In her remarks, retired NASA astronaut and Navy commander Susan Kilrain spoke about her childhood in Georgia and her childhood dream of becoming an austronaut inspired by watching planes come and go in a nearby airplane field as a childhood pastime. Her early love for mathematics propelled her to become an engineer by working her way to college until she landed her first job in NASA and joined the US Navy later on. She focused on fulfilling her dream to become an astronaut early in life; fortunate that her father encouraged her that nothing in life is impossible; that nobody had dissuaded her in becoming an astronaut and nobody had warned her of the extraordinary hard work ahead to become one. Susan Kilrain paid tribute to other women astronauts who came before her.

Mrs. Ige also thanked the host of the breakfast meeting and spoke about her experiences as a school teacher before becoming Hawaii’s First Lady and the challenges in balancing the demands of family and public service.

Consul General Jamoralin thanked the Australian Consulate represented by its Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms. Lindsey Bower for hosting an excellent opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day in Hawaii and to meet Mrs. Kilrain who would also serve as an inspiration to Filipino-American youth in Hawaii. END