Message from Dr. Lynn Babington, President

MESSAGE from THE PRESIDENT

Congratulations, graduates!

It is an honor to gather with you and your loved ones today to celebrate the ending of one journey and the beginning of another. Today you are a graduate! For a moment, think of everything you have accomplished and everything you have overcome to earn that impressive title. Think of the many obligations you juggled and the challenges you faced, not to mention the long nights you spent studying, while pursuing your degree. None of these deterred you from achieving your academic goals. We are proud of you!

You are embarking on a new chapter in your life at a critical time for the world. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic and look ahead to developing challenges and opportunities. There is so much promise ahead—and we must go out and embrace it.

As we move forward, we must also remember the lessons of the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis underscored the power of human kindness, of community building and care, of kuleana and our shared responsibility to one another. Throughout the pandemic, as you modeled these important values every day, you also demonstrated remarkable resilience, understanding, flexibility and grit.

Reflecting on all you have achieved over the course of your degree and all the promise and accomplishments that lie before you, I am reminded of a quote from our University’s namesake. Father Chaminade once wrote that we must not become discouraged if we encounter some obstacle in the way of necessary and positive change. “Never has change been done and never will it be done without difficulty,” he wrote. Put another way, change is never easy—but it is very much worth it.

During your time at Chaminade, you grew into a change-maker and a leader. And in service to those roles, in the years ahead, you will undoubtedly face challenges as you seek to have a positive impact on the world. My advice to you, just like Father Chaminade’s wise words, is to persevere. Know that pursuing social justice and peace AND building a better community are critical to the world today, but may not always be easy to accomplish.

And know that every step of the way, your Chaminade 'ohana will be behind you—cheering you on and celebrating your accomplishments. At every moment in your career and every milestone in your life, I hope you also feel our aloha as a member of the global Chaminade family—thousands strong and growing every year. The Silversword 'ohana is diverse, and each member is unique, but we all share a passion for Chaminade’s mission of service and of the common good. It is in that spirit that we are also so excited today to honor esteemed community members Kitty Sullivan Wo and Vaughn Vasconcellos with Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degrees for their generous and continued support of our University.

Their belief in Chaminade is a belief in you, in your classmates, and in the graduates who came before you and the ones who will come after. As a university community, we simply could not be more proud of the person you have become—and we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish.

Wishing you the greatest success,

Lynn M. Babington, Ph.D.

President, Chaminade University of Honolulu