planning and analysis. Teams received the parameters of this case a month prior to the competition.

Business students at IACBE competition

But the second-day case, otherwise known as the urgent ethical case, was released the same day as the competition, only four hours before. It was provided by the University of Arizona Eller Center for Leadership Ethics and asked students to make recommendations regarding the incorporation of artificial intelligence in law enforcement for a fictional company. This was also followed by two different presentations to two panels of judges.  

Thirty students from eight different institutions qualified for the finals and competed in this year’s competition. Chaminade’s team was comprised of four students including Savannah Lyn Delos Santos, Renee Leifi, Daniel Maximo and Kai Rivera.

The team began preparing for the IACBE competition in mid-January, spending five hours every Friday and Sunday learning how to approach a business case and conduct business research, listening to guest speakers and practicing with cases used in previous years.

The first case was released at the end of March so team members forfeited their spring break to prepare for the competition, clocking at least 70 hours during those eight days. In order to train for the same-day ethics case, the students practiced with a variety of scenarios so that they’d be prepared for anything.

But the hard work and dedication paid off, and Chaminade took home third place in a close competition. Chaminade’s team was only two points behind second place winner, Germany’s Cologne Business School, which was only one point behind first place winner, Lynn University in Florida.

“I think placing was really nice but it didn’t mean as much compared to the new friendships I had fostered with my teammates, coaches and students and faculty from the other institutions attending the conference,” Maximo said. “That in itself was the true win.”

Regardless of how Chaminade’s team placed in the competition, the students who participated agree that the experience challenged them to grow and learn outside of the traditional classroom setting.

“I learned to discern humbly that there is no one right way to do something,” Delos Santos, senior business marketing major, said. “Answers vary in business. We have to constantly be adapting to macro-environmental changes in business, and keep up with the trends and what methods are currently successful.”