Alumni Success Stories
The Maryknoll Graduate…Authentic, Innovative, and Prepared
Graduate students from Maryknoll are reflective practitioner leaders who have been taught to work collaboratively with colleagues and communities to develop innovative, authentic, and creative solutions to their professional work and education environments.
Maryknoll School is proud of their accomplishments showing innovative leadership, unparalleled work ethic and the aspiration to achieve far beyond the mainstream.
Below are extraordinary success stories that illustrate the success of a Maryknoll education. Each of these extraordinary people have excelled from Maryknoll’s project-based curriculum and have become thoughtful and engaged citizens in their fields of study, occupations, and lifelong accomplishment aspirations. Maryknoll School is very proud!
| Tammy Kubo, Class of 1983 | |
She started Hawaii Pet Nanny in 2005 after trading in her high heels and business suit for a leash and tennis shoes. 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. The company is a member of Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. The company is insured and bonded and all Nannies pass a background check. www.hawaiipetnanny.com.Tammy started Keiki Birthday in 2006 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. However, Tammy was taken aback as to how many children called the shelter “home”. 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. These events are now much more than a party; it is a celebration of another year of life and a huge self-esteem booster. Today the program has grown to be held at five shelters across the state. www.keikibirthday.com |
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| Derrick Choi, Class of 1992 | |
As a public sector architect, Derrick thrives in navigating projects through the various level of coordination to build solid stakeholder consensus from the grass-roots level up to the highest executive levels of public administration. Architecture and public space, in Derrick's opinion, is one of the most effective, but complicated tools that can be effectively deployed to both capture the public imagination and literally change the world. 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. Derrick and his wife, Dr. Alice Tseng, a professor of Architecture and Art History at Boston University, reside in the historic Fenway neighborhood in Boston with their infant daughter, Clara. |
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| Kevin Higa, Class of 1999 | |
 Kevin 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. He joined Bank of Hawaii in 2005 as a management trainee and served as an assistant branch manager prior to becoming a Trust Officer in 2007. |
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| Pali Tuan W. Ka`aihue, Class of 1989 | |
 Shortly after graduation, Pali Tuan W. Ka`aihue 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. In 2008, LavaNet created a number of international clientele in the Philippines, Australia and Japan. Pali’s passion for music also 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. Both shows broadcast online weekly, as well as on television on Oceanic OC16. 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. |
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| Tammy Chang-Motooka, D.D.S, M.S, Inc. Class of 1983 | |
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Dr. Tammy Chang-Motooka, class of 1983, has been in the specialty practice of Orthodontics for over 10 years. She attended both the University of Missouri Kansas City and Northwestern University Dental School. She excels in her profession by keeping involved in numerous organizations including the American Association of Orthodontics, Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, and the Hawaii Society of Orthodontists, to name a few. Dr. Chang-Motooka is also a member of the prestigious Dental Honor Society, Omicron Kappa |
| Upsilon. Dr. Chang-Motooka continuously strives to provide all her patients with superior care in Orthodontics in a professional and friendly manner. | |
| Andrew Everett, Class of 1995 | |
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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. | |
| Aaron Wong, Class of 2002 | |
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Aaron graduated from Maryknoll High School as Valedictorian, then went on to graduate from USC as Salutatorian in 2006. He received his degree in Biomedical Engineering as well as earned special recognition from the College of Engineering. He is now in his third year at Johns Hopkins University in the biomedical engineering doctorate program. |
| Brian Klein, Class of 2004 | |
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Brian Klein 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. This past summer, 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 has also worked as a resident councilor at the Notre Dame Global Issues Seminar for three years. He was a participant the summer after his junior year at Maryknoll—largely the reason he ultimately chose to attend Notre Dame—, so the program is close to his heart. 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, Class of 2008 | |
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Reece 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. Yet, 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. | |
Tammy Kubo is owner of Hawaii Pet Nanny and founder of Keiki Birthday. 
Architect Derrick Choi 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 (