 I'm Rusty Komori, and this is Beyond the Lines on Think Tech, Hawaii. I was the head coach of the Punahou Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years, and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. This show is based on my books Beyond the Lines and Beyond the Game, and it's about leadership, character, and creating a superior culture of excellence. My special guest today is the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in our state of Hawaii. She is Sylvia Luke, and today we are going beyond leadership. Hi, Sylvia. Welcome to Beyond the Lines. Hello, Rusty. Thank you for inviting me to your great show. Sylvia, I had so much fun meeting you a little while ago, maybe last month, and so much fun talking with you and your husband, Mike, but I want to first start off. I know that you were born in South Korea, and when you and your family came to Hawaii, what schools did you attend? So the first school I attended was, I was a fifth grader at Kalmanu Elementary School, and I had a super teacher who really mentored me and shepherded me, just like how you shepherded so many students at Punahou. And then, unfortunately, just like many immigrant families, we had to move around a lot, and so in sixth grade, I graduated from Lincoln Elementary School. After that, I attended Kwanana Kwan Miro School and then went off to Roosevelt High School. I just had so many fond memories at Roosevelt High School, and I was able to get grants and scholarships to enough to go to University of Hawaii at Manoa, where I met so many wonderful friends. And then a few years later, after graduation from University of Manoa, I went off to law school at University of San Francisco and so got my degree there. Oh, I love hearing all of that, Sylvia. And Sylvia, what's a big adversity or a big challenge that you had faced in your life? So when I came here, when I was nine years old, I didn't speak a word of English. And just like any, it's very similar to many of the immigrant stories that you hear, you know, my family and my dad especially wanted a better life for him and his family and decided to come here. I was the oldest of three kids and my parents were working all the time, so I had to watch over my five-year-old sister, seven-year-old brother, and I was nine years old at the time. None of us spoke any English. And the way that my dad helped us learn English was he would draw on a piece of paper, drawing of an apple with a letter A, and he would paste papers all around the house, and so we would go into the bathroom and there would be a letter A with an apple. I had this wonderful teacher, fifth grade, at Kalmanu, and she instead of sending me to a ESL class, she decided to just take time out of her schedule every day, sit me down and teach me English. And I think those struggles, those young struggles, is something that sticks with you and that was my first experience of how special this place was and how it continues to be special, how people go out of their way to help each other. Wow, that's amazing that you were able to overcome all of those challenges with not knowing any English, but really smart, what your dad did. And Sylvia, you said that you graduated from Roosevelt. What was the biggest positive impact that you had at Roosevelt? So at Roosevelt, I actually started from when I was at Konanako Middle School. So at Konanako Middle School, I had this biology teacher or science teacher. His name was Mr. Obata. And in fact, I run into Mr. Obata once in a while, still, yeah. And Mr. Obata introduced me to the wonders of genetics. And for some reason, I was really excited about how certain genes, especially in a fruit fly, had the most simplest structure of genes. And I'm sure I'm probably like boring many of your listeners, but this is something really exciting for me. So I continued on to studying Drosophila fruit fly genes. And when I was at Roosevelt, I had enough credits in my senior year to do half a day independent study at the University of Hawaii. And just let me just kind of give you a picture of what that was like. So I would go to the University of Hawaii and in order to study this fruit flies, you had to go into a fruit fly lab. And because these were fruit flies that you didn't want out in the public only because, you know, fruit flies were causing damaging impacts on our papaya industry. So you would basically have to go in through this kind of a freezer type of setting, but you would have all these drapes of plastic. And when you walk through it, you know, it's trying to make sure that no flies come out, right? So you go into this plastic that it just kind of covers you and you go through. And in a, there were all these fruit fly containers. And in order to separate one from the rest of all the flies that were in here, you had to use a siphon and suck one of the flies out to separate them. And there was a gauze that separated your mouth from the fly. But can you imagine, you know, the first time I did it, the terror in my eyes of thinking, oh my gosh, I'm going to suck up one of these flies. And but that never happened. But, you know, it was a great experience. And, you know, now you, you fast forward, that was back in 1985, you fast forward. And now we have opportunities for high school kids through some of the programs we established in the legislature