Chaminade University of Honolulu

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Chaminade Student Turns Hogan Award Into Cambridge Experience

By Justin Siliva

When an invitation to study literature at the University of Cambridge in England landed in Momi Mae Ham’s email, the Chaminade University junior nearly passed it up.

It wasn’t until English professor Justin Wyble, Ph.D., forwarded the opportunity and encouraged her to apply that Ham began considering spending part of her summer abroad.

“I didn’t think I was gonna get in,” Ham said.

The Sigma Tau Delta–Cambridge Undergraduate Summer Program gives undergraduate members of the international English honor society a week at Girton College. Participants take two literature courses taught by Cambridge instructors, studying poetry and prose through small-group discussions, close reading, and essay writing.

About a week after submitting her application, Ham received an acceptance email for the weeklong summer program at Cambridge’s Girton College. She initially mistook the message for a confirmation that her application had been received.

“It was really nice to kind of see that what I want to do is something that was recognized and was good enough for a program like that,” Ham said.

Wyble, Assistant Professor of English and adviser to Chaminade’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter, an international honor society that recognizes students for academic achievement in English language and literature, learned about the Cambridge program through the organization. In her second year as chapter president, Ham was the first student he recommended.

A Maui native and Kamehameha Schools graduate, Ham is double majoring in English and Integrated Marketing Communications, with minors in Education and Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. Wyble said she brings her knowledge of Hawai‘i’s culture, history, and sense of place into classroom discussions.

Although Ham had secured a place at Cambridge, she still needed to cover the cost.

At the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program’s annual kick-off the previous year, Ham received the Hogan Alakaʻi Scholarship, an award she later used to help pay for her Cambridge trip. 

Roy Panzarella, Ph.D., director of the Hogan Program, said he learned about Ham’s experience only after she returned to Hawai‘i. Hogan had not helped arrange her studies abroad.

“Perhaps most importantly, she demonstrated that entrepreneurship is not always about starting a business. Sometimes it is about recognizing an opportunity, taking the initiative, and finding a way to make it happen,” Panzarella said.

Cambridge was part of Ham’s first trip outside the United States. Before arriving at Girton College, she spent time exploring Switzerland and London with her cousin.

She began preparing for the program while still taking 19 credits at Chaminade. Alongside her regular coursework, Ham read five novels and assigned poetry materials for her Cambridge classes.

At Cambridge, Ham had to get used to writing essays without the detailed outlines she was familiar with at Chaminade. Her professors wanted students to examine the literature closely, form their own interpretations, and use evidence from the readings to support them.

“We were all shocked because we’re used to everything being so structured,” Ham said. “But for them, it was really, really just show, and really look deep into it.”

Ham was particularly nervous about her poetry class. Although she was comfortable analyzing literature, she had little experience with creative writing. The class gave her opportunities to examine how history and culture influence the way people interpret poetry.

“It’s not that you’re right or wrong. It’s really just what you think,” Ham said.

During the program, Ham studied poetry under Alex Wong, Ph.D., a poet and former fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge, who spent much of his childhood on O‘ahu.

Wong, who has more than 12 years of experience teaching English Literature at Cambridge, led the program’s Poetry: Practical Criticism course. His sugarcane poetry sparked discussions about Hawai‘i’s environment, giving Ham an unexpected connection to home.

“It was really cool to be able to make that connection and see how my life here was still somehow involved all the way in Europe,” Ham said.

Outside the classroom, Ham visited a rare books collection, where she could handle historical works after washing her hands. Among the books she encountered were a parchment volume dating to the 1400s, a first edition of Charles Darwin’s work, and rare editions of Shakespeare. She examined how books were produced centuries ago and how their appearance changed over time.

Wyble hopes Ham will share what she learned with other Chaminade students and encourage more Sigma Tau Delta members to apply to the Cambridge program.

Applications for the 2027 Sigma Tau Delta Cambridge Undergraduate Summer Program are open to undergraduate members through Nov. 2.

