Nearly 15 years ago, a lucky chance of a graduate teaching position at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where Pam Estell received her master’s degree, sparked a careerlong passion for being involved in the energizing environment of college academics. 

Now, after working at Direct TV as a marketing and communications operations coordinator and a decade of working in various teaching positions at four universities on the mainland and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Estell has arrived to Chaminade University with a range of insight to Chaminade’s School of Business and Communications department. 

“It was always my teaching positions that I always felt most fulfilled in,” Estell said. “I like helping students. I feel like if I’m going to spend most of my life doing something, I really want to commit my life to doing something I feel would make a difference.” 

But she got a surprising introduction to the teaching world in 2006 when her advisor at the University of the Pacific endorsed her for a graduate teaching position. Estell mentioned that she would receive credit toward her tuition if she followed through with the teaching assistantship, so it was a “no brainer” for her to capitalize on that opportunity. 

“I think it was the job that I didn’t think I was going to love but ended up really loving,” said Estell, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. 

She realized that working in the educational environment is what she wants to do. Her personal philosophy, she said, is that education is so critical in terms of future outlook with only positive outcomes. 

“I really loved teaching,” Estell said. “I really felt like I enjoyed it. I get a lot of energy from the students.”

After receiving her Ph.D in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Spring 2021, Estell was on the job market and saw a position at CUH. She comes from a small private liberal arts school background, so when she saw the position at Chaminade, she was excited because it was in line with what she loved.

“I just got such a good vibe just from the campus, and the people, and the students and I was like ‘yeah, this is pretty cool,’ so when they offered me the job I was actually pretty stoked,” Estell said. 

Clifford Bieberly, associate professor of Communications at the School of Business and Communications at CUH, said Estell brings a level of experience and knowledge that is going to be helpful for the Communications and Business students at the university. 

Estell is teaching Intro to Business (BUS 200), Intro to Communications (COM 101), and Public Relations (COM 375) and is excited to find out what courses she will be teaching in Spring 2022. 

“I think Communications and Business are so applicable to so many different areas of life,” Estell said. “… The skills that we learn in these classes are going to be almost directly transferable into your life outside of the walls of your educational institution. They’re going to really serve you well no matter where you’re at in life.”