Issuu

EDUCATING GIRLS TO CHANGE T H E WOR L D

VOLUME XXXI

SUMMER 2021

HHSAA HALL OF HONOR

Cayla Cabanban

'21

F E AT U R E S

COMMENCEMENT

Contents SUMMER 2021 / VOL. XXXI

MEMBERS OF THE CORPO RATIO N Sr. Regina Mary Jenkins, SS.CC. ’57 Sr. Anne Clare DeCosta, SS.CC. ’66 Rev. Santhosh Thohankara, SS.CC. Sr. Helene Wood, SS.CC. ’59

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Shelley Cramer, Chair Hazel Balmeceda ’98 Jenny Brady ’79 Mona Chang Vierra ’62 Nicholas Dreher Anna Hu Daphne Kauhane ’62 Bobbie Puanani Lau Sr. Marie Lemert, SS.CC. Sr. Grace Marie Tom, SS.CC. ’52 Nelson Vicencio Joseph Vierra

ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT

Scott Schroeder, PhD PRINCIPAL —UPPER SCHOOL

Carol Flores Chong ’91

PRINCIPAL —LOWER SCHOOL

Remee Tam

CAMPUS MINISTER

I N T H I S I SSU E 2 / Class of 2021 4 / Academic

Leadership 12 / Sisters Serving 14 / Art with a Purpose 20 / Expressions ON THE COVER:

Cayla Cabanban, ’21

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

Sr. Kathrine Francis Miller, SS.CC. ’57 CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Randy Iwashita

ADMISSION DIRECTOR

Darian Padilla

DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Angie Golis-Yamamoto

Sacred Hearts Academy provides girls and young women an exceptional education, the experience of God’s compassionate love revealed in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and the inspiration to become leaders for their communities and the world.

Aloha T

WELCOME LETTER

FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, BOARD & SISTERS HIS SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEEN

one of challenge and accomplishment, one in

which we have both pursued innovations and looked to hold strong to the best of Academy traditions. In adapting to meet the health and safety needs of the COVID pandemic we have discovered new ways of teaching, of gathering and of celebrating that have been so wonderful they are likely to stay with us after the pandemic is over.

This year we’ve been able to bring in amazing guest speakers to our classes because we are now

comfortable having students both on campus and online who learn in both in person and virtual environments. We’ve had alumnae gatherings and meetings of retired Academy teachers and administrators that have allowed Academy faithful from across the country to join the conversation and stay connected. And while we weren’t able to have Fright Night last October, our Egg-citing Easter Drive Thru Celebration this spring was enjoyed so much that it might be here to stay. This issue of Academy highlights the happenings at school this year. Some of those happenings have been impacted by COVID. Our Senior Division President, Cienna Abara shares the spring experiences of the Class of 2021. And our Athletic Director, Ryan Hogue, details the impact that COVID has had on athletics. Other stories feature triumphs and ongoing contributions of Sacred Hearts students. Our Cheer Squad won their third straight national championship and fourth straight state championship this year, so you’ll learn about the team and their coach Cadey Vakauta, ’11. And 16 Academy students were winners in the latest Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation’s Inspired in Hawaii competition, and we share with you a selection of their award-winning art. There’s much to celebrate at SHA this year! As always, it’s through the efforts and support of people like you that successes at the Academy are made possible!

Scott Schroeder, PhD President

Shelley Cramer

Chair, Board of Directors

Sr. Regina Mary Jenkins, SS.CC. ’57 Provincial

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

CLASS OF 2021

SENIOR DIVISION COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Innovators of Tomorrow

FIRST BECAME DIVISION COUNCIL PRESIDENT in my Sophomore year, and since then, I have had the privilege of seeing the Class of 2021 grow and mature into strong, young women. Each year as graduating students come and go, we were able to develop a picture of how our Senior Year is supposed to play out. As Juniors, we saw the effects of the pandemic on the Class of 2020, and we were hopeful that COVID-19 would soon pass. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. In just these past two school years, we have had our Junior and Senior Prom, and many other events cancelled. Instead of being filled with despair we have proven our resilience. Through each new challenge, we rose to identify creative solutions and have found innovative ways to return to a sense of normalcy. Looking back, I can proudly commend our girls for their continuous flexibility. Sacred Hearts Academy had given us the opportunity to continue our education in-person or online this past school year. I was grateful for this hybrid learning system, as I was able to continue to grow my relationships with my fellow classmates and teachers. In this day and age, technology has proven its strengths when it comes to online learning. For the girls that chose to learn from home, half of our class, there were a myriad of ways to connect with them as well. I have seen the effort that Sacred Hearts Academy has put in to providing a normal school year while putting safety precautions into place due to the pandemic. As we counted down the days to graduation, we all anxiously awaited becoming official alumnae of Sacred Hearts Academy. We are the innovators of tomorrow, and you can bet that this isn’t the last that you will hear about us. Although we are parting ways for now, our bond will never break. We have created an environment in which we are able to rely on each other as family, and this will continue on no matter how many miles apart we are. I look forward to our new journey in college and witnessing the many achievements of my peers to come.

With great hope and warm aloha,

Cienna Abara, ’21 Senior Division Council President

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

CLASS OF 2021

F E AT U R E S

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

LEADERSHIP

Different Paths, Aligned Hearts Academic leadership at the Academy is in a time of both continuity and change. President Scott Schroeder began his tenure as the eighth leader of the Academy in 2019, while Upper School Principal Carol Chong, ’91 returned this school year to take on that new role. And Lower School Principal Remee Tam has now completed her 50th year at Sacred Hearts, having led the Lower School for 30 of those years.

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While their paths to the Academy have been different, these leaders share a long-standing love for the school, an educational approach that is student and family-centered, and an eye toward the future which integrates Sacred Hearts heritage and traditions with emerging knowledge about how to best prepare girls for their futures. In this article we share with you the Academy journeys and aspirations of these three Academy administrators.

Scott Schroeder President

for a school for our Kindergarten-age daughter, Nancy, back in 2010, my family visited a number of schools on Oahu, toured campuses and met with administrators. It was after Nancy met with Mrs. Oyer, her soon-tobe teacher, that she declared to us, “This is where I want to stay.” I couldn’t have agreed with Nancy more. I loved the friendly, welcoming environment of the school, and I was so impressed by how engaging and well-spoken the students were that we met on our walk around campus. Since that time, I’ve never left the Academy. Over the next decade I went from being an Academy parent to being on the Board of Directors and heading the Academic Affairs Committee to being Chair of the Board of Directors and then being appointed Head of School, now called President. I deeply believe in the values-centered, girl-focused education offered by the Academy. There’s no better place I know of to advance girls’ knowledge and skills while lifting their spirits and self-confidence! For most of my career I’ve worked at the university level. I did my doctoral work at UCLA in management and psychology, followed by post-doctoral work at Harvard with a focus on how to

WHEN WE WERE LOOKING

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manage in ways that help people be both personally and professionally successful at work. This same goal is one I’ve taken into the classroom as a professor and dean, looking to create learning environments that foster students’ personal and academic success. Today, students have so much happening in their lives … school, extra-curriculars like the arts and athletics, community service, time with family and friends. They’ve got it all going on. And so, for the last ten years I have worked with experts on the neurobiology of learning to frame approaches to designing programs, courses, and class sessions … as well as students’ ways of learning in class and at home … to maximize learning

while being as efficient as possible with study time. Using these approaches while Dean of the School of Business and Communication at Chaminade I was able to have all students performing at an “A” or “B” level and cut their study time in half. The direction I’m looking to take us at Sacred Hearts is to shift us from being known as an all-girls school to being known as a girl-focused school … where everything we do is based on what we know about how girls learn best and what furthers the success and well-being of girls and young women. We want to be laser-focused on both the academic success and personal wellness of our students. Those two go hand in hand.

LEADERSHIP

If academic success is achieved while sacrificing one’s health, the student will burn out and not be able to persist. When I taught in UCLA’s MBA program, I often saw students who were taking on a graduate program because they were worn out after pushing themselves relentlessly in high school to get into college, in college to get a good job, and in the first few years of their careers to prove themselves. We don’t want that for our daughters, and so helping them to learn ways to study and work sustainably is one of the most powerful things we can do. I love to study successful school systems, especially those that use ways of teaching that are known to empower girls. Right now, I am studying the education structure in Finland, often identified as the best in the world. Hallmarks of the

system include a focus on action-learning … learning by doing and learning for doing … as well as collaborative learning through work in teams and school/life balance … where children have plenty of time for play, adventure and discovery along with classroom learning. Each of these have been shown to be very beneficial for the development of girls in particular. And for me, the most life-enhancing part of my education was its Catholic character when I was at Jesuit High School in Sacramento or Santa Clara University as an undergraduate. Similarly, at the heart of a Sacred Hearts education are the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts. It is their philosophy, or charism, and personal way of being, that makes the Academy different from other schools. You get a sense of that throughout this edition of

Academy and perhaps best reflected in Sr. Jane’s story in Sisters Serving. It’s the Sacred Hearts identity of the Academy that ensures we are not only developing women leaders but leaders for others, leaders who reflect God’s compassionate love in their work and personal presence.

• Nancy Schroeder, 2010

Carol Chong, ’91

Upper School Principal

“BE THE FIRST ONE TO ENTER the classroom so that you’ll be at the top of your class” was what my immigrant parents told my sisters and me every first day of school. My dad, who only had a second-grade education, came to the Hawaiian Islands as a “sakada” and worked laboriously in the pineapple and sugarcane fields. My mom had a high school education and was a housekeeper at a hotel in Waikiki. Due to their own experiences of hardships, their message was clear that education is important and can take a person farther in life. Through my parents’ hard work and perseverance, they sent my two sisters and me to private school. I attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School from Grades 5th through 8th then moved on to Sacred Hearts Academy. This was a great sacrifice for my parents who were also paying for my older sister’s Academy education and tuition for my younger sister who was still at St. John’s. It was an eye opener for me to attend the Academy with other young women who came from the Academy’s lower

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LEADERSHIP

school, other parochial schools and from the DOE, especially coming from a smaller parochial school. At SHA, I was immersed in seven different classes, held every day, with classes that challenged me like French and Geometry. I especially enjoyed my English classes as I had always liked to read and write. On top of that, through the love of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, my spiritually continued to form at SHA, which helped me strengthen my faith. The Sisters taught us about doing service and giving back – values the Academy continues to instill! After SHA, I received an Associate of Arts from Honolulu Community College then a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Hawaii at Manoa. This degree led me back to the Academy to be part of the faculty as an English teacher from 2003 – 2012. This role was important to me because as a local girl growing up in Kalihi Valley, speaking in pidgin English, and as a daughter of immigrant parents, I wanted the students to know that local girls can speak pidgin and like Shakespeare too!

