Jasmine Choy’s philosophy for life — it would be good to take notes here — is fairly straightforward.
“I do what I have to do, even if I don’t necessarily want to do it, so that later on I’ll be able to do what I want,” Choy said. “I know what I want to accomplish, and for whom, so I’ll do whatever I have to.”
Of course, straightforward doesn’t mean simple.
Choy, 33, grew up in Kahaluu and Waianae and graduated from Waianae High School. After a brief stint at Bethany Bible College in New Brunswick, Choy returned home, got married and started a family.
By the time the marriage ended five years ago, Choy had four children — Alexandra, Johanna, Daniel and Jeremiah — and no clear path to a better future.
“I was a stay-at-home mom with no work experience,” Choy said. “I applied everywhere but I couldn’t get a job.”
Choy decided that she needed to go back to college so she would be able to provide for her children’s future.
“Part of my job as a parent is to be an example to my children,” Choy said. “You can’t expect them to do something if you fail to do it yourself. I want them to be resilient, so I have to be the same, as well.”
With the support of her mother, sister and aunt, Choy enrolled at Leeward Community College and earned a pair of associate degrees, one in liberal arts and one in Hawaiian studies.
Choy then transferred to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she double-majored in social work and political science.
The demands of time, energy and effort were daunting, but Choy said she reveled in the challenge.
“I love school,” she said. “I feel like it’s my place, my niche. It’s also my ‘me time.’ Some people go to Starbucks; I do homework.”
Last year Choy landed a coveted full-time internship in the governor’s office, a plum gig that placed even greater demands on her and her support system. Choy made it work, riding the bus for hours each day as she pinballed between the internship, her social work practicum assignments and school, where she carried a stunning 27 credits in her final semester.
Choy recently graduated with two bachelor’s degrees and continues to work as a policy intern. This coming fall she will start a master’s in social work program at UH. Beyond that, she hasn’t yet decided. Perhaps law school, maybe a Ph.D.
“The sacrifice was great, but I wasn’t the only one sacrificing,” she said. “My family made sacrifices to support me. My children sacrificed their time with me. There was no way I could have done this without a great support system, and I am so grateful to them.”
Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