Ham hopes to return to Kamehameha Schools as an English or public speaking teacher, giving back to the community where she received her education. Although she still wants to build her career in Hawai‘i, studying abroad made her more open to opportunities elsewhere.

“For me, it was really kind of just comforting to see everything that education can be, and to be immersed in it, because that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed,” Ham said.

Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Kicks Off 24th Year

The Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is now celebrating its 24th year mentoring students seeking independent business opportunities or leadership skills to help organizations succeed, both for-profit and nonprofit. On Wednesday evening, past and current Hogan participants, alumni, and business leaders gathered to launch another year of Hogan with an inspiring keynote address and opportunities to connect, network, share inspiring stories, and celebrate one of Chaminade’s most successful institutions.

Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., welcomed attendees to the celebration and thanked them for supporting the Hogan initiative over the years.

“It’s such a pleasure to be here with you this evening and again kick off the 24th year of the Hogan program,” Babington said.

“We are very proud of the Hogan program,” she said. “Linking students with community members enriches new ideas and opportunities here in Hawai‘i.”

This year’s Hogan Kick-Off Celebration, held at the Sullivan Family Library Lawn, featured music, good food, drinks, and time for attendees to mingle and socialize. The featured speaker for the evening was Melissa Crounse Kaufman, a renowned entrepreneur and Founding Executive Director of The Garage, a startup incubator at Northwestern University.

“Previous speakers have been terrific, but I think this is one of the best ones we’ve had that I can remember in my time,” said Roy Panzarella, Ph.D., Director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program.

Kaufman, who now lives in Maui and works as a school teacher, shared a story with the audience of how she once tested the entrepreneurial instincts of her students against artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

She split the class into two groups and asked each to develop an innovative idea for a new snack product. One group had unlimited access to AI tools; the other had to use their wits.

Upon conclusion of this exercise, the class determined that the best idea came from the “brain team” that was denied the use of any AI advantage. The winning team proposed selling hibiscus-flavored popcorn that comes in resealable bags.

Kaufman told the audience to take this lesson to heart.

“AI is a pattern matching machine,” she said. “It draws from what already exists, and it optimizes for what has worked before, in the past.

“The winning idea in my class didn’t come from a prompt. It came from a teenage girl’s lived experience.”

Kaufman said she owes her success not to building successful companies, but to building up people and helping them make personal connections they can translate into winning enterprises.

“Students cannot build judgment or persuasive speaking or interpret body language or build connections alone in their dorm rooms talking to Claude,” she stressed. “Students need to interact with real businesses and real business problems in real time.”

Panzarella said Kaufman’s message is poignant for the times as the rise of AI technology leaves everyone nervous for the future.

Kaufman pleaded with business leaders in the audience to deepen their engagement with Hogan students. The program’s long success lies not with technologies like AI, she said, but with the personal connections the program fosters.

“You have to help in this mission because we can’t do it alone,” she said. “You need to share your time, your expertise, and your network with the students by serving as a mentor or a guest speaker.”

In addition to raffle prizes, the event presented two awards recognizing present and future entrepreneurial success.

Kai Cowell was honored with the Hogan program’s “In the Arena” award for her success with Ka‘iulani Spices, a healthy foods and flavoring company selling products at major retail outlets. The $1,500 student award went to Liliyah-Joy Quel-Kaina, a Hogan junior juggling two majors and minors who recently landed a coveted internship opportunity. 

The latest Hogan kick-off celebration comes at the midpoint of the semester and also lands in the middle of Chaminade’s first Wellness Week, a series of events aimed at helping students pause and reset.

Panzarella said the timing for the 24th Hogan Kick-Off is deliberate. He finds participants are more engaged and primed for action at this point in the academic year compared to the beginning of the semester or in the summer.

“We wanted to take time to let the semester sort of breathe a little bit,” he said. “We found that people are much more amenable to celebrating, to community building.”

He said the 24th year of the Hogan program won’t be delivering any major new surprises, but the year will still feature plenty of exciting gatherings and inspiring speakers. He said the team is planning new leadership initiatives, including one that may happen at Pearl Harbor.