Remee Tam Lower School Principal

IT WAS IN THE SUMMER 1969 fifty-two years

ago when I received a thick envelope in the mail in Manila where I lived with my parents that my life took a completely new direction – an invitation to join the EastWest Center in Honolulu for a period of two years. Today, I belong to a network of over 68,000 alumni scattered all over the world continuing to perpetuate the Cen-

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There was a calling in my heart to serve the bigger community outside of the classroom, therefore I pursued and earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Chaminade University. I was able to utilize this degree through being an Assistant Principal at Holy Family Catholic Academy for four years then as Principal at St. John the Baptist Catholic School for four years. In this journey, my husband, Victor Jr. and I had three sons, Guile, Gunnar and Gambit. Through my sons’ educational experiences, along with the diverse students that I have taught, I was witness to learners who were marginalized and left out due to exceptionalities: attention deficit, hyperactivity, learning disabilities and/or speech and language disorders. Those with exceptionalities need not be marginalized as there is support and

resources for parents who do not know what to do. No student should feel that there is no place for them at school. My mission as an educator is to make available inclusive and culturally responsive instructional strategies for our faculty, families and students. This would include professional development for faculty and staff through best practices in the field for Grades 7-12. Just as important, supporting families would be in the form of resources that I would make available through training by experts, webinars, workshops and talks by these experts and utilizing title funding and grants in the community. Finally, bringing cultural awareness to include diversity, equity and inclusion to our community will help in our mission to support all students. I returned to the SHA community as Upper School Principal to continue to be an example to our young women and to provide ways for them to reach the potential God has for them. My heart and life’s purpose is to ensure that each student is validated and loved. It is a blessing to be able to do so at a place that I know and love.

ter’s mission of promoting understanding between the East and the West through education, multi-disciplinary research on issues of contemporary significance to Asia, the Pacific, and the United States; and, conducting a broad range of activities to enhance the quality of life in the Pacific Islands. This journey took me to the University of Hawaii and Columbia University in New York not only for studies but also real-life experiences working alongside students from different countries; living with American families on the mainland; and understanding their way of life which was different from mine. Two years may be brief; however, it was enough for me to realize that people all over the world may

look different from each other in the color of their skin or in their religious or political beliefs; but ultimately, we can find our common humanity and compassion. In search of a place to make a difference with this awareness, I put down my roots at an all-girls’ school in Kaimuki – Sacred Hearts Academy – in August of 1971. The façade of the largest all-girls school in Kaimuki caught my attention immediately –ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEARTS. As a young girl growing up in a country that is predominantly Catholic, it gave me a comforting feeling immediately. That’s when my decades-long commitment to the Academy began. Sr. Anne-Marie Tamanaha hired me to teach a fifth-grade class of 42 young

LEADERSHIP

based learning activity, a student can learn and apply math, reading, science, and social studies as well as develop organizational skills in much the same way it happens in real life. This also give students the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers and to share and be open to new ideas.

women. It was a delight teaching them core subject areas as well as special courses like music, art, and physical education in a second-floor classroom of the Primary building, which has a magnificent view of Diamond Head and its changing colors. I remember how impressed I was with these students – how they demonstrated kindness, respect, and love in so many ways as well as how eager they were to learn. In the absence of social media or cell phones, these students spent more time reading hard cover books and paperbacks, meeting in person with friends in each other’s homes or at school and helping their parents with chores and tasks at home on weekends. As an educator, I have witnessed the gradual but distinct evolution that was taking place right before me in the way we teach; what we teach; our expectations of our young learners; the way parents raise their children; the climate and environment our children are growing up in; and most of all, their moral and spiritual development. The changes were subtle year after year; but, when I reflect on what has transpired over the past decades, I find these changes dramatic and life changing. These observations are based on my experience as a teacher, as a mother of three and as an administrator for the past 30 years—not data

in the field. Nevertheless, over these years, I have come to embrace the following truths: • We develop skills, not teach content. Before the age of the internet and Google, we prioritized giving students books, filling their heads with copious facts, and even having them memorize pages and pages of material. Today, we still use books, materials, and the like; and rely heavily on researching online; but we focus on the skills of understanding, analyzing, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant data, and critical thinking, to develop in students the ability to think clearly and concisely, solve problems and come up with plans and designs. • Life is not segmented or compartmentalized; so, why teach subject areas separately from each other? Integration is happening across the curriculum. In a carefully planned project-

• Students learn at different rates; each student’s mode of learning differ from each other, as well. The sooner teachers recognize this, the sooner they can provide work at the appropriate difficulty level for each of their students. This means formative assessment must happen daily for each student. A student is set up for failure when she is given work that is out of her reach of understanding and not given the appropriate intervention. Individual grade level assignments of students is archaic and so traditionally outdated. It is far better to keep groups in a range of at least two or three age groups. This way, we do not hold back a student who is ready to go to the next level in the middle of the school year nor do we pressure another who is not ready to move to the next level by the end of the school year. • When we prioritize the stakeholders in an educational environment, the child must always come first. If both educators and parents embrace this truth, all decisions will well serve the learner leading to his or her success. The relationship between a parent and teacher is so important from the very beginning. This relationship must start with trust – trust in the school and its leaders, and trust in the teacher’s competency and compassion for her students. Colleagues, parents, and friends have asked me as I approach my 50th year of working at the Academy, “When are you going to retire?” My answer has always been, “How can I stop doing a joyful and fulfilling job that inspires me to get out of bed every single day?”

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

ADMISSION

The heart of our Admissions Bringing the warmth and hospitality of our school to communities virtually!

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

is an exciting time for students and families! Calendars are filled with Open House events, school tours, interviews and testing dates! While the admission season is an exciting time for prospective families, it’s equally as fun and exciting for Academy faculty and staff, who are always looking forward to meeting new families and who love sharing the engaging activities happening in and outside of our classrooms. Parents and students are invited to meet our teachers and administrators during Open House events and tour campus during school days to get a glimpse of a typical school day

PPLYING FOR A NEW SCHOOL

ADMISSION

at Sacred Hearts Academy. Applicants always look forward to touring the campus with their friends through Catholic school visits and can’t wait to participate in our day visit program “Lancer for a Day!” While one of the highlights of our office is to tour with prospective students and families around campus, the safety of our school community is always at the forefront of our minds. This admission season we were faced with the challenge of recruiting and marketing our school without a key ingredient of our recruiting process: bringing prospective students and families to Sacred Hearts Academy’s campus to experience the joy and warmth of our school community in person. Not

having our prospective students and families on campus was the equivalent to asking families to invest in a $17,000 car without having the opportunity to drive it. Our new challenge was finding a way to bring the warmth and hospitality of our faculty and students, a driving factor for parents in selecting our school, to a different platform. Encouraged by the positive experiences our current families had when our teachers seamlessly and gracefully transitioned their classrooms to Zoom in March of 2020, we too were inspired to embrace this challenge and sought to share the Academy experience virtually! Similar to our online instructional platform, we felt strongly about featuring live speakers and providing families with interactive Q&A sessions. Catholic School visits shifted to virtual tours, interactive virtual sessions and booths were incorporated into Open House, and our teachers and counselors played a major role in helping us create our popular Admission mini-series “Lancer Preview,” which ran from October through February. After spending nearly a semester developing our virtual events, we sprinted head-first into our first virtual collaborative admission presentation with other schools and organizations – and it was an international event! This Spring our Admission Office enlisted the help of Academy Japanese Language teacher Nami Grafia and Academy international student Yuri Kagami ’21. Mrs. Grafia and Yuri represented Sacred Hearts Academy in two virtual presentations, Study Hawaii and HEC Tokyo’s Hawaii Study Abroad Fair (March 2021) and the Ryugaku Journal and Study Hawaii Virtual Fair (April 2021); two virtual opportunities that connected the Academy with prospective families from Japan. We can’t wait to welcome new international students to the Academy ‘ohana this fall! Although a screen separated our families and speakers, the sense of our community could be felt through our virtual rooms. We are grateful and blessed to have an outpour of support from admin-

istration, teachers, students, parents, and alumnae – they are truly the heart of our admission events! Our office was blessed to resume in-person tours this Spring and hopes to invite prospective families to campus in the Fall. We can’t wait for families to experience our school community and for applicants to get a glimpse of student life through our day visit program “Lancer for a Day”!

• Darian Padilla, Director of Admissions

• Tiffany Kiyabu, Associate Director of Admissions

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SISTERS SERVING

Sisters Serving

Sr. Jane Francis Leandro, SS.CC., ’55

Through an almost life-long connnection to the Academy, Sr. Jane Francis Leandro shares important messages of living life to the fullest, appreciating your faith life and leading by example.

SR. JANE FRANCIS LEANDRO’S almost life-long connection to the Academy began when she came to SHA for her last three years of high school. At the time, she didn’t know that she would eventually become the school’s principal herself, guiding the Academy into the 1980s. Sr. Jane grew up on Maui and was inspired by her parents in her own faith development. She was able to come to the Academy because her father was going to take her mother to Lourdes during her senior year and proposed the idea of attending the Academy to her. She let them know that no one changes schools for their senior year, and so she persuaded them to let her start at the Academy earlier. She was able to live with her sister just up the street on 8th Avenue. At the time she came to the Academy, Sr. Jane notes that Sacred Hearts was THE school to be at in Honolulu for young women. While the Academy was known

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SISTERS SERVING

for its strong academics, when Sr. Jane arrived on campus, she quickly came to experience the distinguishing character of the school. “I didn’t know anyone when I came through the gates of the Academy,” she said, “But as soon as I was on campus I met a student who I would come to know as one of my classmates, and she was so friendly and welcoming to me; it really showed me what the school was about.” Sr. Jane shared that she was and continues to be a serious student, and that she was serious about her faith life as well, and so Sacred Hearts was the perfect place for her. “What impressed me at the Academy was the Sisters at Eucharistic adoration hour after hour in the Chapel.” And so each school day she would go to Mass at St. Patrick Church early in the morning and then come across the street to the Academy for the school day. “I was a typical teenager for that time. I loved sports and particularly liked basketball. The Academy didn’t have interscholastic sports at that time, but we did have P.E. and intramural sports. Using the school colors, it was always the gold team against the white team.” After graduation, Sr. decided to join the Sacred Hearts congregation and become one of those who had inspired her. In her early days as a Sister, she taught high school English at the Academy. In 1958 she was assigned to the Sacred Hearts community in Gardena, California, where she would stay for the next twenty years. She returned to Honolulu in the late 1970s, teaching first at St. Patrick School for a year before coming back to the Academy and teaching religion. In 1979, Sr. Jane was appointed High School Principal. “I loved the students and talking to the students,” Sr. Jane said. She noted that at the time the school had just started off-campus retreats for entire classes, and Sr. Jane made sure to attend every retreat. “The students gave me life,” she smiled, “and I felt I could affect their lives more in that retreat setting.” She sees

Community service teaches students that we exist for each other and that we need to bring Christ to each other through who we are.” community service at the Academy as so valuable because “it teaches students that we exist for each other and that we need to bring Christ to each other through who we are.” Sr. Jane believes that the most important work of the Academy is helping students in their faith journey. “Modeling faith life for them is critically important,” observed Sr. Jane. “Being like Christ … gentle, loving, concerned about them personally and their whole lives, letting them know that they are deeply loved and that that basic love comes from God … is so meaningful for them.” There’s a saying of St. Francis that Sr. Jane particularly likes. St. Francis called on his fellow priests to “preach always … but only sometimes with words.” Sr. Jane said that when she was a girl at the Academy,

that’s how the Sisters taught her … by how they lived: smiling, welcoming and concerned for others. Sr. Jane has been staying at the Regina Pacis convent across 5th Avenue from the Academy during the COVID pandemic. Usually, though, her love of teaching continues, and she serves at the House of Formation for women who are preparing to make vows as Sisters of the Sacred Hearts Congregation in the Kamuning neighborhood of Quezon City in the Philippines. Sr. Jane shared that her message for the Academy community is to recognize that life is a gift from God. She calls on us to “live life to the fullest, and appreciate your faith life, because it will lead you to fulfillment through meaningful relationships with God and each other.”

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Art with a Purpose

Art teacher Malia Urie shares award-winning student work and explains the role art has in influencing their world view, and the voice they have in impacting their community.

