Road less travelled is rocky but eventually evens out
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
2000s
Overall high school experience
2/10. I was bullied relentlessly for seemingly no reason, constantly in trouble with teachers for not completing assignments, would essentially never come to class as I had such a pervasive fear of failure and my peers. Eventually I stopped forming meaningful connections with anyone. It took a lot of love and a lot of therapy to get me back to a place where I could finally love myself again.
Grades in high school
C's and below
Favorite subjects
English, Science
Struggled with...
I struggled in math. I think my teachers had no patience for me.
Favorite extracurricular
Performance Art
Life since high school
“Turns out though, I am allowed to choose a different path than my parents and make different decisions. My family doesn’t determine who I will be.”
Attended college / university at
I went to San Jose state, then transferred to foothill, and eventually got my undergraduate degree at UC Irvine.
Post-graduate education or training
I got accepted to graduate school at Pepperdine university, but transferred to University of San Francisco.
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
Clinical research coordinator, mental health practitioner, mental health consultant, administration of psychometric assessments, mentor.
Industries I've worked in
- Retail Trade
- Educational Services
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Nonprofit
- Research
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Being successful means not being afraid to try, fail and try again.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to associate success quantitatively. Especially growing up in a community that values high achievers, never receiving 100% or A+, I grew up constantly feeling like a failure.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Finishing grad school. Actually I got my Masters degree in clinical psychology, worked a practicum and decided clinical work wasn't for me. I pursued a research path instead and now work for Stanford.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret not forming more connections and isolating myself in my feelings of failure. Chances are that others were feeling just as I was, and having reached not been afraid to out I probably would have felt less alone.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
When I found out my father was cheating on my mother it devastated me. I thought my relationships and life as I knew it would never be the same. Turns out though, I am allowed to choose a different path than my parents and make different decisions. My family doesn't determine who I will be.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
Palo Verde