Much of this year will be spent planning for the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program’s 25th anniversary year, coming up in 2027. Panzarella promised great things to come as the Hogan program rings in 25 years of incubating new business ideas and preparing young entrepreneurs for success.

“25 is going to be big,” he said.

Chaminade’s Hawaiʻi Guarantee is More than a Promise; It’s a Pact

When Nanea Chu was gearing up to graduate from Parker High School on Hawaiʻi Island, she knew she wanted to continue her education at college but didn’t necessarily have a school in her home state in mind. Nanea was actually considering going someplace much farther away, unsure if she could bear the cost of studying in her home state.

“I was going to go to Rhode Island for school,” she said.

Nanea said she was considering attending the Rhode Island School of Design, an institution with high tuition rates but in a state with a lower cost of living. Depending on the aid package, traveling all the way to Providence for college could have ended up being cheaper than staying in Hawaiʻi. 

“I didn’t think that I would be able to afford it if I chose to stay here,” she said.

Layla Becker also knew she wanted to go to college following her graduation from James Campbell High School. She initially zeroed in on two private universities on Oʻahu. It was a toss-up, but a trusted advisor recommended she give Chaminade a closer look.

“I only applied to two schools originally,” Layla said. “I had an environmental science teacher in high school who was talking to me a bunch about college and he recommended Chaminade to me because he had family that went.”

There were, of course, a lot of other factors to consider, yet both Layla and Nanea ultimately chose to study at Chaminade University of Honolulu, in part due to the university’s new Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship, a commitment the university launched the year they both applied.

Now in its fourth year, the Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship is helping new generations of Hawaiʻi students afford a Chaminade University education.

The Guarantee is a promise the university makes to resident first-time college students graduating from local high schools. The admissions and financial aid offices work with enrolling students to ensure that the tuition rate these incoming students pay matches the institutional in-state tuition rate residents would pay to go to public universities.

It’s one way Chaminade University is striving to be as accessible as possible, understanding why it’s important that Hawaiʻi high school graduates have the option to pursue a Chaminade education regardless of means.

The Guarantee works in tandem with the university’s efforts to ensure students graduate in four years, keeping costs down while helping everyone in the Chaminade family pursue their dreams and goals without unnecessary delay or expense. Today, Chaminade University boasts the state’s highest four-year graduation rate.

Both Nanea and Layla said Chaminade’s Hawaiʻi Guarantee program played a significant role in swaying their decisions to stay in the state and attend the university. They agree that the next wave of graduating high school seniors in Hawaiʻi should give the Guarantee a closer look.

“I would definitely recommend Chaminade,” Layla said.

A private university education at an in-state public price

Chaminade University is Hawaiʻi’s only private Catholic university. We fulfill the Marianist mission of promoting personal and community well-being through education, and we are particularly committed to serving Native Hawaiians and residents of the state even as we welcome students, staff, and faculty from everywhere.

The school’s devotion to serving Hawaiʻi is what ultimately inspired the Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship program. Both Nanea and Layla are on course to graduate at the end of the current academic year. Now seniors, they are among the first cohort of students to receive Chaminade’s Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship.

As noted earlier, the Guarantee is a sort of pact Chaminade makes with qualifying students. Through the Guarantee, Chaminade University will work to match Hawaiʻi’s in-state tuition rate for any qualifying local first-year student.

Incoming students apply for the Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship by first submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Via the Guarantee, Chaminade will adjust students’ tuition rates after institutional aid is factored in to ensure that what the students pay matches in-state public university tuition costs. The adjusted tuition rate only rises when the in-state tuition rate goes up.

It’s a big deal–the Guarantee can bring annual tuition costs down by as much as two-thirds.

All Hawaiʻi graduating high school seniors, incoming university freshmen, and first-time Hawaiʻi college students are eligible for Chaminade’s Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship. Applicants must be seeking their first bachelor’s degree and enroll as full-time students.

In addition, all majors are eligible, with the exception of Chaminade’s nursing degree programs. The scholarship is also renewable for three years.