ARTS EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT

component of the girl-focused education provided at the Academy. Recent research at the Brookings Institution indicates that arts education impacts students’ academic, social and emotional outcomes in significant ways. For example, students engaged in arts education experience greater compassion for others, as well as greater mutual respect with both peers and teachers. At the elementary school level, their research indicates that arts education helps students to think about things in new ways and contributes to their enjoyment of school. As we strive to provide our students with an unbeatable school experience, arts education is one of the centerpieces of our approach. In this article, art teacher Malia Urie shares how art is woven with study of topics in religion and social studies as students develop art with a message for submission to the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation’s ‘Inspired in Hawaii’ contest. And you’ll get to see the work of the winners this year from the Academy. “Every year SHA students participate in the annual Clarence T.C. Ching

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• Miyana Sander (Third Grade) - 2nd Place

F E AT U R E S

Foundation’s ‘Inspired in Hawaii’ contest. Clarence T.C. Ching was a successful businessman and philanthropist who did many things to “give back” to Hawaii. The contest included different categories such as essay, posters, digital posters and video asks students to follow the legacy of Clarence T.C. Ching, to “dream big and make Hawaii a better place!” The directions say

• Zoey Kwon (Third Grade) - 1st Place

• Evelyn Morimoto (First Grade) - 1st Place

• Embree Sakamoto (Fifth Grade) - 3rd Place

• Joy Wang (Kindergarten) - 2nd Place

Art isn’t just pretty stuff. Because it is visual communication, Art has a role in society as a vehicle for change.”

to identify a problem and offer a thoughtful solution in a clear and creative way. In the Lower school, the process starts with a long discussion. In grades 1-3, we used a lesson from their religion class as a guide. They were asked to think of ways that they can take care of animals, plants or each other in their own life, and pick one to focus on. Within that framework, we explored issues in their community, and beyond, that needed to be addressed. Some students focused on helping people when they fall down, while others chose planting trees or conserving electricity. For grades 4th-6th, the discussion began with the following questions. “What

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• Emi Fredette (Kindergarten) - 3rd Place

• Ellie Ma (Second Grade) - 2nd Place 16

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• Kaila Kim-Ng (Sixth Grade) - 2nd Place

F E AT U R E S

• Jaiden Heresa (Sixth Grade) - 1st Place

• Sharlene Galamgam (Sixth Grade) - 3rd place, Digital Poster

sorts of problems do you see in Hawaii and the world?” Drilling down a bit, “What are the biggest problems facing the most people?” and “What have you heard your parents discussing?” also, “What have you heard on the news or read about?” and finally, “What have you seen with your own eyes, or experienced personally?” The problems they identified were generated by them, and ranged this year from Bullying, Homelessness, Global Warming, Pollution, Racial Discrimination, Homophobia, and of course, the Pandemic. After the problems had been identified, next came the hard task of brain storming solutions. We spent a long time discussing the best way to solve these issues and listed their suggestions on the board. Then I asked them to discuss this further with their family and pick something that they felt strongly about because it would show in their art if they felt passionate about it. In the next Art class, they were asked to create two quick sketches that included both the problem and the solution. I emphasized that art is communicating with pictures. If I could tell what their poster was about without them explaining it, then we knew they were on the right track. The best one was chosen based on their unique approach and clearness of the message, and then they moved on to the final drawing. The final drawings were traced with Sharpie to help them stand out and colored in using various art materials including watercolor, oil pastels, colored pencils, and markers. When they were done, I chose 5-10 from each class to enter. This is always a hard task since they are so thoughtful and at this point have spent 8-10 weeks on them. When we first started doing this assignment 10 years ago, I didn’t like doing it because it’s very time consuming, and I thought it would be difficult subject matter. But now I realize how much they get out of making these posters, and SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

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• Cassidy Kopf (Fifth place) - 2nd Place

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By the Numbers 28

courses are offered in visual and performing arts in the Upper School.

concerts/performances a year: 2 band concerts, 2 hula performances, 2 ballet performances, 2 choir concerts.

1,500+ • Kennedy Barton (Fourth Grade) - 3rd Place

bowls donated to the Empty Bowl Hawaii project since 2009 by the ceramic classes at SHA. Bowls sell for $20 each.

Selected Lower School choir students participate in the American Choral Directors Association’s annual conference and national choir. They have been to locations including Salt Lake City, Dallas, Kansas City, Santa Barbara, Minneapolis and Pasadena.

• Xiduo Jossie Wang (Second Grade) - 3rd Place

how much it impacts their world view to see that they have a voice and can impact their community. Art isn’t just pretty stuff. Because it is visual communication, Art has a role in society as a vehicle for change. This year we had 13 winners from the lower school! “I am extra proud of my students this year because they started at home when we were quarantining, and so these posters really reflect what they care about.”

Lower school students participate annually in the E Mele Kakou (Let’s Sing) program provided by the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus and perform at Kawaiahao Church.

DID YOU KNOW? Students participate in art and music at every grade level in the Lower School.

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

Expressions Campus Ministry at the Academy

“I AM LIKE A BROOK THAT MAKES NO EFFORT TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES IN ITS WAY. All the obstacles can do is hold me up for a while, as a brook is held up; but during that time it grows broader and deeper and after a while it overflows the obstruction and flows along again. This is how I am going to work.” This quote from Fr. William Chaminade, founder of the Marianist Congregation was the reflection for the 20202021 LIFE summer leadership program involving student Campus Ministry from the Academy and St. Louis. It was a perfect motto for a year when the COVID-19 virus seemed to present an insurmountable obstacle to the normal activities of school life. COVID made us go deeper into ourselves and as the spirituality of students, staff and teachers grew, the waters welled up and flowed over into wondrously creative deeds of kindness, goodness and social action. This is what the year has been like carrying through all the activities of campus ministry from flag raising to school Masses and paraliturgies to retreats and service projects. Thanks to the wonders of social media, most activities were a hybrid of actual presence and of virtual streaming reaching not only classes and the school, but also homes and the larger community. 20

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

Expressions

DAILY FLAG RAISING Daily flag raising took on a new look. Instead of having a morning school assembly in the campus courtyard, flags and teams of students from JK to Seniors were filmed around campus to honor our nation, State, and God in morning prayer, pledge and singing. Here Class of 2031 (Grade Two) students are ready to lead the morning’s flag raising in front of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

MONTHLY MASSES Monthly Masses were live streamed from St. Margaret Mary Chapel with a small group of members of the Na Leo Ho‘onani Liturgical Corps serving as cantors, lectors and Eucharistic ministers. Fr. Patrick McDaid, S.M. was often the celebrant. This photo was taken in the gym.

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

CLASS RETREATS Thanks to the creativity, energy and dedication of this year’s LIFE team, retreats continued to take place but in a totally different setting. From serene Kalihi Valley and the faciilities of St. Anthony Retreat Center, Days of Recollection were held in the school gym with students on campus and on Zoom. Activities still brought students JOY—bonding them closer to Jesus, Others and You.

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Expressions

March for Life

Raising social awareness and engaging in positive actions are an important part of the work of Campus Ministry. Participation in the March for Life in January has been part of the Academy tradition for decades. This year the school participated in the virtual March held in the diocese with the theme “For We Are God’s Masterpiece.” Students at the Academy put together hundreds of pinwheels symbolizing the sacredness of life and put them up all over the school.

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

AT H L E T I C S

Athletics During COVID– Quite a Year for the Lancers Despite the challenges of the year, the Lancers remained courageous and persistent, bringing home four league titles and a national championship.

THE 2020-21 INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC

SEASON was very close to not happening. As the City and community of Honolulu tried to find a safe way to return to what we love while dealing with COVID, athletic directors, coaches, and school administrators worked hard to learn from new best practices, research, and government updates. In January 2021, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) finalized a schedule that would provide two seasons with a variety of sports approved by the ILH Board of Principals. Unfortunately, not all sports were approved so athletic opportunities with some modifications were made to allow for participation at an Intramural level. The first season of sports provided ILH Competition in swimming, cross country, sporter riflery, cheerleading, and intermediate and junior varsity tennis. Additionally, soccer hosted a Futsal intramural program in the gym, and basketball held workouts and clinics. In season one, Sacred Hearts hosted the school’s first ever cross country meet. With

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

F E AT U R E S

With support from the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, the Academy hosted four cross country meets at Saint Anthony Retreat Center.

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

AT H L E T I C S

the support of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, the Academy hosted four cross country meets at Saint Anthony Retreat center. Over the cross country season, the beautiful Saint Anthony’s course ranged from 1-2 miles and challenged some of the ILH top distance runners. The Lower School got involved in the cross country season as well. Our first Lower school cross country team included 18 girls, ranging from 4th through 6th grade. The “Little Lancers” trained for one month to tackle the one-mile Saint Anthony course. The second ILH season began in March with more offerings than season one. The ILH principals approved golf, volleyball, track and field, precision riflery, softball, sailing, and varsity tennis. For most of the 20-21 School year City Park permits were unavailable. With limited facilities to create programs, coaches and administrators worked hard to find sites and make the most of limited resources. The school’s swimming program, which included over 30 girls in grades

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

7-12, was able to use the Richardson Street YWCA, while soccer used the gym for 5 on 5 Futsal, and almost every open space on campus was used in some form for practice and skill development. Through all the challenges The Lancers remained courageous and persistent bringing home four league titles and a national championship in Season One. Cheerleading claimed their fourth consecutive Varsity ILH Championship and the Intermediate team claimed their fourth ILH Championship in the last five years. A state final was not held this year which prevented the Varsity team from going for a fourth consecutive HHSAA State crown. The Varsity Cheerleading Team claimed their third consecutive National Championship competing in the National Cheerleading Association Virtual National Championship. The Lancers claimed the NCA

Advanced Varsity overall championship. In 2020 and 2019 the Sacred Hearts Cheer Team combined with St. Louis School cheerleaders won the JAMZ Cheer and Dance High School Overall Grand Championship. Coming off the program’s tenth State Crown in 2019, the Sacred Hearts Sporter Riflery Varsity Team won their third ILH Championship in four years. The Junior Varsity Team also claimed the ILH Championship. Individually the Varsity program posted the league’s top shooter in Alena Amado ’21. She was joined by six other Lancer shooters in the league’s top 15. Sharyn Paronda ’22 led all ILH JV shooters and was joined by eight other lancers in the league’s top 15. It was quite a year for the Lancers, even with the challenges of the COVID pandemic.

• SHA Athletic

Director Ryan Hogue

F E AT U R E S

COMMENCEMENT

• Clockwise from top:

Members of the ILH Champion Riflery Team hold up their targets after a virtual match in the Ching Student Center. A member of the Riflery team takes aim in the kneeling position during a virtual ILH Competition held in the Clarence T.C. Ching Student Center. The Intermediate Track and Field Team celebrates with coaches after meet at Punahou School. The Varsity Volleyball team hosts a match with no spectators in Nobriga Gymnasium. Alyssa Browers ’22 competes in the hurdles event during a JV/ Varsity Track meet at Punahou school.

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

S T U D E N T F E AT U R E S

C AY L A C A B A N B A N ’ 2 1

HHSAA Hall of Honor Recipient Cayla Cabanban, ’21 As the first Sacred Hearts student and cheerleader on the island to receive the recognition, Cabanban blazes the trail for aspiring cheerleaders to follow.

