Finding Balance and Gratitude

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My time in high school

Attended high school in the
1990s

Overall high school experience
6/10. It is an emotional time in life, everything feels so intense.

Grades in high school
A's and B's.

 

Best subjects
English, History / Social Studies

Struggled with...
Foreign language and math.

Favorite extracurricular
Community Service / Social Activism

Life since high school

“[My biggest regret is] perhaps staying for too long at a job that had a negative work climate. Working in a poorly managed situation with coworkers who made me doubt myself and my skills. I learned to seek out more positive work environments that help me grow and feel happy and confident.”

Attended college / university at
Off and on at UC Davis.

Post-graduate education or training
Some additional classes at community colleges. MA in Special Education. 

Places lived in US
California, Oregon

Current occupations / past occupations
Parenting and teaching young children.

Industries I've worked in
- Educational Services
- Nonprofit

Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes, but it was not essential.

Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes.

A little introspection...

To me, being successful means...
being able to take care of myself and my family. While having a stable job and housing are important, it has also been very important to me to maintain a balance of free time to spend time outside and connect with friends and family.

My definition of success has not changed over time.  

My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Life is so long and full of different phases, not sure how to answer this question. I am proud of many things I have done, some of them big, some small. Perhaps my greatest accomplishment is being good to the people in my life and feeling content.

My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
Perhaps staying for too long at a job that had a negative work climate. Working in a poorly managed situation with coworkers who made me doubt myself and my skills. I learned to seek out more positive work environments that help me grow and feel happy and confident.

An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
I got pregnant at 28 and had my first child. I felt young and unprepared at the time, as I had just finished grad school and started a new career teaching. This is of course not young to start a family but coming from career oriented Palo Alto, I did not think I would have a child until my mid thirties. I have not returned to that career in the same path but am grateful for what I learned in school. Perhaps I will return someday but as more time passes it feels less important to me.

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