Commencement Speakers

Walter A. Dods, Jr. , Philanthropist

Walter A. Dods, Jr. is a retired banker and philanthropist. Best known for his 36-year tenure at First Hawaiian Bank, Walter rose from an entry-level role to become Chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, the bank’s holding company, BancWest Corporation, expanded its reach across the western United States, with assets exceeding $38 billion by the time of his retirement in 2004. Following his banking career, he continued to lead major Hawaiian enterprises, serving as chairman of Hawaiian Telcom, Alexander & Baldwin, and Matson, Inc.

Born in Honolulu in 1941, Walter grew up in a working-class family in Kuliʻouʻou Valley and Aina Haina. The son of a police officer and a cashier, he was raised with a deep appreciation for family unity and hard work. He graduated from Saint Louis School in 1959 and later attended night classes at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa while working full-time, earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1967.

Walter’s professional success has been matched by a lifelong commitment to the Hawaiian community. A dedicated alumnus and former president of the UH Foundation’s Board of Trustees, he has spearheaded numerous fundraising initiatives, including the 1998 UH Campaign for Hawaiʻi which raised $116 million for the community. In 2023, he made a momentous $5 million gift to the university’s new Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE) center, which was subsequently renamed the Walter Dods Jr. RISE Center in his honor.

Beyond the university, his philanthropy has touched organizations like the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Blood Bank Hawaiʻi, and he established an endowed scholarship with his late wife, Diane, to support immigrant students. Today, he continues his service as the campaign chair for the "For UH, For Hawaii" $1 billion fundraising effort, ensuring a bright future for the next generation of local leaders.

Diego Haʻaheo Ortiz

Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology

Diego Haʻaheo Ortiz is a Native Hawaiian-Mexican born and raised in Hawaiʻi. As the oldest of his parents' four children, he grew up with a strong sense of kuleana and the expectations to lead by example and always make his family proud. His father raised him to embrace his heritage and to always strive to be the best. His mother, who gave him his middle name Haʻaheo, reminds him that no matter what challenges he faces, his parents will always be proud of him. A proud 2022 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, he carries the principle of kūlia i ka nuʻu, or strive for the highest, into every facet of his life. Throughout his college career, he balanced school and volunteering, learning the importance of responsibility, time management, and perseverance. This past year, Diego took on the challenge of working two jobs while continuing his studies, serving as a Legislative Aide to Hawaiʻi State Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz. In this role, he was able to apply his education on a real-world scale. He will be graduating with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Sociology.