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that an Academy student is selected to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) Hall of Honor. In fact, Cayla Cabanban, ’21, is the first Sacred Hearts student to receive that recognition, as well as the first cheerleader from any high school in Hawai‘i. When she transitioned as a student from Holy Family Catholic Academy to Sacred Hearts Academy in 7th grade, she didn’t know what to expect. She had no experience attending an all-girls school, and she knew no one at Sacred Hearts Academy. She soon found that “girls at the Academy were very welcoming and very friendly.” She not only quickly made friends among students but also found Academy teachers to be very helpful and supportive. “What I’ve liked about the teachers here is that they really help you succeed academically, and they share life lessons with you that will help you as a student and later as an adult,” Cayla said. “The Academy really helped me to develop from middle school through high school in ways I don’t think I could have at another school, because of the sisterhood

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C AY L A C A B A N B A N ’ 2 1

we shared as students and the guidance and support of our teachers.” Cayla noted that through her classes in English, such as “Literature of Food,” and in theology she was able to learn more about herself and the world around her, helping her to become more independent and ready for life after high school. And Cayla certainly took her lessons to heart, as indicated by her showing up regularly on the school’s Honor Roll. Through her academic studies, Cayla also learned time management, dedication to the work in front of her, not to give up and to stick things through to the end. All of these lessons are ones that Cayla took with her from the classroom to the gym as a member of the cheer team. Cayla came to the Academy with a gymnastics background. In her first year one of her classmates suggested that she try out for the cheer team. Cayla started cheer in 8th grade and continued through her senior year, participating as a core member of teams that won four straight ILH titles, three straight state

championships (state championships were not held this year due to COVID), and three straight national championships. “When I started cheer I really liked it. Cheer is a lot of fun. When we are at games doing sideline cheer, you get to interact with people, and little kids get so excited about seeing us and about cheer.” Cayla also loved cheer as a competitive sport. “I loved performing in the gym in front of the whole school (before COVID). In my junior year a TV news crew came to film us, and everyone was screaming and yelling. It gave me chicken skin!” Cayla’s varsity cheer coach, Cadey Rhinelander Vakauta, ’11 notes that Cayla is a very special athlete and that her selection to the HHSAA Hall of Honor has brought well-deserved recognition to Cayla and the Academy. For her part, Cayla hopes the Hall of Honor selection will inspire cheerleaders across Hawaii, letting them know that cheer is a recognized sport, and they are real athletes. “Participating in cheer at a high level takes a lot of hard work, as in other

sports. You practice five or six days a week for hours each day in competitive cheer. It means a lot to have the sport recognized this way.” Cayla graduated this spring and will be attending University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in the fall on a cheerleading scholarship, continuing her participation in cheerleading. She plans to study forensic science and criminology. “I’m curious, inquisitive … nosey,” Cayla asserts. “I want to know what happened and why it happened. I think I’m the perfect person to do crime investigations. I want to investigate so I can understand.” Clearly, Cayla has a bright future ahead, and she will be an impact player in whatever she does. Athletic Director Ryan Hogue says, “Cayla is one of the most focused and resilient competitors I have seen at any level. Her effort and performance have blazed trails for cheerleaders in the future to follow and try to emulate.” Cayla has been back on campus already this summer, helping aspiring cheerleaders in 4th grade to follow in her footsteps!

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT

Cadey (Rhinelander) Vakauta ’11

This Academy alumna has brought school spirit and tenacity as coach to the school’s cheer team—leading the girls into multiple ILH, state and national championships.

CADEMY GRADUATES ARE WELL KNOWN for making an impact in their professions and in their communities. That’s a core element of the Sacred Hearts DNA. Often, Academy graduates come back to their school to make a difference in the lives of today’s students. Cadey (Rhinelander) Vakauta, ’11 is one of those alumnae. After participating in cheer for all of her years as a student at the Academy, Cadey returned to SHA in 2015 to coach the school’s cheer team. In the years since, Cadey built the varsity team into a

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

team that has won four straight ILH titles and three straight state and national championships. Cadey came to Sacred Hearts as a student in the 6th grade from Star of the Sea School. Cadey says that her time at the Academy was great and that she had many “awesome” teachers while at

Sacred Hearts, teachers who prepared her well for her college work to follow. Cadey notes that when she was a student at the Academy, cheer was a club rather than a sport as it is today. She was on the St. Louis cheer squad and was sideline at all St. Louis games. During her time participating in cheer, Cadey said that there was a new cheer coach almost every year, which made it challenging to build on one’s skills from one year to the next.

Cadey’s leadership has lifted Sacred Hearts to leaving our mark in the history books of cheerleading, both in the state and nationally.” Having the opportunity to give back to the Academy and build the cheer program by providing consistency and guidance for the athletes motivated Cadey to take the coaching position in 2015. Her teams began to win as soon as Cadey stepped back on campus, with the Junior Varsity team claiming a championship in her first year. And her latest Varsity team has won multiple ILH, state and national championships, as noted above. Athletic Director Ryan Hogue says that “as the Varsity Cheer Coach at the Academy, Cadey’s school spirit

has been ever-present, shown through a combination of relentless work, passion for cheerleading, and innovative choreography. Cadey’s leadership has lifted Sacred Hearts to leaving our mark in the history books of cheerleading, both in the state and nationally.” Cadey attributes the success of her championship team to their selfdiscipline. “They were a very disciplined group,” Cadey notes. “The biggest contributor to their success was that they worked really hard all the time.” She also said that the family environment on the team provided the athletes real support for each other. And the athletes’ parents were behind the team all the way. “We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that we did without the tremendous parent support that the team received,” Cadey said. Being a premier athlete is a real challenge for a student, Cadey observes, because they have to balance the demands of their sport with all they are working to accomplish academically in their courses. Cadey says that it helped her cheer team members do their best at meeting the demands of being high performing student athletes because they saw that she was doing the same herself … working on completing her second bachelor’s degree while coaching and working. Cadey is ending her coaching at the

Academy this year, and she wants to share with the athletes she’s coached, “You are the reason I push myself to be better every day. Through the years you taught me how to be a role model. I knew I had to be resilient and strong because I wanted you to be resilient and strong. You have been my driving force!” She also added, “Thanks to my alma mater, Sacred Hearts, and St. Louis School for allowing me to serve you. Home will always be on Waialae Avenue!” Cadey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2017 and recently earned her Bachelor of Nursing degree at Hawaii Pacific University this May. She is now working at two doctor’s offices, with plans to apply to Doctor of Nursing Practice programs this fall. Upper School Principal Carol Flores Chong, ’91 says, “The drive, competitiveness and spunk everyone sees in Cadey’s coaching style and approach to life are also the same characteristics she had as a student. I taught her from when she was in my summer school class as a fourth grader through her freshman year in my English 9 Honors class. Some things certainly stay the same. I have no doubt Cadey will show the same tenacity as she builds her career in the medical field. All of us at Sacred Hearts are very proud of her!”

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

C L A S S O F 1971

F E AT U R E S

ALUMNAE Message to the Class of 2021 from the Class of 1971

T IS A TRUE PRIVILEGE FOR US TO HONOR

the Sacred Hearts Academy Class of 2021.

Graduation means different things to each of you. To some it comes as a relief; to others the academic teachings supported your educational goals and aspirations; to others it is accompanied with a feeling of nostalgia as you look back on good times and lasting friendships. As you look to the future with anticipation and perhaps some apprehension,

your graduation is not the end goal in itself; it is instead a path of the larger journey of life. We are reminded of a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” You are a generation that is fearless, solution oriented and forward thinking. You will take technology to new and dizzying dimensions, bring solutions to global warming, develop alternative energy sources, address homelessness and someone among you may find the cure for cancer. SHA is a unique community committed to the academic, emotional and spiritual education of young women. These opportunities provided skills that will carry you through life and is only the beginning of the lifelong education process built on your experiences yet to come. Whatever dream you pursue and path you choose on this life journey, please know, you are supported and cheered by a multitude of SHA graduates that have come before you. This bond of sisterhood is strong and maintains the hope and courage we all need to be our best, striving to achieve our goals and continue reaching for the stars. In conclusion, a quote from Maya Angelou sums it up, “Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart, and strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined.” Good luck, we wish you well.

God Bless You All,

971 1 f o ss a l The C

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

Written by Debra Tubbs, ’71

ALUMNAE

CLASS OF 1971

 Members of the Class of 1971 gather (pre-COVID) for a holiday themed meet-up.

CL ASS OF 1971: THEN & NOW

Reflections & Thoughts

“I attended SHA for 10 years, few years in elementary grades and four years of high school. I have great memories of campus activities and friendships. While the campus was simpler than it is today we were offered after school clubs and enrichment where friendships were strengthened and talents explored. We had quiet spaces like the grotto and the chapel if we needed a place for reflection or just to be alone. We took it for granted but we always felt safe on campus. I hope that is the case today, too. As we approached our 50th reunion year several of us classmates got reacquainted to plan activities. Nearly fifty years had gone by and after seeing some classmates only once or twice during those years re-connecting was a gift and a joy. That may be the legacy of time spent at SHA: The friendship of women who were nurtured and educated in a common space and grounded in a common faith. Not that all are Catholic or practicing Catholics – but a faith in goodness, kindness, family, hard work and responsibility and charity. I am so impressed with the school today from the STEM education and fine and performing arts opportunities to sports and cheer teams, etc. Thank you, God, for the gift of a Catholic education and the gift of friendship with amazing women.”

— Susan Mene ze s Be rk, ’71

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

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COMMENCEMENT

CL ASS OF 1971: THEN & NOW

Reflections & Thoughts

“Looking back on my years at Sacred Hearts Academy, I remember developing my relationship with God as I visited the chapel many times when I was in grade school. Quick stops in to pray and also as I got older to help sister move the window stopper during lunch recess so the sun shone in the chapel just the way she wanted. I also developed many friendships throughout the years. I learned to get along with others and how to be a good friend and a good student. One of my 4th grade teachers, Sister Mary Christine left a lasting positive impression as a teacher so much so, as I took Christine as my confirmation name and later decided to become a special education teacher. As an individual, I had many experiences that helped me to grow in many ways and develop the traits I needed to become a teacher and later on as an administrator. I am now retired and enjoying family ties with my husband John of 46 years and my children and grandchildren. It doesn’t seem like 50 years ago as when we get together we enjoy each other just like “old times,” we laugh, we cry, we share and it seems like “old friendships take up just where they left off.”

—A A rlene DeJesus Me dei ro s, ’71 34

SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

 Members of the Class of 1971 gather at Romano’s Macaroni Grill in Ala Moana (pre-COVID) for lunch.

“Memories of a nickname that stayed with me compliments of my St. Patrick’s School classmate, Debbie Tagaro. Everyone called me “Yogi”, I’m not sure if my classmates even knew my real name, Yolanda. The teachers also accepted me as “Yogi”. I remember that my mom worked very hard so that I could attend SHA. I was happy and enjoyed my high school years at the Academy. I had a successful career, and I now enjoy being retired with my husband of 44 years, Don; and yes he calls me “Yogi”.

—Yola Yola nda “ Yogi ” A rb i tra ri o S i x, ’71

ALUMNAE

COMMENCEMENT

CLASS OF

’71 “Visualize this: girls with navy blue pleated skirts, stiff white midi tops, navy blue and white striped cuffs and collars, black ties, black and white oxfords and white socks. In 1965, it was by far the coolest uniform, hands down, that I had ever seen in my whole young life. Now, even though the uniform was my initial incentive to attend Sacred Hearts Academy as a seventh grader, I regard the strong relationships that I made with peers and teachers as a very stabilizing and enriching experience for me. I grew up in a safe environment, surrounded by strong well-meaning women and learned to focus, work hard and expect nothing but the best for myself. Six years later, that uniform had definitely lost its dazzle but the choice of attending SHA prepared me for a successful future away from my family, friends and homeland. I entered college in Minnesota in 1971 with courage, discipline, high expectations and a solid connection with God that has carried me throughout my life. After 32 years in education, I find myself embracing retirement along side my husband of 48 years. Our family, friends, and faith continue to be sources of happiness that keep us balanced and satisfied. Mahalo for not giving up on me!”

