At Chaminade University of Honolulu, the Young Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program is doing more than hosting workshops and roundtables. This program is building confidence, community, and purpose among young women preparing to take their next steps as professionals and leaders.
Founded by program director and Chaminade Business professor Wera Panow-Loui, WILD was created in 2023 to give female students a space to grow, connect, and see new possibilities for themselves. For her, WILD is more than a program, it gives her the ability to help these girls involved grow and be confident within themselves.
“It’s a way and a place for young female students to get inspired, receive some guidance, and also find support within each other as they look towards the future in their journey as professional women and potential leaders,” Panow-Loui said.
The program has six young women and focuses on mentorship, exposure to women executives in Hawaii, personal reflection, and collective growth. Wera hopes students leave WILD with a belief in themselves that feels attainable.
“I really want them to understand that they have it in them, to reach higher and realize their potential,” Panow-Loui said. “Yes, there are barriers, but there are always ways to overcome those barriers.”
After launching in 2023 with no funding and little more than passion, the program has been able to host roundtable sessions, bring in guest speakers such as Mel James from Mana Up and Trini Clark from Make a Wish, and support a student coordinator, Kyla Castro, an addition that has strengthened WILD’s sense of community.
Castro is a fourth year Business Administration and Sports Event Management major with a minor in Marketing who is making an impact. She just won the Silversword Business competition with her team of two other students as well with a business called Open Oven that sold baked goods on campus to provide students with a sweets option. Castro was also a member of WILD in the last academic year.
“I had such a positive experience during my time in the WILD program that when I was approached to be the program coordinator, I saw it as an amazing opportunity to utilize my skillset and continue creating an impact,” Castro said.
For Castro, the impact of WILD is best described through real moments. One that stands out is a recent community service project at McKinley High School. For this project, the WILD program spoke to students there and did different activities such as showing pamphlets to the students about college and women leaders. This gave them information about the next steps to take for college, showing them its an attainable goal. This project was to encourage them to take a chance on themselves and start planing out their future.
Castro hopes to continue fostering that same sense of possibility within the cohort she now helps lead and plan every meeting and session.
“I hope to encourage my fellow classmates to rise to different challenges and believe in their potential,” Castro said.
With its mix of mentorship, community, and purpose-driven leadership, the WILD program continues to empower young women at Chaminade, one workshop, one conversation, and one life lesson at a time.
“I’m excited that you will all have contributions to each other and that you can learn from each other, not just in the sessions but through the relationships you build,” Panow-Loui said. “When you hear barriers others face, you don’t feel like you’re by yourself.”
The newest cohort of women had its most recent meeting on Monday, and though it is closed to accepting new members, and both Panow-Loui and Castro hope the current members of WILD walk away with more than skills. They hope they walk away with a vision for their futures and the confidence to reach it.
“I want them to believe in themselves, to set their goals high, and to fulfill a dream or a bigger goal,” Panow-Loui said.