From Blah to Badass: One Woman's Journey to Grab Life By the Balls
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
2000s
Overall high school experience
8/10. I had a really solid group of friends to reassure me through the tough times, like with the standardized tests and college admissions and deaths.
Grades in high school
A's and B's. I wasn't a good test taker but I works hard.
Favorite subjects
English, History / Social Studies, Art History was my jam yo!
Struggled with...
Ugh math and languages really got me down
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
“I used to think success was based on more tangible identifiers. Such as my degree, my car, my job status, whether I was still asking my mom for money. Now I look at it in a broader more wholistic lens.”
Attended college / university at
University of Oregon
Majored in
General social science with an emphasis on crime law and society
Places lived in US
Oregon
Current occupations / past occupations
I work as a Violence Prevention Educator for middle school and high school students
Industries I've worked in
- Finance and Insurance
- Administrative and Support Services
- Educational Services
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Nonprofit
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
My education taught me discipline and some fundamental understandings but most of the applicable knowledge came from my internships and student groups and conversations with my peers.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
I went from an Art History Major to a General Social Science Major because I was drowning in classes I lost interest in because I found my heart being pulling in a different direction. It was hard to change my major senior year and extended my graduation date but fuck it, life is too short for me tospend hours studying something that was no longer my career path. I liked how the GSS Major allowed me to take a variety of classes in different disciplines like women and gender studies, ethnic studies, political science, sociology, physiology, history and more
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Pursuing a life that makes me happy. Having balance with my work life, social life, and relationship with myself. Being able to afford my independence.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to think success was based on more tangible identifiers. Such as my degree, my car, my job status, whether I was still asking my mom for money. Now I look at it in a broader more wholistic lens.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
I'm so proud of all the beautiful people I've gotten an opportunity to meet. My relationships with friends are so important to me and I've met some truly wonderful and inspirational folks who support and encourage me. Without them I would be my awesome self.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
My biggest regret is not taking the inside out class in college. It's a class that requires you to travel to a prison every week and take the class with fellow prisoners. We have such a stigma in society of what it means to be a criminal or to be locked up and I think it would be such an opportunity to be able to learn alongside people who different from me. I don't want to lose out on anther opportunity to really take advantage of my learning.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
I joined a student group that shifted my perspective on sexual violence, relationships, and myself. I never knew I needed those lessons until I was already in the group. Sometimes we don't know what we need until it's right in your face. I am so happy I was open to that opportunity to get involved.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
Oren's Hummus (I crave it on the reg)