—Map Map ua n a W ha ley Ev j e n , ’71

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 1930s

Ethel Tom Zablan, ’35, celebrated her 104th birthday in January 2021, and was delighted to participate in the virtual festitivites of the annual luau with her son, Michael Zablan, in commoration of her 85th anniversary of graduation from Sacred Hearts Academy in 2020.

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 1940s

While many of Academy faculty and staff members miss the ongoing presence of longtime volunteer Ann Leandro Mello, ’40, on-campus; Ann has been enjoying spending more time with her son, Byron Mello, and her grandchildren. Her sister, Sr. Jane Francis Leandro, ss.cc., ’55, who is currently in Hawaii while

• SHA Alumnae

residents at Kahala Nui, joined by the current Lancer cheerleaders, show school spirit at the Kahala Nui Reunion Night Pep Rally event.

awaiting the opportunity to return to the international missions of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, often spends time on the weekends with Ann. Sr. Jane Francis celebrated her 65th anniversary of graduation in 2020, with her sister, Ann, celebrating her 70th anniversary at her side. Academy alumnae, and Kahala Nui residents, Olympia Leong

ALUMNAE

Chung, ’53, Mary Chang Fong, ’48, Lois Yuen Lee, ’55, Pearl Go Ho, ’55, and Aileen Tom, ’48, were thrilled to represent their alma mater, Sacred Hearts Academy at a Kahala Nui Reunion Night Pep Rally event. A little extra cheer and pep was brought to the residents at the event by current Sacred Hearts Academy Lancer Athletics cheerleaders.

 1950s

Sr. Angelina Gregorio, ss.cc., ’50, offers this prayer: “Thank you Heavenly Father, for the many blessings of the past years. The gift of parents, family and friends, the guidance, love, support and friendships have truly been graces. May all of you be blessed as we journey in faith. To the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Honor and Glory.” Sr. Regina Mary Jenkins, ss.cc., ’57, celebrated her 81st birthday with her ss.cc. community at the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts Convent.

 1960s

Beverly Davis Espiritu, ’60, shares that her heart is now full once more since three of her greatgrandchildren recently moved back to Hawaii. Her youngest granddaughter, Kaimana Hope Espiritu, ’32, daughter of Disa Espiritu, ’91, is a student at the Academy, her two grandsons, Nikolas Hoku Espiritu and Christopher Ikaika Espiritu, are at Saint Louis School. Sr. Brenda Lau, CSJ, ’61, continues to be an active member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelet. As of 2017 the order’s Vice Province of Hawaii was closed when the order’s main leadership was transferred to the Los Angeles Province. Sr. Brenda continues to serve the order as the appointed

local Hawaii Coordinator for Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondolet. Jeanne Williams McGowen, ’64, cherishes her memories of attending Sacred Hearts Academy particularly in the third, fourth and fifth grade, which is where her profound love of art began. Jeanne often recalls her time spent in the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto with fellow Academy alumnae: Maureen Shaughnessy, Irene Estrella Raffael, ’64, Dominique Gottlieb, Mary May Martin Shaner, ’64, and Sylvia Miller to name a few. Jeanne’s sister, Patricia Williams Utschig, ’68, who attended the Academy for kindergarten through grade one, remembers vividly getting flowers from right outside her classroom and visiting the grotto and trading home brought snacks with friends during breaks. The Williams girls will always keep the Academy close in their hearts, and until they are able to once again travel to visit their alma mater.

S TAY CONNECTED Update us with your latest info and happenings! Go to www. sacredhearts. org/alumnae

• Eleanor “Ku‘ulei” Hopu Mercado, ’66 and husband Richard.

NOT E S

had rave reviews for the the chicken salad, caprese pizza , pork sliders, prosecco and home made mac-nut dream cake. The Class of 1964 looks forward to future opportunities to gather once more in years to come! After 51 years of employment with Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Eleanor “Ku‘ulei” Hopu Mercado, ’66, decided it was time to power off her computer and tender her keys and security cards as a Claims Adjuster with the Honolulu Customer Service Claims Department. In 2001 Ku‘ulei was humbled and honored to represent the Hawaiian Airlines ohana as “Employee of the Year”; a bright highlight of her entire career. In her retirement she looks forward to alloting more time to relaxation and traveling with her husband, Richard, of 52 plus years.

At a Class of 1964 luncheon in 2019, several members of the class gathered together, including: Trudy Chang Yee, ’40, mother of Patricia Yee Ching, ’64, Carol Jean Akana Ebia, Loui Mee Wong Nakama, Vickie Russell Kennedy, with her guide dog Buddy, Elaine Canales Gibson, Lorraine Canales, Vivian Mitsuda Hee, Judy Osada Yasue, Shirley Llanos Clayton, Helene Won Teves, Vivian Cannelora Rittenhouse, Susan Watson Martin, Carol Chun Naone, Claudia Chun, Janice Leong Yap, Valerie White Chang, Bernadette Lui Wong, Susan Nishimoto Lau, and Diane Pacheco Burns. Vickie’s mom, Elizabeth Russell, ’37, celebrated her 102nd birthay earlier that year, while Patty’s mom, Trudy Chang Yee, ’40, celebrated her 100th birthday in a few months following the gathering. Those in attendance SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

ALUMNAE

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Adrian Millar Shelton, ’66, and her husband, Robert, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple are blessed with three children and seven grandchildren. In retirement Adrian has shifed her focus to spending time with family and friends, traveling and renewing her pleasure in drawing, painting and fabric arts. Darleen Almodova Bumanglag, ’68, is happy to report that after working for 33 years and 4 months at Shafter Elementary School, she officially retired on December 31, 2020. Darleen served as an Educational Assistant for 15 years and after seeing a rising need for Special Education teachers, Darleen went back to school to pursue her certification in Special Education in 2002. Darleen had been teaching in a fully selfcontained classroom up until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns. The Sacred Hearts Academy Class of 1968 offer up their congratulations to classmate, Daviana McGregor, Ph.D, ’68, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences from the University of Laval, Canada in recognition of her lifelong

commitment to research, teaching and community service. Davianna, an ethnic studies professor in the College of Social Sciences and director of the Center for Oral History at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, is one of 11 international winners in 2020 of the Honoris Causa Doctorate, which recognizes people “who do remarkable and exemplary things” in Laval University’s fields of endeavor. Daviana is a cofounder of the UH Mānoa ethnic studies department, where she has been a faculty member since 1974. She was appointed director of the Center of Oral History in 2018. “I am deeply honored and also somewhat overwhelmed with the receipt of this doctorate from the most prestigious Frenchlanguage university in Quebec,” said McGregor. “I am especially glad to have been invited to present lectures about my work with our resilient Kanaka ‘Oiwi communities.” College of Social Sciences Dean, Denise Eby Konan, added “I am personally thrilled by this well-deserved recognition for ‘Davi’—a faculty member who has had such a tremendous impact on the college, campus and community for so many decades. It is wonderfully appropriate in 2020 that she has earned this award as

a co-founder of the ethnic studies department, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and on launching the Center for Oral History’s archival project, “Hawai‘i Life in the Time of COVID-19.” Ho‘omaika‘i iā ‘oe e ‘Anakē Davi!

CLASS OF 1972 Academy graduates of the Class of 1972 celebrating their 50th reunion are welcomed to campus for this annual “homecoming” event, Alumnae Christmas Tea, in December 2021. Visit www. sacredhearts. org/alumnae for updates and info.

In accordance with the provisions of Article V, Section 6 of the Hawaii State Constitution, David Ige, Governor of the State of Hawaii nominated Academy alumna, Roxanne Solidum Bruhn, ’73, to serve on the Advisory Board on Veterans’ Services on an interim basis, effective January 12, 2021. Roxanne places high value in the idea that girls who aspire become women who inspire, and it is her hope that her presence on the Advisory Board on Veteran’s Services will make a difference for not only veterans, but particularly women veterans. Her willingness to serve the people of Hawaii in this capacity is greatly appreciated! 38

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 1970s

After 43 years as a Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, Charlene Amell, ’70, put in for retirement. In her spare time she has been helping the State of Hawaii Department of Health provide COVID-19 vaccinations. Charlene enjoys swimming, art, and is looking forward to traveling once more. Roberta Moore Zarbaugh, ’70, of Kapa‘a, Hawaii on the island Kaua‘i has been enjoying life with her ‘ohana. Roberta has two sons, Kleve and Kalan, who both work with the Kaua‘i Fire Department. She is the proud grandmother of moopunas (grandchildren): Kaimana Zarbaugh and Riley Alira Zarbaugh, and was honored in 2002-2003 as the Hawaii State Teacher of the year. Roberta keeps busy with the Hawaii Writing Project as a Fellow Instructor, volunteering as the central drop off leader for the Samaritan’s Purse

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• Alumnae from the Class of 1976 arranged a small get together with their Sacred Hearts Academy luau-to-go meals. Operation Christmas Child on the Island of Kaua‘i, participating in the Kaua‘i Mokihana Festival’s Hoola La Hui Hula Lea, and has been an active member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society since 2003 and Barre Soul Studio since 2014.

County, California, Lenora Yuen, ’72, recently retired after a successful 40 year career in the travel industry including the last 30 years with Four Seasons Resorts Hawaii — representing Maui, Hualalai, Lana‘i & Oahu.

Edythe Kaanapu, ’71, is celebrating 30 years of service at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. She is currently the Manager of Circulation Operations at the Hamilton Library. Edythe shares that she has found her work with her students throughout the years to be the most rewarding experience. “The Good Lord has bestowed on me many, many blessings throughout the years and hopefully many more. Remember to follow your dreams, set yourself up for success and trust in God. He will never fail you! Malama pono!”

While the ongoing pandemic restrictions had forced many to keep their distance, members of the Class of 1976 remained creative in their efforts to keep in touch with one another over the last year. Once restrictions were partially lifted, members of the Class of 1976 including Francine Gora, ’74, Leilani Maunupau Kruger, Thaela Catala, ’74, Lolly Chun, Carol Uyemura Wong, Jacelynn Catala, and Stephanie “Stevie” Ching Kiyosaki jumped at the opportunity to gather in person once more to enjoy each other’s company with their Sacred Hearts Academy luau-to-go meals.

Long time resident of Orange

• Right: The

Gora trio— Francine Makini Gora,’74, Nohea Gora Leopoldo, and ’76, Imiola Gora-Aina, ’76.

Sacred Hearts Academy alumnae, Nohea Gora Leopoldo, ’76, Imiola Gora-Aina, ’76, and Francine Makini Gora, ’74, helped “Raise the Roof” at Saint Louis School’s gymnasium blessing through their gift of music and song at an event honoring special donors who supported the project. The Gora trio are an alumnae entertainment favorite having performed several times over at the annual Alumnae Reunion Lu‘au.

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For the last 10 years Mary Zachodni Gipaya, ’78, and her business partner have owned and operated Equine Event Management, LLC. She maintains a contract with Clark County and the two work together in partnership to run Clark County’s Horsemans Park. Mary has been happily married for over 40 years to Barry Gipaya, a Saint Louis School alumnus. Together they have two children, Leah and Brandon, and one grandson, Kaleb, and have lived in Las Vegas, the 9th Island, for over 25 years.

