No matter how tough the journey, Chelsea Camello can always find a slice of silver lining to make her smile.
The Chaminade senior pitcher has had to search hard under every rock to find success. Camello (4-15, 5.82 ERA in 92 2/3 innings) has never experienced a winning season in her four years in college.
The 2012 Waiakea graduate closes her career with a final homecoming when the Silverswords (9-32, 7-23 PacWest) play a four-game series against UH-Hilo (22-20, 15-14).
The Silverswords are annually challenging Holy Names and BYU-Hawaii for last place in the PacWest. They’re usually the best among the cellar dweller contenders and often place seventh in the 10-team league.
Camello didn’t pitch much her first three years. Her previous high was 25 2/3 innings last season. It’s taken a while, but at least she’s making the most of her time in the circle.
And it all comes to an end this weekend.
“I can’t explain it, how I feel,” Camello said. “I feel like this is where it all started, coming back and finishing where I started. Time goes by really fast. Time flies. I’m glad I started there and will finish here.”
Camello has made the most of her time in college.
She’s vice president of the Chaminade Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Secretary of the Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society.
“It’s good to get involved, especially at school,” Camello said. “You get to meet new people and be involved in extra-curricular activities. And I liked being in a leadership role. That really helped me grow.”
Camello also carries a 3.2 grade-point average and majors in English and social studies. She wants to find a job working with children, particularly those with special needs.
She’s juggled a lot of balls — softball, school studies and volunteer work — to earn a master’s degree in time management.
“It feels like I have two full-time jobs at softball with games, practice and school with classes and study schedules,” Camello said. “It’s definitely knowing what your priorities are. Being a student-athlete, you always have to put your studies first. I’ll do some homework before practice and get something done during the first part of the week and don’t have to worry about it at the end and rush to do it.”
She makes it a priority to have a family dinner with her parents Craig and Pamela Camello, who are both taking classes at Chaminade, and her step-siblings Sidney and Stacey Sakamoto, who both work on Oahu.
Craig, who works at Finance Factors, and Pamela Camello are in the deacon program at Chaminade. They’re taking online classes but have to attend the school once a month, which doubles as family time.
Previously, Camello also squeezed the hours in her day and found time to volunteer at a program teaching Chinese immigrants English and assisting at Palolo Elementary.
“I was tutoring one lady every Sunday, and she finally told me she would take the test,” Camello said. “The next time I saw her she passed and brought food for the teachers and the class. It’s a great program for them to become U.S. citizens. I loved it, and it’s a great feeling for them to live in Hawaii.
“I was helping the teacher at Palolo, and when I went back the kids said, ‘Hi, Miss Chelsea,’ after all that time. They still remembered me. I like helping kids and seeing them grow. And when they remember you, it’s an impact, even if it’s small.”
Told that her old Waiakea coach Bo Saiki actually smiled after the Warriors recently defeated Kealakehe to capture their second straight BIIF title, Camello could only reminisce about Mission Impossible: making coach Bo smile.
“I’ve seen him smile,” she said. “Sometimes, he’ll tell the same joke over and over and smile. But no, I don’t remember him smiling when I was playing.”
When her Chaminade career is over, whether the Silverswords win one game or none, Camello will find a silver lining somewhere.
Her parents will be there. She’s pitching at home. There’s a 40 percent chance of rain on Friday, which will remind her that she’s back in Hilo.
Those are all good reasons for Camello to enjoy her homecoming and smile one last time as a Silversword.
