Editor's note: The four women honored this year by the YWCA have each contributed a personal essay regarding their path to achievement. We'll run these essays today, Tuesday, Thursday and May 4.

My life started with hardships, but I learned early that if you pursue excellence combined with patience, perseverance, compassion and enthusiasm, you will get what you want. I also learned that to be good at what you do, you need a mentor, and a partner who can motivate and encourage you when the going is tough and make you laugh when you are sad.

Growing up in the "barrio" (rural) area of southern Philippines created limited options for my future. The fifth of seven children, my father expected me to teach like my two older sisters. Out of respect for him I took the teaching exam and passed, but I did not want to be a teacher. I ran away from home, joined a missionary group and earned a scholarship to a four-year nursing school at Manila Sanitarium & Hospital. I graduated as valedictorian and class president.

I then worked for my first mentor: an extraordinary doctor, William C. Richli, surgeon, engineer, pilot and jack-of-all-trades. We flew to islands with no hospitals and carried our generator, surgical supplies and used a huge mosquito net as our operating room. He instilled in me to never give up. He taught me that when confronted with a new problem, there is always a solution. He told me "not to be afraid to do whatever needs to be done as long as you know you are the most knowledgeable person in the arena." This pursuit of excellence has been my approach ever since.

In 1945 after the war, I qualified for a Fulbright Scholarship and was accepted as a graduate student in public health at Loma Linda University in California. I was the first Filipina registered nurse in the program.

I took my registered nurse exam two years after I came to the U.S. and passed with a high score because I went back to school. However, this was not the case with the majority of Filipino nurses who were registered nurses in the Philippines, but were working as certified nurse's aides. They were afraid to take the R.N. exam for fear of failure.

So, I became an advocate for Filipino nurses to take the R.N. exam, and created a review course tailored just for them.

A defining moment in my life was deciding to get married. My late husband, Dr. H.H. Chun, and I had six children. They are my jewels and my biggest leadership experience.

Nursing was my foundation since I came to America. I slowly added one brick at a time to build my pathway. I spread my wings with the help of my husband, who guided me to get my master's in public health and juris doctor. I was prompted by wonderful teachers, mentored by Dean Jerrold Michael at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa School of Public Health and Addie Bowman at the UH Richardson Law School. In the Legislature, Uncle Tony Kunimura was my guiding light.

Being elected to the 18th District House seat was another accomplishment. I was assigned as chairwoman of the Public Assistance and Human Services Committee. When I realized I could do things in this position, my first idea was to lower the passing grade for R.N. exams from 375 to 350 like every other state in the nation, and change the rules and regulations to allow nurses to take exams forever like attorneys do. I coauthored a bill to bring the "Nursing Home Without Walls" to Hawai'i, now a 30-year proven program that allows people to stay at home and receive services.

My husband's dream was to help Filipino nurses pass the R.N. board. Using his insurance money I started the RN-CLEX review course to make his dream come true, and the Connie & H.H. Chun M.D. Educational Endowment was born.

Looking back, I wonder how I ever accomplished so much.

My advice to young women is to pursue their dreams, but they must focus, persevere, pursue excellence, be compassionate and never give up. Women today have it so much easier to move up as opposed to when I was their age. Therefore, young women, if I was able to do it then, you have a better chance now, so go and pursue your dream!

Connie C. Chun, R.N., MPH, J.D., is being honored next month by the YWCA for her leadership.