 1980s

After 20 years of Federal service, Karen Wall, ’80, officially retired, for a second time, from the VA on June 8, 2019. Dr. Michelle Paik Page, ’86, is a Professor and part of the distinguished Faculty team at Worcester State University in Massachusetts. The University hosts one of the top Nursing programs in the country in which licensure pass rates have been at or near 100% annually. As a

foundational specialist in Nursing Education, Dr. Paik Page credits her Mom and Dad primarily for their amazing support and parenting and of course for providing her the opportunity to attend incredible educational institutions like Sacred Hearts Academy. Dr. Paik Page states, “Sacred Hearts Academy is a place where young women grow in spiritual and intellectual confidence... the balance of work, prayer, and community awareness forms the scaffolding for high achievement... I attribute my success first to my parents, and then to the exceptional foundations provided by the faculty at Sacred Hearts Academy!” Veronica Young, ’87, works at the University of Texas at Austin as a professor in their College of Pharmacy. While she does not practice pharmacy, she received her degree in pharmacy and public health, and now focuses on community engagement, and often works with the University’s Pharmacy Center helping the students to learn to hone not only their academic skills needed

for a future in pharmacy but the professional and people skills needed as well.

 1990s CLASS REUNIONS Alumnae celebrating their 50th Class Reunion (1972) those celebrating their 55th (1967), 60th (1962), 65th (1957), 70th (1952), 75th (1947), and 80th (1942) reunions will be honored during the 2022 commencement. Visit www. sacredhearts. org/alumnae for updates and info.

For 19 years Teresa Sanchez Greer, ’91, has served in the US Navy and currently holds the rank of Commander. During her career, Teresa has had the opportunity to have served on three ships, and at shore commands in Washington DC; Bethesda, MD; Williamsburg, VA; Fort Belvoir, VA; and, Fort Lewis, WA. Teresa was most recently stationed at the Navy Region Northwest Reserve Component Command in Everett, WA serving as the Director of Logistics. In November 2015 Teresa married her husband, David, and the happy couple welcomed their daughter, Miriam Rose, in April 2019. After 9 years working for the Marianist Province of the United States as the National Coordinator for Marianist LIFE, Toni Mesina, ’92, returned to the classroom. Toni works as an English teacher for juniors and seniors at The Crefeld School in Philadelphia, which encourages progressive education with a strong emphasis on service and justice. Following her time as Sacred Hearts Academy’s Upper School vice principal, Dr. Brandy Sato, ’94, accepted a position at Island Pacific Academy where she currently serves as their principal.

• Mrs. Kula

and Veronica Young, ’87.

Thedalyn Eubank Cooper, ’95, resides in Cypress, Texas, where she is employed at the Houston Themodist Willowbrook Hospital as a registered nurse. She and her husband, Kelvin, have two children, Maya and Ian. Since graduating from the Academy, Dara Goeas BarcelonaPetelo, ’98, has been married

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Jennifer McCartney, ‘99, is a Law Firm Director in Los Angeles County for Children’s Law Center of California which represents approximately 33,000 children involved with the foster care systems in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Placer counties. Jennifer is the proud mother to her son, Brendan, and proud auntie to Sacred Hearts Academy student Mia McCartney, ’22.

twice. Her first husband, Edward Barcelona, SLS ’96 unfortunately passed away in 2005. The couple raised two children, Madison and Mackena. Dara remarried in 2010 to Patrick Petelo, and together they added three more children to their ‘ohana: Manaia, Mailelagi, and Matthias. For the last 14 years

 2000s

Emilyn Cabrera deGuzman, ’00, graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from the University of Colorado before moving to San Diego, where she currently resides with her husband, and fellow pharmacy school colleague, Edwin. Together they have two girls, Elyza and Eleia.

Dara has worked for Centerplate, a food and beverage company that operates facilities at the Aloha Stadium, Paradise Cove, Hilo/Kona Airports, and Hanauma Bay, and currently serves as the General Manager at the Hanauma Bay property.

• Dara Goeas

Barcelona Petelo, ’98 and her family.

After graduating from college, Aulani Hall, ’00, began working for a non-profit organization, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) where she gained a lot of exposure working with various local government departments. In 2007, Aulani began working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

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Administration (NOAA). In 2014, Aulani transferred to the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), still within NOAA. In February 2017, Aulani joined the Queens Health Systems, where she is currently employed as a Financial Planning Analyst. Aulani is passionate about the Queens mission, to serve Native Hawaiians and the people of Hawaii through providing excellent Healthcare services. Aulani aspires to maintain her position with Queens while becoming more involved with her Dad’s business which aims to helping Native Hawaiians and organizations that support Native Hawaiians. Carlene Hardin, ’00, shares that she is happily engaged and has three keiki: ages 13, six, and three. Carlene resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she is a 13 veteran teacher currently teaching fifth grade. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have put several milestone reunion plans for other classes on hold, the Sacred Hearts Academy Class of 2000 reunion committee including Leila Morinaga, ’00, and Tehani Wong Hinkley, ’00, quickly pivoted to bring their 20th

Marissa Fong Ka, ’07, celebrated her wedding day with husband, James Ka, at the Hale Koa Estate surrounded by family and friends including her father, Randy Fong, longtime Sacred Hearts Academy College Counselor.

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celebration virtual over the course of two days and over 19 hours of Zoom. Whether attendees were able to join virtually or in spirit, each member of the Class of 2000’s presence was felt. Several Academy teachers, including Mr. Gardewin, Mrs. Choy, Mrs. Michelle Coito Tuzon, ’65, Mrs. Debra Campos Kaae, ’69, and Auntie Queenie to name a few, even joined in on the celebration highlighting 20 years of growth and adulting. After graduating from Sacred Hearts Academy, Tiana Wong Nakakura, ’00, attended University of Hawaii at Mānoa where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Family Resources. While subsequently in nursing school at Hawaii Pacific University, Tiana worked at Queens Medical Center’s ER before transferring to the Medical/Surgical floor specializing in liver and kidney transplants, and other GI surgical procedures after she received her liscence. Tiana is happily married to husband, Jayson, and the couple has three children: Nixon, Kaia and Tia. The family currently resides in Germany, and Tiana shares that being a stay-at-home mom has been a blessing in disguise, and that Germany is “wunderbar”. Janelle Buan Oberes, ’00, married her high school sweetheart Randy, and the couple has been blessed with two children: Keira and Luke. Janelle enjoys spending time with her family, particularly when they are able to travel together and explore this beautiful world. Katie Kamelamela, ’01, earned a doctorate at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in 2019. Since 2018, Katie has worked as a Post-Doctoral fellow at the Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forest Bio-Cultural. Anna Weaver Lopiccolo, ’01, and her husband, Joe, have two 42

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children: Owen and Rebecca. Anna’s husband, Joe, is an active member of the United States Navy, and has been stationed on O‘ahu since May 2018. Anna currently works at the Hawaii Catholic Herald as their associate editor.

a new position with American Carpet One. Miana Anama Dildy, ’09, got married in May 2021. Miana currently works as a flight attendant for Hawaiian Airlines. After getting a taste of working in the airline industry in 2019 when she started as a customer service agent for Aloha Contract Services and Go Airlines, Miana knew she wanted to pursue a career in 20,000 ft in the air. Her dream came true in 2012 when she completed flight attendant training.

Erin Dayanan, ’00, was appointed as the 2019 BOMA (Building Owners & Managers Association) Hawaii President and featured in the February issue of Building Management Hawaii.

 2010s

Sarah “Makena” Hamilton, ’10, was named the Head of Temporalities for LIFE South 2021. Makena attended LIFE Pacific in 2009 with Sacred Hearts Academy and has since been involved on the team at both Pacific and South. Makena holds a special place in her heart for the LIFE program, as she was an active LIFE member during her time at Sacred Hearts Academy. Makena served as a retreat leader in 2015 with her mom, the late Andrea Cummings Hamilton, ’68. Makena works as the Activities Coordinator for the Marianist Residence in San Antonio, Texas.

In July 2020 Nikki Agor Nakamura, ’03, was featured in a Hawaii Business Magazine article, “The Pandemic is Not Gender Neutral”. The article explored the challenges she and her husband were faced with during the COVID-19 pandemic while raising a family, particularly focusing on the additional strain women have faced. Nikki had been working for Hilton Hawaii for 10 years as a highly skilled marketing manager before being furloughed due to the pandemic. Since then Nikki found

• Above:

Nikki Agor Nakamura, ’03 and her family. Right: Sarah “Makena” Hamilton, ’10.

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Gloria Palma, ’13, a member of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law Ulu Lehua Scholars Program, was selected as one of two Patsy T. Mink Legislative fellows and was granted the opportunity to work remotely with Sen. Brian Schatz. Gloria was also elected as President of the Student Bar Association, and enjoyed her time working in the Senator’s office as a law clerk helping the domestic policy team with upcoming legislation.

In 2015, Mary Kruse, ’10, married a longtime friend from when she had lived in Korea as a young child. Both Mary and her husband work remotely, which allows them to live and travel all over the world including stints in St. Augustine, New Orleans, and Montreal. Kiersten Blecha, ’12, is the proud mother of three: Pearl, PeytonRose and KJ. In 2016 Megan Stevenson, ’12, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering with a second major in Anthropology, before continuing her education at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Throughout her time in medical school Megan has enjoyed the opportunity to mentor local students, including Sacred Hearts Academy alumnae, who expressed interest in pursuing a career in medicine. After graduating with her MD in May 2020, Megan began her residency training in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In December 2020, Brittany Viloria, ’12, graduated from Chaminade University with a Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration.

Tiffany Bihis, ’13, graduated with a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Creighton University. During her time in pharmacy school, Tiffany served in a number of leadership positions, including being the Creighton University American Pharmacists Association— Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Chapter President. Xylia Lydgate, ’13, works as a Recruiting Specialist with Staffing Solutions of Hawaii, a womanowned, SBA 8(a) organization that offers industry leading pay, stimulating careers and excellent growth opportunities through partners in organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, Bank of Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton Grand Vacations, KHON2 News and many more. Kelli McGhiey, ’13, was inducted into Western New Mexico University’s Student Hall of Fame, the highest level of recognition for WNMU student leaders. Kelli graduated with a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in Management Information Systems in December 2020 following her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with a minor in Political Science in 2018. While at WNMU Kelli played Division II

Volleyball for four years receiving All-Academic Conference Awards three times.

ACADEMY UNCORKED Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, Academy Uncorked, the Academy’s food and wine event, supporting our scholarship program is cancelled for this year. We look forward to holding this event again next year. If you would like to make a donation to support the Academy’s scholarship program, scan the QR code to make a gift today.

Erika Sabraw, ’13, graduated from the Shidler College of Business with a Finance Degree in 2016 and went straight into the Financial Services Industry where she is now 3+ years into the field providing Financial/Retirement Planning, Life Insurance, Employee Benefits, and Long Term Care. Janelle Domanguera, ’14, was ecstatic when she passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), an examination that tests the competancy of nursing school graduates in the United States, Canada and Australia. Janelle is currently working as a dialysis nurse at Fresenius Kidney Care - North America, one of the most innovative companies in the world. After graduating from Sacred Hearts Academy, Lauren Loualhati ’14, attended the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa to pursue her Bachelors of Arts in Public Health. After graduating in Spring 2018, she then found her way back to UH to pursue her Masters of Education degree during the Fall 2018 semester. Once Lauren completed her SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

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• Lauren Loualhati, ’14 with some of her students from the Lower School at the Academy. Masters program, with honors, she sought employment at her alma mater, SHA, as the lower school physical education teacher and upper school Survey of Sports teacher. Due to COVID-19 restrictions last year surrounding graduation ceremonies, Lauren celebrated her Masters degree graduation from UH Mānoa on May 16, 2021. Following graduation from the Academy, Gaeun Gaby Kim, ’15, enrolled at Waseda University in Tokyo, where she graduated with a liberal arts degree. Gaeun Gaby then sought a career in marketing and signed a contract with British American Tobacco in April 2020. While British American Tobacco is primarily based in the England, Gaeun Gaby will be positioned within their Global Graduate program in Marketing for one year in Tokyo and will then shift to being positioned as Junior branding manager most likely in 44

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Tokyo or abroad in Europe in the years ahead.

had the opportunity to work as a Summer Law Clerk with Legal Aid Society of Hawaii’s Family Law Division and as an intern with the Federal Trade Commission. Never in her wildest dreams did Jaclyn anticipate that she would be named the Editor in Chief of Seattle University Law Review. She shares, “This new responsibility will definitely be challenging, but I couldn’t be more grateful for

Since Victoria Lee, ’15, returned from studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, she has been doing research in child second language development, and teaching English to elementary and high school English language learners (ELLs). Victoria graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Second Language Studies (SLS) with a minor in Chinese and in May 2020 earned her masters in Second Language Studies specializing in English Language Education. Victoria plans to continue her teaching career in Korea as a Fulbright ETA. Jaclyn Sakamoto, ’15, is a law student at Seattle University School of Law where she is the President of the Asian Pacific Islander Law Students Association and a member of Seattle University Law Review. Recently Jaclyn

• Jaclyn Sakamoto, ’15.

