Reflections on Women’s History Month

This week, “Our County” features County of Maui Corporation Counsel

Tori Takayesu.

Her more than 30 years of experience as an attorney on

Maui include leading the Child Support Enforcement Branch on Maui of the

State of Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General, operating a private law practice and serving as a deputy prosecuting attorney and deputy corporation counsel for the County of Maui.

In addition, she is a Harley Davidson-riding, designer cake-making, canoe-paddling mother of two humans and five dogs and a volunteer with Maui Search and Rescue.

During Women’s History Month, she reflects on the women who have mentored and inspired her on her journey:

My grandmother, Rosetta, was the single most significant woman in my life. She basically raised my two brothers and I from the time I was born until I was 10.

She was a music teacher who would take me to her classroom to watch her teach. Rosetta was a second-generation Italian American who believed in the value of education and imparted that value to me. It was in her music classrooms in New York City where I had the opportunity to watch her teach and inspire her students.

She loved her grandchildren, provided us a home and stability, took me to church and read bedtime stories. I lost her grounding influence when we moved and without her, I lost my center. The following years were full of my bad choices and unfortunate circumstances, but through the strong foundation my grandmother provided me, I was finally able to overcome the adversity life had chosen for me. I don’t think that I could have done so without the strong foundation my grandmother gave me.

My efforts today continue to be motivated by the memory of my grandmother and the example she set for me.

Another woman who has touched my life is Amelia Earhart.

I have always been fascinated by mysteries, and this is what motivated me to learn about her. As I dug deeper into her story, I became intrigued and inspired by her legacy. She faced significant personal challenges but refused to let them stop her.

I believe the prime reason Amelia Earhart continues to be an inspiration to women across the world is that she just didn’t give a damn when she was told she couldn’t achieve her dreams; she set her goals and made them happen in a time when those goals were hardly even conceivable, let alone acceptable. Plus, she was the first female pilot to fly solo from Honolulu to California, and that alone deserves some kudos.

Amelia Earhart was on my mind in 2017, when I joined hundreds of motorcyclists on a cross-country trip starting in Los Angeles to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the rollout of the threewheeled Can-Am Spyder motorcycle. We rode 400 to 500 miles a day, going through hail in New Mexico and a blizzard in Vail, Colo., to cross the border and end up in Quebec five or six days later.

My advice to others is when you find yourself undergoing personal challenges, use that experience to strengthen your commitment to your goals, and don’t let others stop you from dreaming big.

In the words of Amelia Earhart: “Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.”

n “Our County,” a column from Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. and his administration, discusses county issues and activities of county government. It alternates on Saturdays with “Council’s 3 Minutes.”