For Nanea, the Guarantee meant she could choose to stay close to home and avoid relocating thousands of miles away to study her chosen field, which was graphic design at the time she was shopping for colleges. She later switched her major to interior design, impressed by Chaminade’s tough but excellent interior design program.

“It takes a lot of discipline and you can’t procrastinate whatsoever really, or it’ll really catch up to you,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Layla said the Guarantee helped convince her to choose Chaminade over other universities to pursue a degree in criminal justice.

Nanea said Chaminade’s Hawaiʻi Guarantee “definitely was a big factor in staying here” versus flying off to the mainland.

Layla said it was the same with her, even after she learned that she could couple the scholarship with Veterans Affairs benefits she qualified for through her father’s service in the military.

“It piqued my interest and I definitely was more persuaded to choose Chaminade because at the time I didn’t know I qualified for VA benefits,” Layla shared.

Peace of mind in pursuit of knowledge

With an up to two-thirds decrease in tuition costs, the Guarantee is significant and designed to give every Hawaiʻi resident a chance at being a part of the Chaminade University community.

As the university says on its Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship website, “We’re giving you and your family financial peace of mind, so you can focus on achieving your goals and stepping into your future with confidence and purpose.”

Abigail Hurgo, Chaminade’s assistant vice president of enrollment management, told KHON TV in a recent interview that the Hawaiʻi Guarantee Scholarship is an important program the university is proud to offer because “it makes it affordable for students to have a great private education here at Chaminade.”

As some of the first students to receive the award, both Nanea and Layla wholeheartedly agree.

“It’s helped me a lot because, besides tuition, I did choose to dorm for two years on campus and that actually brought down the overall cost by a lot for me,” Layla said. “So, I got to experience more as a college student.”

Likewise, Nanea said the new opportunity to pursue her studies at Chaminade at the in-state tuition rate saved her from having to make a very tough decision–leaving the state. It’s a decision she said a lot of graduating high school seniors in Hawaiʻi are forced to consider if they choose to continue on to college.

“I didn’t want to have to go away, obviously,” Nanea explained. “I was really avoiding it, but when it really comes down to it, I feel like a lot of locals are pushed out towards the mainland because of money costs, especially when it comes to school.”

The Guarantee completely changed the equation for her, Nanea said. “Having an opportunity like that is super important.”

A Head Start on Life: Chaminade University’s Early College Program 

While still finishing high school, Tiare Wong earned her associate’s degree at Chaminade—and discovered she was ready for college.

For most high school students, graduation means closing one chapter before beginning another.

For Tiare Wong, it meant earning two diplomas at once, something not all high school students are prepared to do.

This past spring, Wong graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy while simultaneously  earning an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degree through Chaminade University of Honolulu’s Early College Program. Now, she is preparing to head to the University of Oregon—with enough college credits to enter as a third-year student.

She already has an early jump on college, but Wong’s journey was about more than getting ahead academically.

Chaminade’s Early College Program, she said, taught her how to manage her time, take responsibility for her own education, and navigate the expectations of college-level coursework—all while she was still balancing the busy life of a high school student.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to get a head start on what being a college student feels like,” Wong said. “I wanted to learn what it was like to be responsible and to have good time management.”

That lesson happened to come at a busy time in her life.

At Sacred Hearts Academy, Wong played volleyball for three years before switching to cheerleading as a senior. She served as president of the school’s Life Team, danced hula, and stayed active in numerous other ways throughout her high school years.

Somehow, she still found time to earn a college degree.

Wong first learned about Chaminade’s Early College Program when Sacred Hearts announced the opportunity near the end of her sophomore year. The program allows eligible high school students to enroll in college courses and earn Chaminade credits while completing their high school requirements.

“Tiare is one of many success stories at Sacred Hearts,” said Kimberlee Baxter, Director of Chaminade’s Early College program. “She learned a lot even outside academics, such as time management and life skills. The idea of the program is to get ahead with college, earn college credit, and experience more.”

Kapaʻa High on Kauai was the first high school to partner with Chaminade’s Early College program in the fall of 2021. Since then, Sacred Hearts Academy and Saint Louis School joined, and several cohorts have already risen through the program, with 108 students between all three schools currently enrolled. 

