Alumni Success Stories

Kristen Smyth '88
Head Coach for Womens Gymnastics at Stanford University

Since Kristen Smyth arrived as head coach in 2002, the Stanford women's gymnastics team has had unprecedented success.

Numbers tell much of the story:
• Of Stanford's 94 All-America honors, 73 have come in Smyth's tenure.
• There have been 74 Scholastic All-American honors in that span.
• Smyth has coached the Cardinal into the NCAA Super Six finals six times - Stanford had never   advanced that far before - and finished among the top-four four times.
• Of Stanford's nine NCAA top-10 finishes, Smyth has coached the team to eight of them.
• The four-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year has a career record of 174-48-1, which more than doubles the number of victories by any other coach in the program's 35-year history.
• Stanford is coming off season in which it placed fourth at the NCAA Super Six, and scored 197.500 points, it's highest-ever in NCAA competition.
• Stanford had seven All-Americans last season, the most in school history.

Smyth not only has coached Stanford to great success, but has done so in her own unique style. It's no coincidence that the two go hand-in-hand.
Besides being challenged in gym every day, Stanford gymnasts are not one dimensional. The team is active in the community, with service projects such as building homes for Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at the Lytton Gardens retirement community and Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. Of course, there is also cross training, team-building retreats, and the annual Halloween costume extravaganza.

Yes, Stanford wins. And, yes, Stanford enjoys itself.
"The one thing that stood out most to people who watched our team perform and compete was that our girls had so much fun," Smyth said.
Smyth realizes that a true team concept may be foreign to many young gymnasts, but it is emphasized from the start at Stanford.
"The entire SWG experience is about building relationships over time and having the student-athletes feel like they're part of a family," Smyth said. "They need to know that we care about them not only in the gym, but in their lives as well."
Smyth has created a fun environment that is also challenging and dynamic, and prepares them so well for the pressure they will face at the end of the season to the point where there is no worry or lack of confidence. The work has been put in.
Part of what makes the program so unique is Smyth's approach, a program based on five principles: family, belief, balance, passion and commitment. The goal is to foster individual and collective excellence without compromising their love of the sport or narrowing their horizons or academic potential.
Cardinal gymnasts have bought in. None has transferred out of Stanford during Smyth's tenure, and her program has a 100 percent graduation rate.
Smyth now returns for her 12th season following a successful 2012 season in which the Cardinal earned its fourth top-four NCAA finish since 2008 -- and is among only four schools in that select club.
In addition, six Stanford gymnasts won Scholastic All-American honors in 2012 for having grade-point averages of 3.50 or above.
Smyth arrived at Stanford in 2002 from Arizona State, where she spent five seasons (1997-2001), the final three as associate head coach. In 1998, she was named Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.
With Smyth, the Sun Devils made three Super Six appearances, with national finishes of second (1997), fourth ('99), and sixth ('98). Sun Devil gymnasts earned 14 All-America honors -- seven on beam and seven on floor - in the events Smyth coached directly.
Prior to that, Smyth spent three years as a professional dancer in the Bay Area. While growing up, Smyth moved often as a child in a military family before graduating from Maryknoll School in Honolulu. She went on to Cal where she was a three-time All-America and three-time Academic All-America, and led the Bears to their best-ever national finish (eighth in 1992). She became the first gymnast inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame, in 2008.
Smyth and her husband, Scott Green, have a daughter, Maya, and sons, Zach and Noah.

Team Accomplishments
Career record: 174-48-1 (.791)
Four NCAA top-four finishes
Six Super Six appearances
Eight NCAA Championship berths
Four regional championships
Three Pac-10/12 titles

Coaching Awards
2004 National Coach of the Year
Two-time Regional Coach of the Year
Four-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year

Occupation?

Owner and founder of Hanafuda Hawaii LLC and part-time yoga instructor for seniors at Pohai Nani Retirement Community, Kapiolani Women's Center and Pali Momi Hospital

What’s going on?

I presently have two passions. I absolutely need to practice yoga to keep mentally and physically fit as I move into my advancing old age. I teach yoga because I can see how yoga helps keep my students fit also. Most recently, I have been promoting the mission of Hanafuda Hawaii by giving workshops on the history and culture of the cards and teaching groups how to play.
Last year, my sensei and I conducted over 30 workshops. So far this year, we have given 20 workshops already to groups as different as the 442nd and 100th Veterans groups, the Liliha Public Library and Waiokeola Church Youth Group.

Our next big Hanafuda Hawaii event, an Intergenerational Hanafuda Tournament will be held at the Mililani Hongwanji Mission grounds on July 23, 2011. It will be a benefit for the Mililani HS Project Grad 2012.

What's one thing you learned from Maryknoll that you still believe/practice today?

"Noblesse Oblige". I believe that because I have had a good life and many blessings, I have an obligation to help the less fortunate and participate in activities to make my community, my state, my nation and my world a better place. As a result, I have been a longtime volunteer in various community organizations such as Malama o Manoa, Manoa Neighborhood Board, Manoa Heritage Center, WWAP Neighborhood Security Watch etc. I gain satisfaction and feel happiest when I see that whatever I do contributes to the well-being of others.

Tammy Kubo '83 is owner of Hawaii Pet Nanny and founder of Keiki Birthday.

In 2005, Tammy traded in her high heels and business suit for a leash and tennis shoes, starting Hawaii Pet Nanny. The animal lover originally started the business as a way to make extra money and keep herself busy, but Tammy soon discovered the demand for professional and reliable pet care. Today, Hawaii Pet Nanny is staffed by 20 professional pet sitters who provide in-home care for pets of all shapes and sizes.

