My first woman of influence was my mother, Sumiko Koide Walker, who instilled in me a great work ethic and empathy for others. She sent me to school every day with the admonition, “Be good, work hard, and be nice.” And when I say every day, I mean every single day. My mother was a Hiroshima bombing survivor and Japanese war bride transplanted to a small town in WV in the 1950’s. She epitomized the Japanese proverb “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” She never whined and never allowed whining. She taught me to accept the consequences of my actions.
My next influencers were my elementary teachers—Mrs. Knott, Mrs. Shepp, Mrs. Sheetz, Mrs. Brill, and Ms. Whiteman—all steady influencers who taught me to read, write, knit, think, and always try. As the first Asian American to go through a small town WV public school in the 1960s, I never once felt like an “other” by these women or in their classrooms.
Then there’s my Gettysburg posse – Deb, Sharon, Holly, Jean, and Nancy W – who have lifted me up, held me up, and been role models in how to make it through successfully in all aspects of life – including everything from etiquette questions to life-changing decisions.
Finally, there’s my bold, better-than-me daughter Rae, who goes forth in life fearlessly and fiercely and is living proof of Maya Angelou’s quote, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”