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she will be receiving specialized training for that field in Damneck, VA.

the opportunity.” Zoë Sprott, ’15, is a student in the English Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, striving for her Masters in English with a concentration in literary studies. Zoë has served as the Reviews Editor of Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly and Editorial Assistant at the Center for Biographical Research for over a year, and has organized the Brown Bag Biography lecture series for several semesters. In February 2020, Zoë presented at the Southwest Popular and American Culture Association’s 41st Annual Conference, and earned the Historic and Contemporary Cultures Graduate Student Paper Award for her paper “Charting the Third Way: Feminist Reimaginations of Patriarchal Religious Stuctures in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” Zoë presented at the SWPACA 42nd Annual Conference, this time discussing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and its queer take on capitalism; and also presented a paper on Thor: Ragnarok in Denmark at the Utopia/Dystopia Conference for the Fantastic. Sacred Hearts Academy Class of 2015 alumnae, Te‘a Strong, ’15, and Nicole Baker, ’15, graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo School of Nursing. Te‘a, daughter of Maile Cervantes, ’86, graduated with honors and as a Sigma Theta Tau member and Nicole looks forward towards her residency program in Seattle, Washington. Academy alumna and three-time state track and field championship, Phoebe Kirk, ’16, was promoted as a 2nd Lieutentant in the United States Marines following her graduation from The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. Phoebe earned her first choice of MOS as an Air Intelligence Officer where

S TAY CONNECTED Attending college can be daunting, and recent graduates return to campus each year to share about their experiences with juniors and seniors at the Alumnae Forum. Interested in participating? Contact Mr. Randy Fong, College Counselor.

• Below: Rache Sapla, ‘16 and other SHA friends at the Hawai‘i Po‘okela Awards

Academy alumna Angelique Mara, ’16, recently shared that she is on track to graduate from Chaminade University of Honolulu with a degree in Nursing and minor in Psychology in 2022. Angelique served as the Hawai‘i Student Nurses’ Association (HISNA) President for the ’20-’21 academic year. In her leadership role, she coordianted and planned events for the different SNA chapters in the State of Hawai‘i. Rache Sapla, ’16, is the proud owner of two businesses in network marketing, self discovery, empowerment, and teaching entrepreneurship. Rache remains an avid traveler and performer, having worked in film and on stage. Rache is a three time recipient of the Hawaii Po‘okela Award for musical theatre, and worked as a casting asisstant for Taika Waititi Film. Following graduation at the Academy, Kailanianna Ablog, ’17, enrolled at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she

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became the Opinions Editor and Managing Editor of Ka Leo O Hawai‘i, UHM’s student newspaper. While a UHM student, Kailanianna also was given the opportunity to study abroad in South Korea at Yonsei University’s Korean Language Institute during the Summer 2019 semester. After graduating in May 2020, Kailanianna briefly interned with Lady Pasifika, a creative platform that writes about and celebrates Pacific Islander women and their stories. In September 2020, she became the Team Coordinator for Haku Collective, “a native Hawaiian boutique music and immersive product company.” A proud Army National Guard MilSO and aspiring creative, Kailanianna plans to pursue a graduate degree. Brianne Agcaoili, ’17, graduated with a degree in Exercise Science with a focus on Integrative Pyschology and a minor in Psychology from Pacific University, Oregon. Brianne aspires to pursue a Sport Psychology graduate program to further her education. Ashley Marie Lardizabal, ’17, a graduate of the University of San Francisco, majored in Computer Science, and minored in Asian Pacific American Studies with an emphasis in STEM Education. Ashley Marie most recently worked with Hawaii Energy as a technical digital marketing intern in Summer 2020 and aspires to pursue a career in technical writing and web development. As a first time participant in the annual Sacred Hearts Academy Alumnae Forum, Janelle Lauronal, ’17, also a ’21 Seattle University graduate majoring in nursing, wasn’t too sure what to expect, but was pleasantly suprised by the enjoyable experience sharing her college life experiences with current Sacred Hearts Academy students. Janelle’s SAC R E D H E A RT S AC A D E M Y

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DID YOU KNOW?

• Ashley Marie Lardizabal, ’17 mother, Laura Lauronal, ‘82, is a proud parent and Academy alumna. Laura continues to give back to her alma mater and remains a constant on the Sacred Hearts Academy campus as she assists with the Lower School’s daily operations. Morgan Louis-Soares, ’17, attended Oregon State University where she pursued a Bachelors of Science in Ocean Science. While at Oregon State University Morgan served as the President of Oregon State’s Hui o Hawai‘i and was an active member of their Dual Partnership Program. Carlee Matsunaga, ’17, attended George Fox University majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. After graduation, Carlee plans to work as an associate Software Engineer at Apex Clearing in 46

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Portland, Oregon, a financial technology company. As a student at the Academy Carlee was an avid member of the CyberPatriots program led by Mrs. Deborah Kula, which ultimately ignited her passion for computer science.

Each year, the First Friday Mass in May is dedicated to crowning Mary “Queen of the May” and honoring members of the school community who have died during the year. Alumnae, current parents and family members who have lost a loved one are welcome to join students and faculty and participate in a prayer of remembrance.

Frances Nicole Tabios, ’17, attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa where she majored in Political Science and minored

• Carlee

Matsunaga, ’17

in Philippine Language and Literature, graduating summa cum laude. After graduating from UHM in two and a half years, she was hired by Representative Sharon E. Har and worked at the Hawaii Legislature for the 2020 Legislative session. There, she conducted legislative research concerning affordable housing, and analyzed legislative bills concerning both local and federal issues. Frances plans to pursue a career in policy making and create a nonprofit organization after she completes law school. In the Spring of 2021 Joanne Nicole Villanueva, ’17, graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Science degree in Health Education. Joanne Nicole plans to continue her studies through an accelerated Bachelors of Science Nursing program at University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Celine Arnobit, ’18, attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa while pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish, with a minor in Public Health. For two years while at UHM Celine worked as a research assistant in a social and developmental psychology research lab before seeking employment as a research intern at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center. Ultimately Celine plans to continue her education and earn a Master’s in Public Health. Kaleikaumaka Cruz, ’18, is a student at Waynesburg University, PA, where she is pursing her degree in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Political Science and International Studies. Ahead of her graduation, Kaleikaumaka has already been accepted into and plans to continue her education in the M.A. Criminal Investigations program through Waynesburg University.

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• Left:

Kaleikaumaka Cruz, ’18. Right: Frances Nicole Tabios, ’17. Below, right: Catherine Palmer, ’18.

Catherine Palmer, ’18, is thoroughly enjoying her time as a student in Creighton University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Catherine currently works as an intern at CVS Pharmacy and Creighton’s Research and Development lab, and was elected as the region’s Member at Large for the American Pharmacists’ Association — Academy of Student Pharmacists. Mindy Thai, ’18, is a student at George Washington University double majoring in Criminal Justice and Chinese. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mindy spent most of the last year studying remotely for her George Washington University courses while being located physically in Hawaii. Mindy had the opportunity to participate in the Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program (TISLP) virtually and remains hopeful that she may be able to study abroad in person in the future. Caitlin Bocobo, ’19, is a student at Chaminade University of Honolulu where she is majoring in Biology with aspirations to receive a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. In addition to her studies, Caitlin also plays on the Chaminade Women’s Soccer Team.

ACADEMY POWER The Academy relies on the generosity of its donors to continue to prepare young women of diverse backgrounds for the world of tomorrow. You have the power to make a difference. The success of the Annual Fund continues through your generosity. Give today!

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NOTE S focused on modeling a beam path for a variable spacing optical lattice.

 2020s S TAY CONNECTED Update us with your latest info and happenings! Go to www. sacredhearts. org/alumnae

@sacredhearts academy

@sacred_hearts

@sacredhearts academy

• Mindy Thai, ’18

Agnes Brown, ’19, is a student at Chaminade University of Honolulu, pursing a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology. Agnes aspires to become an elementary teacher in addition to growing her own tutoring business aimed at helping students in grades K-8. Agnes keeps busy with her on-campus job, tutoring business, and work as an assistant to entrepreneur and local stylist, Crystal Pancipanci. Outside of work and school, Agnes is in her twelfth year of dancing hula for Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai o Ha‘eha‘e, under the direction of Kumu Tracie and Keawe Lopes.

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Ella blu Pakele, ’22, was honored to incorporate Academy alumnae, Logan Shiroma, ’19, Jessica Napua Casson-Fisher, ’07, and Shawna Ipolani Loo, ’95, in her project with the Youth Action Alliance Hawaii program. On March 13, 2021 the alumnae participated in a virtual session, “Mana Wāhine ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i” hosted by Ea Ka ‘Ai o Hawai‘i. The session facilitated a wonderful panel discussion on mana wāhine and ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. This conversation was between Ipolani Loo, a distinguished member of the ‘ōlelo community as a longtime immersion school teacher; Napua Casson, a person in the field of health and education outreach who is guided heavily by her connection to ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i; Logan Shiroma, ’19, an architect who is dedicated to building spaces for her people and the language of her people; and a very diverse audience of ‘ōpio, kūpuna, and everyone between, from all different walks of life.

Agnes continues to volunteer at St. Ann Parish teaching first graders in Sacrament Prep I, preparing to receive their sacraments of initiation in the following year. Through the interactions and opportunity to share in her faith she has with her students, Anges has further committed herself and deepened her love of teaching. For eight weeks during the summer of 2020 Olivia Bruce, ’19, was able to participate in a virtual summer research program with the University of Virginia, where she worked with UVA’s Ultra Cold Matter group on a research project

• A screenshot

from the virtual session, “Mana Wahine ‘Olelo Hawai‘i”

It is always a happy occasion when Academy alumnae are able to reconnect with one another after graduation; even more so when

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those opportunity include visits with their former teachers. When Mr. Joe Lyons, Academy Science Teacher, spent Thanksgiving Break in California in 2019, two Academy alumnae who were part of his AP Physics Class, Lauren Chun, ’19, and Emily Truong, ’19, jumped at the opportunity to meet up with their former teacher. Both Lauren and Emily are current students at California Polytechnic

University at San Luis Obispo, and were unable to travel home for the holiday. They were thrilled to have lunch at “Mr. Pickles” with Mr. Lyons sharing their college life experiences thus far.

• Emily

Truong, ’19, Mr. Joe Lyons, and Lauren Chun, ’19.