In 2006, Tammy started Keiki Birthday after a visit to the Next Step emergency homeless shelter in Kakaako. She instantly fell in love with the children there, describing them as beautiful and full of love. She asked if she could throw a monthly birthday party for the children. Each month, each child celebrating their birthday receives a gift, everyone plays games, participates in crafts and all enjoy birthday cake and ice cream. Today the program has grown to be held at five shelters across the state

Architect Derrick Choi '92 AIA settled in Boston, Massachusetts after a decade of working on airport designs around the world, where he has established his own architectural and sustainable design firm. After earning his Master's degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Derrick embarked on a 10-year journey throughout the world - working on over 20 airport designs projects from Alicante (Spain) to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) for large international architecture practices.

Derrick's new firm, XChange Architects is currently engaged in range of architectural design assignments in the Middle East, the Netherlands and Boston, focusing on the public sector with a specialization in sustainable infrastructure, transportation, urban, and civic design.

Derrick's passion for public sector work is deeply rooted in the lessons of Noblesse Oblige imparted by his formulative years at Maryknoll and from lasting relationships with classmates. When discussing his Maryknoll days, Derrick fondly recalls the powerful influences of both his physics classes and art studios in high school that set him off on a trajectory in college to integrate these complementary interests while serving the greater good.

Kevin Higa '99 is an Institutional Trust Officer with Bank of Hawaii and is currently the only Certified Investment Management Analyst in the Bank. His focus is on managing investment relationships with businesses by marketing the Bank’s investment and custody services to potential clients, developing investment strategies, and managing day-to-day client portfolio transactions.

Kevin graduated with a business degree from Babson College (Wellesley, Mass.), where in his senior year was named Babson’s Male Athlete of the Year and was the 2003 Baseball Player of the Year for the New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference. After college, Kevin taught English in Japan where he also had a chance to continue playing baseball.

Shortly after graduation, Pali Tuan W. Ka`aihue '89 moved to Japan for a series of summers balancing college and a music career.

In 1995, Pali started his tenure at LavaNet, Inc., Hawaii’s largest locally owned Internet Solutions Provider, and became President and CEO in 2006. In order to keep LavaNet from being sold to a large national provider at the time (which would’ve meant all the employees would be out of a job), Pali sold his home and bought the company. Since then, LavaNet has continued to succeed in this challenging economy as well as adding new revenue streams, through Pali’s leadership.

Pali’s passion for music started during his Maryknoll School days. His CD releases have won numerous Na Hoku Hanohano and Hawai`i Music Awards, and he was one of the composers and artists on a 2009 Grammy-nominated CD. Pali’s love for technology and media also resulted in the creation of two new TV and web series - Pakele Live!, a streaming concert series which won the Hawai`i Tourism Authority’s “Lehua Maka Noe” award for excellence in 2007 and 2008; and Doko Ga TV: JapanMania, a weekly TV series showcasing Japan’s rich history and pop-culture.

In the spirit of Noblesse Oblige, Pali gives back and contributes to Hawaii’s arts, music and dance by serving as Vice President of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts and Director for the Hula Preservation Society. Pali attributes his strong sense of teamwork, leadership and creativity to his days at Maryknoll School. The relationships with fellow classmates and attention of many of his teachers have helped him grow throughout the years and taught him to create opportunities whenever possible.

I came to Maryknoll as a freshman after years in public school. I was introduced to the school motto, Noblesse Oblige - to whom much is given, much is expected - and I took it to heart.

Throughout my four years, I met each challenge and persevered, with help along the way from teachers who were always there with support. Maryknoll also offered incredible opportunities, allowing me to travel abroad at a young age to broaden my horizons. To see, feel, and live what I had initially learned in books was incredible.

I was also given the opportunity to become a better person through service to the community. Before I knew it, I was graduating and heading off to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to pursue my dream of becoming an airline pilot. I now reside in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as a Captain for Mesaba Airlines, a subsidiary of Northwest.

Maryknoll gave me a lot and as the years go by, I am more thankful and grateful for the gift that my education was for me. Maryknoll helped to make me the person that I am and has contributed to making my dreams come true. High school might have only been four years of my life, but Maryknoll will remain with me forever.

Brian Klein '04 graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. He was one of just 10 undergraduate students from Hawaii, and the only undergraduate from Hawaii to graduate with honors.

Brian's passions are environmental and social justice, particularly in relation to international development. In 2008, he worked with the Notre Dame Energy Center to improve energy efficiency, explore geothermal power, and develop green roofing projects at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Brian is currently working in Washington, D.C. as a Scoville Peace Fellow. The Scoville Fellowship Foundation is partnered with several organizations in D.C. that work on peace, security and environmental issues. Brian is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a leading science-based nonprofit, where he researches and advocates on U.S. nuclear and defense policy.

Reece Otsuka '08 is not only one of the nicest kids, he is a hard worker, proactive, and extremely detailed.

Reece was co-captain of the math team and was an integral part of the team’s 2007 State Mathematics Championship. He excelled in the classroom – passing the AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Economics, and AP English Composition exams – making the most rigorous academics seem easy, as he balanced his classroom obligations with his extracurricular activities, like varsity paddling. He was extremely easy-going with a mischievous sense of humor making him enjoyable to be around and work with.

He visited MIT and fell in love with the school where he now attends. He is prideful of his family and shares great family values. We are proud of Reece as we know he will represent Maryknoll School well.