Students from any Hawaiʻi high school are eligible to participate. Enrolled high school students take a variety of general education courses, including English, communications, business, psychology, and religion.

For Wong, the program became an opportunity to experience the increased independence that comes with college and, in her case, earning a college degree.

“I feel like I got a little taste of what being a college student is like and what the expectations are, especially from my professors,” she said. “I had to learn how to be responsible for myself.”

Assistant Professor of English Justyn Wyble has been teaching for the Early College Program for two years. He said  students in the program are adept at rising to the occasion, taking college level courses all while maintaining positive and joyful attitudes. 

One of his courses involves reading “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyashi, “Night Watchmen” by Louise Erdrich, and “House of Many Gods” by Kiana Davenport, works selected because of their introspective storylines that intersect generations while drawing connections to students’ own journeys.   

“They are eager for that kind of rigorous curriculum and they want to be treated like college students,” Wyble said of the Early College students. “They are ready to be mature students who can engage in advanced material.” 

When a question arose in a course, Tiare learned she had to reach out. If an assignment was due, there was no one waiting to remind her repeatedly. She learned to be proactive in her own education.

“I really had to step up and grow up to learn how to do things myself,” she said, noting how she used study halls and breaks after school before heading to practices and then setting aside additional time to study at home.

The experience also challenged some of her assumptions about college.

Wong had heard stories about intimidating professors and demanding college classrooms. At Chaminade, she found something quite different. Her professors, she said, took the time to interact with their students and get to know them.

She admits to feeling some nerves about moving so far from home this fall–and she has never been to Oregon. But she is also excited about what comes next—and about continuing hula and joining the university’s Hawaiʻi Club.

Wong said her long-term goal is to start her own business and maybe become the  CEO of a company, expanding her enterprise internationally.

For high school students considering Chaminade’s Early College Program, Wong has one simple piece of advice: Go for it.

“I think it’s so much more than the diploma,” she said. “It taught me so many life lessons that I will not only use in college, but in the future.”

One Phone Call Changed Adrianna’s Future

Empowered by You

When Adrianna Nichols called Chaminade University from her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she wasn’t expecting the conversation that would change her life. She had planned to attend a university in Florida, but the cost made that dream impossible. Looking for another option, she called Chaminade to ask a simple question: Was it too late to apply?

“They answered on the first ring,” Adrianna recalled. “Right away, I felt welcomed.”

That moment marked the beginning of a journey made possible through a Presidential Scholarship—and shaped by a community that believed in her potential.

At Chaminade, Adrianna majored in Business Administration with a minor in Sport and Event Management. She immersed herself in campus life, serving for four years as the Men’s Basketball Undergraduate Manager, supporting athletic operations, and helping plan Commencement ceremonies.

Along the way, faculty and staff mentors encouraged her to take on new responsibilities and discover her strengths as a leader.

“The smaller environment allowed me to build meaningful relationships, receive mentorship, and have opportunities to get involved that may not have been possible elsewhere,” she said.

Adrianna graduated in May 2026 and today is the Stadium Operations Intern at the University of Minnesota’s Huntington Bank Stadium, where she helps coordinate athletic competitions and large-scale events. She has also worked with NBCUniversal during Minnesota Lynx broadcasts and supported fan experiences with the nationally touring Cosmic Baseball team.

Her long-term goal is to become a collegiate athletic director or professional sports executive, leading with the belief that student-athletes are people first.

“I want to create environments where athletes feel supported as students and as individuals—not just competitors.”

Beyond her professional aspirations, Adrianna continues to serve in leadership roles at her home church in Minnesota, mentoring children, teens, and young adults while sharing her faith.

Looking back, Adrianna says the opportunities she found at Chaminade began with people who believed in her.

That belief started with a scholarship.

And it continues today through donors whose generosity empowers students to discover their purpose, lead with compassion, and make a difference wherever life takes them. Donations to Chaminadeʻs Fund, means the University is able to allocate unrestricted funds to  vital needs that support and empower students. Unrestricted funds are vital to Chaminade’s growth and students’ success. Like Adrianna, today’s students, at different stages in their educational journeys, are grateful for Chaminade’s belief in their abilities and for the generosity of donors. 

