Honoring Our Heroes: Charlie Yoshimoto

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we’re excited to share the remarkable stories of our veteran and military spouse employees whose contributions at home, at work, and on the frontline help us foster a culture of respect, understanding, and camaraderie.

Charlie Yoshimoto, Talent Acquisition Manager, joined the United States Air Force a year after high school with the intent to use that career to get through college. Without knowing much about the military, Charlie’s experiences at basic training and being away from home gave her a solid foundation in discipline, a strong work ethic, and taught her the value of teamwork.

“I became so aware of what it meant to be patriotic, which was not something I previously thought about too much. This is what gave me a greater purpose of what I was doing in serving. I was serving the country and had this greater purpose. At a certain point, it was emotionally overwhelming when I realized the weight of this responsibility. The Air Force calls this moment ‘bluing’ – the moment when your reason for joining becomes much more meaningful, as it’s your greater purpose and makes you so proud to be there,” describes Charlie.

During the recruitment process, Charlie took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, which helps individuals interested in joining the military be placed in roles best suited to their skillset and passions. Unsurprisingly, Charlie’s test scores accurately predicted her recommended career path—recruitment, a career path she found a passion for and maintained as she transitioned to the civilian workforce.

“When I was recruiting for the Air National Guard, a young man and his father came into my office, because his dad and I served together. His dad was retired and wanted his son to join. The son was very interested in joining but I identified that his passions better aligned with the Army. I walked him over to the Army Recruitment Office to continue the conversation. Next thing I knew, he was being sworn in with the Army! Fast forward many years, I’m at one of the Transition Assistance Program Career Expos and a guy in an Army uniform walks up to me. We’re talking about the bank and exchange names. He takes a moment and looks at me and asks if I recognize him – it was truly a full-circle moment when he shared that he became a recruiter for the Army!” Charlie said.

In Charlie’s current role at Bank of Hawaii, she’s brought together her experience and knowledge for military life and transitioning into civilian life; a transition that can be daunting and scary for many. Charlie’s team attends career expos at programs like the Transition Assistance Program, helping to bridge civilian life to those leaving active duty. Charlie describes a meaningful experience that became a full-circle moment into her current chapter of life, “It’s these moments that always bring me back to my WHY, including in my current role. I’m proud and honored to bring positive light to others and their situations, whether that be in the now or the future,” shares Charlie.

Her experience and successes come from her ability to bring together the mission-oriented mindset of the military experience with understanding people and their needs. Charlie takes pride in helping to build that bridge for many in more than a career change, but a life transition.

In addition to her work in recruiting, Charlie is part of Bank of Hawaii’s Blue Brigade, an Employee Resource Group dedicated to supporting veterans and active-duty service members alike. Members of the Blue Brigade are focused on community engagement—including volunteering to build homes for veterans, providing financial literacy lessons to middle school students, and supporting organizations such as the Armed Services YMCA.

At Bank of Hawaii we are committed to diversity, including honoring those who have served our country. Mahalo Charlie for sharing your story and being one of the great people who make Bank of Hawaii a great place to work—and the kind of company people are proud of.