called Early College. You hear about all these Waipahu high school kids graduating with AA degrees at the same time or doing early college classes. You know, it's just, I just have really fond memories of me doing independent studies in high school as well. Well, Sylvia, now, in addition to so many of the talents you have, now I know that you're also an expert with fruit flies. And Sylvia, what would you say is an interesting story that you can share with us that not too many people know about? So some people might know, but, you know, when I was at the University of Hawaii, I became the president of their student government. So it was called the ASUH, Associated Students of the University of Hawaii. And, you know, I think at that point in time, you know, a lot of students turn out to vote. And, you know, every year we talk about in our our experience, the low voter turnout. But I have to say, I think in that year we had a pretty good turnout. And one of my competitors for president was Mark Takai, the late Congressman Mark Takai. Mark and I have been friends. We've been friends prior to he and I running against each other for president. But afterwards we became really, really close friends. And he was one of the individuals who encouraged me to run for office back in 1998 because he was already in office. And he and I have always been close. And I was lucky enough to be the MC at his funeral, which was really heartbreaking for many of us. Well, Senator Mark Takai, I mean, definitely a great, great man had such a positive impact in our state. And Sylvia, I mentioned earlier about your husband, Mike, you have your you have a son, Logan, who's in college. And I had a chance to meet Mike. And he's such a great guy. You guys make such a great team together. Why is that? You know, Mike and I met in college. So he was also in student government. And I well, you know, I was in student government just as I just said, you know, he and I were friends became before we became of romantic interest and got married. And he and I were, you know, I think went through the struggles of him helping me in my first race, which was for ASUH student government in college. But you know, he is a great partner. I think we're different in many ways, but similar in some ways. And, you know, he has always supported me being in public service. Like a lot of times being in public service is difficult. And it's not just about you. You've got to make sacrifices and the family has to make a lot of sacrifices. So I think because of that, you know, you you need the the help of a very understanding spouse. And I'm just lucky to have him. Oh, and that is for sure. And and Sylvia, you have been endorsed by the HGEA and the HSTA. How does that make you feel to have support from those big organizations? Yeah. So in addition to HGEA and HSTA, I also had the privilege of being endorsed by UPW, which is also a public sector union and also the University of Hawaii professors. It's UHPA. And this was prior to it was during the primary election. The reason why those endorsements were so special to me was because, you know, they those organizations that represent the working families and many of the people who make government work, they understand the importance of the work that I have done. And we have great mutual respect. I have such respect for their leadership and the work that they do. So it was very special for me that I was able to get the endorsement of major organizations like HGEA, HSTA, UPW and many others as well. Well, I want to ask you now about Dr. Josh Green, the Democratic nominee for governor. And I know Josh very well. And I want to know what what are some things that you admire and respect about Dr. Josh? You know, Josh and I, we've known each other for a while because he was in the house. He came in, you know, I think in the early 2000s and he moved on to become a senator and then he became the lieutenant governor. You know, what I know found out is that we have so many similarities. So both he and I went through struggles when we were young. He was born partially deaf and he struggled through that and was able to get enough treatment that he is able to hear and become a doctor and the struggles that he went through as a, you know, infant and young person, you know, that really resonated with me and many others out there because, you know, it's kind of similar, not very similar, but you know, I also had struggles going through. And, you know, he's a science geek just like me. And so he got his, I think he went through Swarthmore only because he did this research paper on snails and what great pairing, you know, somebody who is interested in snails and hooked up with someone like me who is interested in fruit flies. I mean, you know, can you imagine all the other pairings that we have? You know, we're a great match. He's a doctor. I'm a lawyer. You know, he is so compassionate in many of the homeless and housing issues. And I, in the last 10 years, I worked on the budget. So I know how state government works. This is, for me, it's a really great pairing. And to also find out that he and I share different interests and nuances. It's really exciting. And, you know, when people get together, I mean, when you and I met, I, you know, I was completely impressed. I mean, from the first time and you give up so