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Cadet Major Victoria Zembik, ’21, was honored as the first Academy recipient of the 1SG Jimmy Akuna Ho‘ilina Kupono Award.

Fumika Tanahashi, ’20, was accepted into the College of Science and Engineering of Nihon University in Japan.

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In Memoriam

Eternal rest grant unto them, and let perpetual light shine upon them. In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary we pray. Class of 1939 Lilly Hee Au

1951 Barbara Breckenridge

1960 Muriel Paulos Marrero

1940 Gertrude Chang Yee

1951 Alberta Mello Siders

1960 Gail Souza Paiva

1944 Mary “Jenny” Pereira Tavares

1952 Laura Del Rosario Achong

1961 Jacqueline DeJesus Kahikina

1945 Carol Lake Papa

1952 Cecilia Nakea Hunter

1961 Sharon Nagaoka Letoto

1945 Eugenia Cheong Wong

1954 Johanna Amona Ching

1961 Valerie Freitas Maher

1946 Marjorie “Marge” Carvalho Doss

1954 Frances Nunes McCall

1961 Priscilla Valdez Tampon

1946 Florence Lindsey

1954 Rita Yee Von Hatten

1961 Diane Lewis Weisenberger

1946 Mary Fung Souza

1955 Dolores Young Chun

1964 Susan Watson Martin

1947 Caroline Leilani “Lani” Mau Choo

1956 Luviminda Villanueva Lewis

1968 Gloria Yee Menor

1948 Catherine Chong Hoo

1956 Yvonne Omura Silva

1968 Charlene Ann Ferreira Sims

1948 Margaret Dung Lung

1957 Elizabeth Chong Ho

1971 Jo Ann Passos

1948 Greta Munson Teves

1957 Sylvia Loui Ching

1973 Elizabeth Reed Scanlan

1949 Donette Breckenridge Coons

1957 Sylvia Silva Audino

1973 Antoinette Wong

1950 Mary Suzanne Hopkins Haley

1958 Carol Poremba Oster

1976 Maria Mimi Paz Smith

1950 Elizabeth Walker Kenealy

1959 Patricia “Pat” Almeida Menezes

1950 Florence Ishimoto Shimao

1960 Charlene Luis

Lei Mamo Sousa Howell, ’47 Lei Mamo Sousa Howell, ’47, beloved mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, as well as fashion designer and retailer of MAMO HOWELL apparel, passed away January 30, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 91. Lei Mamo was the youngest of seven children to Rachel Toomey and Frank Cabral Sousa. Mamo’s early years as a classical Hula Soloist was followed by representing Hawai‘i as its first high-fashion model of part-Hawaiian ancestry in New York and Paris. These experiences helped shape her longer lasting, and successful entrepreneurial life. She became an iconic pioneer in Hawaii’s fashion industry. Mamo was well-known for her original and distinctive Hawaiian quilt and lei patterns design motifs that reflected the passion she had for her Hawaiian Culture. Upon graduating from Sacred Hearts Academy, Mamo married HPD officer, Philip “Dixie” Howell. She is survived by daughters Leigh Lei Mamo Howell-Reed, ’66, Dixie Lynn Moana Howell, ’67, step-daughter Julieann Puanani Howell, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. 50

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Faculty and Staff

Alec Briguglio

Sr. Georgene Perry, ss.cc., ’46 On June 20, 2020, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts celebrated the 70th Anniversary, Platinum Jubilee, of Religious Life of Sr. Georgene Perry, ss.cc., '46. Blessings were given by Fr. Herman Gomes, ss.cc., with special dance performances from Sr. Pushpa, from India, dancing Akasha Mondal (Praise the Creation), and Sr. Natalia, ss.cc., and Sr. Augustina, ss.cc.. The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts Generalate, Sr. Aurora, ss.cc., also was in attendance with Sr. Ivy Yim, ss.cc, Sr. Jane Francis Leandro, ss.cc., '55, Sr. Irene Barboza, ss.cc, '78, Sr. Katherine Francis Miller, ss.cc., '57, Sr. Regina Mary

Jenkins, ss.cc., '57, Sr. Helene Wood, ss.cc, '59, Sr,. Grace Marie Tom, ss.cc. '52, Sr. Anne Clare DeCosta, ss.cc., '66, Sr. Mary Josephine Araki, ss.cc, '53, and many more of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts Community. In the months following Sr. Georgene's Platinum Jubilee celebration, her health began to waiver, with her passing peacfully on May 20, 2021 at Malia O Ka Malu Convent in Honolulu. During her last moments, a choir of ss.cc. earth angels sang her into heaven. Sr. Georgene will be fondly remembered by all those that had the opportunity to be taught by her a t Saint Patrick School and Sacred Hearts Academy.

Timothy Cantley

Miriam Slate

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT

A Deep Love for the Academy We checked in with Sacred Hearts alumnae T. Phyllis Zerbe ’49—a strong and longtime supporter of the Academy. She believes in the importance and advancement of the Academys’ girl-focused education and its wonderful religious experience.

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W WHEN YOU FIRST MEET T. (Theresa)

Phyllis Zerbe ’49, you’ll be captivated by her quick sense of humor and active lifestyle at her young age of 89. She always says, “I’m so busy,” and she sure is! In non-COVID times, she sings in a choir, is a committee member for her church, and attends fundraising events with friends. Phyllis is a major supporter of our Academy Uncorked, Sacred Heart Academy’s scholarship fundraising event. She also holds close to her heart the stained-glass windows in our chapel and contributes to make sure the windows will be just as beautiful for the century ahead as they have been for the chapel’s first century. Phyllis is the youngest of 4 siblings with an 18-year span between her and her eldest sister and has another sister and one brother. She was born in Honolulu, attended Maryknoll Elementary School through 6th grade, then moved to Sacred Hearts Academy starting in 7th grade.

• Former Sacred Hearts Board member Koren Dreher, T. Phyllis Zerbe ’49, retired Head of School Betty White and Emmet White at Arcadia where Phyllis has lived for 18 years.

She is a proud member of the Class of 1949. Phyllis shares, “It was a wonderful opportunity to be in a school with young women each pursuing their future in business or other fields of interest. We paid attention to our work and strived to be strong women in our communities. For me, it was a blessing to be in an all-girls schools as the Sisters of Sacred Hearts

of Jesus and Mary taught us to be strong in all our efforts. It was also a wonderful religious experience.” After graduating from the Academy, Phyllis attended Dietz and Phillips Commercial School, Honolulu Business College, and the University of Hawai‘i. She was an Executive Secretary at Honolulu Gas Company, and Pacific Resources, Inc.

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and became an Assistant Corporate Officer of the company. She later became one of the company’s representatives in work on Federal, State and City legislation.

The teachers have taught the girls to always hold respect and kindness for each other and to understand their Catholic identity and to be leaders.”

Upon her retirement, Phyllis pursued other business ventures and was close to City and State legislative activities. She has travelled the world, has been a member of organizations including the Professional Secretaries Association (71 years), International Association of Administrative Professionals (18 years) and the Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club (50 years). Phyllis attributes her continuing support of the Academy to the outstanding leaders the Academy has had over time who continue to inspire her and give her confidence in the school’s work, starting

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with Mother Superior Louise Henriette Thoelen, continuing with Betty White (who was at the Academy for 48 years of tremendous, successful and outstanding accomplishments for the Academy), and now with the school’s current president, Scott Schroeder who she believes is doing an amazing job. She also has a deep aloha, gratitude, and appreciation for all the religious and is grateful for the time and effort through the years by Sister Regina Mary Jenkins ’57, Sister Helene Wood ’59 and lay teachers who over the years led Sacred Hearts girls to become the women that they are today. “The teachers have taught the girls to always hold respect and kindness for each other and to understand their Catholic identity and to be leaders.” Phyllis hopes that the Academy will continue advancing girl-focused education, with the spiritual dimension she finds so important, while furthering students’ knowledge and understanding of the world that they live in today.

In reflecting back on her time at the Academy, Phyllis’ favorite place was the Academy’s Saint Margaret Mary Chapel as it gave her peace and comfort. Phyllis says, “In today’s world it is a tremendous challenge to keep our love for and devotion to Jesus and Mary. I am grateful for all the love and support that I received from the Sisters and other educators who came into my life. Sacred Hearts Academy has truly inspired and enlightened my life and the lives of many women who came after me.” Sister Regina Mary Jenkins spoke highly of Phyllis: “Phyllis has a deep love for the Academy and her life exudes the words of its Alma Mater: Faithful children, then we will be! Far and near, surely you will see! Each of us striving most earnestly, In sorrow or joy to be faithful to thee!” 

• T. Phyllis Zerbe ’49 featured in a Continental Airlines advertisement.

DEVELOPMENT

Contributing to All that Happens at the Academy

as we share with you the happenings at the Academy this past year that I help you keep in mind the many ways you can support Sacred Hearts Academy and the amazing, girl-focused experience our school provides. Your support also allows students to attend the Academy who would not otherwise be able to. As you may know, tuition covers approximately 80% of the cost of education at the Academy. Our Annual Fund drive, providing unrestricted gifts that can be used where they are most needed is one way that we make up the difference. Unrestricted funds allow the Academy to nourish priority areas that tuition does not cover. As I write this article, the Fall Appeal is in the mail. Your gift to the annual fund provides resources benefiting students through scholarships and special programs, including the Science and STEM Symposiums, classroom and campus enhancements, and other projects to further our girl-focused education. Many companies offer matching gifts to an employee’s charitable contributions, which can double the gift made to the Academy. The amount matched by an employer is added to the employee’s gift. To find out if your company participates with gift matching, contact your personnel office. T IS ONLY FITTING,

 Your Participation Furthers Our Other Fundraising Efforts When we apply for grants, foundations often ask for the percentage different stakeholder groups that give: parents, alumnae and Board of Directors, for example. They want to know that our constituents support the Academy, just as we are asking them to. Your contributions help us to secure additional funding for students and our educational programs.  Ways to Give Now You can support Sacred Hearts Academy right away through our annual fund program, like the “Foodland Give Aloha Campaign” in September, special events like “Academy Uncorked” wine event, and contributions to scholarships such as endowed scholarships where interest earned from the principal is given out annually, or named scholarships established in honor or in memory of a loved one. Scan the QR code below or visit www.sacredhearts.org/ giving/make-a-gift. You will soon be able to support the Academy’s Capital Campaign that will allow the Academy to create spaces to gather and learn, to work and refresh, to cheer and celebrate, and to reflect. More information is coming soon.  Ways to Give for the Future There are several ways to support the Academy’s future. Here are some of the

ways in which you can help: • IRA Charitable Roll Over (Required minimum distribution) for those 72 or older. • Bequests: When properly planned, naming the Academy as a beneficiary of your will can reduce the rate at which your estate is taxed. • Life Insurance: Depending on the type of the gift, life insurance provides tax benefits and paid-in-full policies can be accepted. • Real Estate: The Academy welcomes gifts of real estate, transferred during a lifetime or by will, resulting in a reduction in estate tax. • Securities: The Academy welcomes gifts of securities or stocks, which can reduce the donor’s capital gain and income tax.

With great hope and warm aloha,

Angie Golis-Yamamoto Director of Development

 Scan the QR Code to make a gift today!

For more information about the ways you can give or if you would like to make a gift, visit our website at www.sacredhearts.org, call 808-734-5058, ext. 333 or email development@sacredhearts.org.

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FOCAL POINT

“Art offers me a means to express myself. When creating my piece I usually try to have a general idea of what I want on the canvas. This makes the process easier and more efficient. I’ll usually create something I was previously thinking about. For example this piece was made with the image of rainbows in mind.”

—Ka m m i Nguye n, ’22

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