Prime Poway Woman No. 6: Lorna Reese

Also Read: Highlighting 31 Prime Poway Women

Since living in Poway in 1998, Lorna Reese has been actively involved in many parts of the region.

She's worked as a L.E.A.N. Nutritional Coach, a historian for the Palomar PTA Council, and was even the variety show producer for a Garden Road Elementary fundraiser. She's even been the assistant dean of students at UC San Diego, and also worked at Eleanor Roosevelt College and United States International University.

Not only that, she founded the Extraordinary Kids Club, a nonprofit organization that works with the region's youth to prepare them for leadership roles.

Her ability to lead sparks the independence she is most proud of.

"I am most proud of my independence," she said. "I left my little hometown, Hilo, Hawaii, to attend graduate school in Corvallis, Oregon, then moved to San Diego to work at UC San Diego. I was not afraid to meet new people and explore new places."

What does Women's History Month mean to you?

"Women’s History Month is a commemoration of women who fought for the rights that we have today. The beginning of the women’s movement in the 1800s, led by Susan B. Anthony and other great reformers, paved the way for two significant laws in the 1970s, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Anti-Discrimination Act in 1977. These laws ensure equal access, fairness and equality for all women. As a woman of Japanese descent, women in my culture were secondary to men, traditionally placed in arranged marriages, not given the same privileges as sons, and expected to keep our opinions to ourselves. My hope is that young women today will not take their freedom for granted and continue to further the dreams and hopes of all women."