NINE MEN AT HĀLAWA CORRECTIONAL FACILITY GRADUATE WITH AA BUSINESS DEGREES FROM CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY
HONOLULU — The Hālawa Correctional Facility and Chaminade University hosted a graduation ceremony today at the facility Learning Center for nine men who earned their associate of arts degree in Business Administration from Chaminade University.
The men comprise the second cohort to graduate from the Prison Education Program. The program is offered at the facility through the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (DCR) partnership with Chaminade. Eight men participated in the ceremony Friday morning and another ceremony was held Friday afternoon for the ninth graduate.
The program aims to empower students through academic achievement, foster personal growth, and prepare them for successful reintegration into society.
Accredited college courses are taught in-person by Chaminade University faculty at HCF. All graduates completed 20 courses and accumulated 60 credits over five semesters to earn their associate of arts degree in Business Administration.
“Driving positive change and advocating for social justice is core to our Catholic, Marianist mission at Chaminade University, which is why we are so excited about the continued success of our rehabilitation-through-education partnership with the state of Hawaiʻi. Our spring 2025 prison-based education graduates exemplify the importance of second chances and personal development,” said Lynn Babington, Ph.D., president of Chaminade University.
The AA Business Administration includes foundational coursework in business principles, communication and critical thinking. Key courses cover accounting, economics, management, statistics, and communications. General education requirements also offered include English composition, math, social sciences, and humanities.
DCR Director Tommy Johnson stated, “This graduating class represents the core mission of the department — providing programs and services, in collaboration with our partners, to those in our custody and care so they can successfully reintegrate back into society upon release.”
“We are extremely proud of all the graduates,” Director Johnson said. He thanked Chaminade University and DCR’s Corrections Program Services Division and education staff for their commitment to provide access to higher education to the men at HCF.
At the event, DCR Deputy Director Melanie Martin addressed the graduates: “Your hard work over the last five semesters have paid off. You worked really hard to achieve your goal. And I encourage you not to let this be the end of your journey but just the beginning, whether it’s to go on to higher education, a bachelor’s degree or even higher, or pursue opportunities that will help you grow personally, professionally and spiritually. Aim high and dream big because you have shown the world you have what it takes to achieve your goals.”
After the ceremony, graduate Tyrone Molina said earning an associate of arts degree “is a big accomplishment, not just for me but everyone here.”
“For me, this proves that I’m capable of doing things that I never thought I could. This hopefully is, for me, a key to other successful avenues that I hope to venture out there and succeed there too,” he added.
“Growing up, I was pretty good in school but I just started following the wrong crowd. So this was a chance for me to redeem myself and get back out there and show the world what I’m capable of and be able to provide for myself and my family,” Molina, 38, said.
During the ceremony, Lance Askildson, Ph.D, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at Chaminade University, said, “Today is a celebration, a new beginning, a commencement, not just of your academic achievement but of your profound perseverance, your dedication and your commitment to purpose.”
“You have earned your associate of arts in business through hard work and a belief in yourself, commitment to growth. But this achievement and your conviction speaks volumes about your character, speaks volumes about your future commitments to living a meaning, purposeful life,” Askildson said.
“The start of this new chapter is not defined by the past but by the purpose you have chosen, the values you carry with you and the choices that lie ahead of you,” he added.
HCF Warden Shannon Cluney echoed Askildson’s sentiment. “This degree is yours. You earned it and nobody can take it away from you.”
“What you choose to do moving forward is your choice. Make good choices,” Cluney said.
Education Services Manager Roseanne Propato of the DCR Corrections Program Services Division said the graduates have achieved a remarkable milestone. “This accomplishment is not just a celebration of their hard work, it is the beginning of a transformative journey in higher education,” Propato said.
Photo and videos of the graduation ceremony — courtesy of Chaminade University and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — are available at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gsrac-lmV8MtOQ2dfrlZzxG9l9vas3-V?usp=sharing.
Media Contacts:
Rosemarie Bernardo
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Office: 808-587-1358
Cell: 808-683-5507
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://dcr.hawaii.gov
Crista Nishimoto
Manager of Communications and Marketing
Chaminade University
Office: 808-739-7486
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://chaminade.edu