much positive energy, that type of human dynamic is hard to fake. So when you see, see individuals together, how they interact, you know, right away if they like each other or not. And for Josh and I, I think what impressed or what is, you know, really resonating with people is we give off at least a vibe that we really like each other and we like each other because we're so eager to go and get to work. And so we're really excited about the opportunity to serve the, serve the state and our people. Well, Sylvia, you both are definitely huge. You give off huge positive energy for sure. And I want to ask you about one of the biggest challenges that the people in Hawaii face about affordable housing and how what, what are some of your thoughts to really try to address that and improve the quality of living for people in Hawaii? Yeah. As both Josh and I go and speak with many of the residents, the thing that comes up more often than not is the high cost of living, the high cost of living to be able to live in Hawaii, the fear that your kids and grandkids will not be able to continue to afford to live here. I think it's a, it's valid and it's, it's a real fear by shared by many people who live here. It's not just housing, it's childcare, it's transportation, it's taxes, you know, all these things just add up to the huge cost of living to live in, in basically a paradise like Hawaii. I think affordable housing is something that both Josh and I care greatly about. We have ideas on how to tackle that very quickly and at the same time, you know, making sure that our environmental laws are not compromised, you know, we got to do it right. You know, part of the whole cost of living discussion includes the cost of preschools. A lot of our working families cannot afford to send their kids to any kind of childcare facilities or preschools. And if you look at the statistics today, 50% of our three and four year olds don't have opportunities to attend preschools. And so can you imagine if we're able to provide free or reduced preschool opportunities for these 50% of the kids who are left behind, we can uplift the next generation of people. And so I'm very excited and eager to get to work on preschool expansion for many of the kids and families out there. That's a great point that you bring up. And I have to say that, you know, you were the chairperson for the house finance committee. So you are an expert in numbers. And Sylvia, you have both of my books. And I want to ask you what, what stood out to you in it? You know, the thing that I could really tell. So I have this one. So this is the one that I continue to read. And every time I read it, I glean new information and new advice. And you know, one of the things that really stood out was that the leadership cannot come from just status. In order to be a great leader, how you inspire students and student athletes and others to be successful in life, you had to make them believe and make them believe in you as their coach, but them as an individual. And this whole notion that, hey, you know what, it's not just about status leader, leader, but it's really instilling all that confidence and belief in the individuals that you lead. I think it's fantastic. The things that you have gained personally. And I can really tell every time you are writing about experience with one of your student athletes, I can really feel that joy come out of the words. And so I look forward to your next book. Well, I hope you enjoy Beyond the Game as much as you enjoyed Beyond the Lines. And Sylvia, you're so kind for those comments. And I want to ask you, we had a great time a few weeks ago at the UH football game with Ryan Tanaka watching the Western Kentucky game. And we are big time Timmy Chang supporters, right, Sylvia? We are. We all got to get behind Timmy. He's our local product. The first year of a coach is always hard because you're basically handed the student athletes that you didn't recruit. Really form the team and he's trying to make the best out of it. But you know, we wish, I know we both wish Timmy well and we'll be there cheering him on no matter what happens, you know, no matter how many games. Always. I love seeing how the whole community is really coming together to really support coach Timmy and Hawaii football. And Sylvia, I want to ask you about the Red Hill water contamination situation. You had a chance to go there to visit and really see it for yourself. What did you learn when you went there? And what do you think about the process right now in place to really remedy that big disaster? It's really unfortunate that it took a disaster to point out to the Navy and the federal government about the urgency and exceedency of doing something about the Red Hill fuel tank. This has been an ongoing issue. And I know many people in the state, including state legislators and the Board of Water Supply have been demanding the Navy to do better. And finally, you know, which is really unfortunate that it took a disaster to get them to a point where they recognize that the fuel tank, the entire system need to be shut down. And I completely agree it needs to be shut down. They need to do it faster than what they are proposing to do. I know the Department of Health has been very frustrated by the timeline. And you know, as a Lieutenant Governor candidate and