Every gift to the Chaminade Fund helps create stories. Click here to support the journey of students like Adrianna.

From Submarines to Psychology: Chaminade Student Named 2026 Tillman Scholar

Before beginning her doctoral studies at Chaminade University, Lauren Jacobs spent nine years as a U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer, serving in one of the first cohorts of women assigned to submarines. A 2013 graduate of the Naval Academy, Jacobs is dedicated to military service, which sparked a passion for supporting those facing mental health challenges and inspired her to pursue a career in forensic psychology.

Today, Jacobs is a doctoral candidate in Chaminade’s Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program, where she also serves as Student Association President. Expected to graduate in May 2027, she has focused her clinical training on working with adults experiencing serious mental illness within the criminal justice system. In recognition of her leadership, service, and commitment to creating positive change, Jacobs was recently named a 2026 Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation. We recently connected with her to learn more about her journey, her passion for serving others, and her goals for the future.

Where is your hometown?

I grew up in Plano, Texas, and my husband and I have called Kailua home for the last seven years.

Why did you choose the Naval Academy?

Looking back, applying to and choosing to attend the United States Naval Academy (USNA) was a big decision for a teenager. I wanted to be part of something greater than myself and to join a community of like-minded people. Academics and athletics were both mainstays of my high school life: I played volleyball and ran track competitively while earning an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, so I wanted a college experience that valued academics, athletics, and leadership in equal measure.

Why did you choose Chaminade for your doctorate degree?

My husband Andrew and I were stationed on Oʻahu in 2019 and completely fell in love with living here. We’ve been lucky to build a wonderful community of friends and family over the years, so when it came time to go back to school, I knew I wanted to stay. Chaminade’s Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program within the Hawai’i School of Professional Psychology (HSPP) offers a generalist education with an emphasis on cultural humility and adaptability to the diverse patient populations across the islands. I was drawn to both the variety and the depth of training the program provides.

What has your experience at Chaminade been like?

I would not trade my time at Chaminade for anything. Chaminade’s HSPP has passionate faculty and staff who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and prioritize mentoring psychologists in training. The clinical training I’ve received has been thorough enough to make me competitive with psychology interns across the United States and Canada. Providing much-needed psychological services to Hawaiʻi residents while completing our coursework has been deeply meaningful to me. My mentors and supervisors have been some of the best I’ve had the privilege to work with, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Many of my classmates in the program have also become lifelong friends, and that community is one I truly cherish.

How did you hear about the Tillman Foundation?

At USNA, we learned about Pat Tillman’s story in our ethics, leadership, and professional development courses. Over the years, I heard more about the Tillman Foundation’s work as it grew, and I watched several of my USNA classmates and submarine colleagues get selected as Tillman Scholars. Their example inspired me to apply.

What does being a Tillman Scholar mean?

To me, being a Tillman Scholar means choosing service to our communities as a guiding value, often above personal ambition and comfort. Switching career paths from Nuclear Submarine Officer to Clinical Psychologist was never going to be an easy road, but it felt imperative to put my experience and talents toward making a positive difference in my community, no matter how small the impact. I’m grateful the Tillman Foundation saw value in that sacrifice and in the goals behind it.

Are you working while going to school? 

I’ve worked as a teaching assistant for several courses in the PsyD program, alongside completing our academic and research obligations. A unique aspect of earning a doctorate in Clinical Psychology is that roughly half of our workload consists of clinical training: providing psychological services to members of our community under supervision. Balancing that professional training with research and coursework is essential to becoming an effective psychologist, since this profession demands lifelong learning. I’ve learned to juggle it all by leaning on my support system here on Oʻahu: my husband, sister, brother-in-law, friends, and fellow veterans.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I am deeply grateful to the faculty for their mentorship and guidance, and to my friends and colleagues for making this experience both fun and supportive. I would also like to thank the Pat Tillman Foundation for this amazing opportunity.