Josh agrees as well, that we will continue to hold the federal government and the Navy accountable and work with the stakeholders to make sure that our drinking water is safe because, you know, water is life and water is valuable. And we have one of the cleanest waters and we don't want to get in a situation where, you know, we have to treat our waters in our drinking water. Yeah. And I totally agree with you. And Sylvia, I mean, being an expert in finance, so what are your thoughts about our economy and the importance of tourism with our economy? So that's a really good question. You know, tourism continues to be our number one industry, but it doesn't have to be the sole industry. It doesn't have to be the sole provider of many of the revenues and what it depends. I think there's a huge call by both the public and many of individuals out there, including legislators and others who are very interested in re-envisioning tourism, which is working towards, you know, not so much focus on marketing, but how the tourism industry and the community can work hand in hand so that tourists who come here will have seed of value and malama are aina and be respectful and be respectful to the host culture. And I think that's a really important transition that we're going through. And I'm excited to see what the CNHA, the new contractor for HTA will provide. And it will be a great opportunity for us to shift from just pure marketing to regenerative tourism. Yeah, that'll be interesting to see. And yeah, I mean, education is really important for a lot of the tourists that visit Hawaii. And Sylvia, I want to ask you, what's a valuable lesson you've learned in life so far? You know, one of the things that someone told me when I became finance chair, finance chair has a huge burden. And it's the burden of trying to figure out the different priorities of the state and different priorities of many individuals. And as finance chair, you can't ever make everybody happy. And at the same time, you know, it's your obligation to, no matter how much criticism you get for making some of the decisions, making some of the tough decisions. And in my 10 years, I probably said no many more times than yes. So I, based on all the advice people gave me, I tried to live by four tenants. And these are number one, you know, take the first to be the one to take the blame because that's the responsibility of the finance chair and be the last one to take credit because it is about teamwork. And then the third one is forgive someone daily because there's so many things in our lives that you can't control, but you can control your own feeling and emotion. And just as what you said in your book, you know, that's the part you can control of who you are. And so forgive someone daily. And the fourth one is when someone wrongs you, remember that feeling. And the reason why you remember it is because you want to make sure that you never let somebody else feel the way that you do at that moment. So I tried to live by those four tenants. Clearly, I fail many, many times because there's so many times where I'm like, okay, you know, like this was really bad. And, you know, I can't forgive that individual at this moment. But, you know, if you live by those four tenants, and I feel that, you know, you have inner peace and through inner peace, you can make some decisions every day. Oh, I completely agree with you, Sylvia. And what would you say is the best advice you ever receive? I would just say that you have to be true to yourself. And so you all of all the decisions that you make or in life, you have to be able to wake up the next morning and look at yourself in the mirror. And the day that you feel ashamed is not a good day. So, you know, it's really about being true to yourself, being true to your core value. Yeah, completely agree again. And Sylvia, I want to ask you one more thing before we wrap up. What do you feel your purpose in life is? You know, from the, from when I was really young, the way that my parents raised me is really about giving back to others. And, Rusty, I think that's where you are in your life as well. You know, what you are doing now is completely dedicated to trying to give back to all everybody and trying to make them better as individuals. I think my purpose in life too is leaving this place better than how we found it and doing everything we can to make lives better for others. Sylvia, it was awesome having you on the show today. And best of luck to you and Josh at the general election. And just wanted to thank you for taking time to be on the show today. No, thank you, Rusty. And thank you for, you know, allowing me to read your book, you know, someone I got it from someone. And, you know, it was such a pleasure to read this. And, you know, I'm going to continue to read it because every time I read it, I clean you knowledge from it. So, you know, thank you for what you do and what you have done for to change the lives of many young people out there. Thank you, Sylvia. And thank you for watching Beyond the Lines on Think Tech Hawaii. For more information, please visit RustyKamori.com. And my books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I hope that Sylvia and I will inspire you to create your own superior culture of excellence and to find your greatness and help others find theirs. Aloha.