How did I get here?
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1980s
Overall high school experience
8/10
Grades in high school
A's and B's. I was in Honors classes, so, some C's in that probably were technically B's
Favorite subjects
English, Math, Performing Arts
Struggled with...
Social Studies... and I don't know why, since I love history.
Favorite extracurricular
Music
Life since high school
Attended college / university at
University of Redlands. Redlands, CA
Majored in
B.S. Engineering
“I was laid off from a job that fit my “ideal” job title...after two months. The impact was very hard, since it was sudden and unexpected. It did allow me to pursue some non-profit work, but also forced me to re-assess my priorities about what to do.”
Post-graduate education or training
Teaching Credential--California, transferred to Ohio
Masters of Arts, Mathematics Education, grades 7-12
Places lived in US
California, Ohio
Current occupations / past occupations
Current: High School Math teacher, Ohio Connections Academy
Past: Community Engineer, Online Chat Guru, President of non-profit Theater group
Industries I've worked in
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (e.g. Law, Accounting, Interior Design, Graphic Design, R&D, PR, Advertising, etc.)
- Administrative and Support Services
- Educational Services
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
- Nonprofit
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes. It got my foot in the door. Subsequent job skills were not really related to my major Masters degree was done based on need of current job
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes. I was doing Engineering Operations / Online Social Media. After the "Dot-com bust", I switched to Education because all previous job skills were not marketable.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
being able to enjoy your life where you currently are, and reflect on how your previous "lives" made you the person you are today
My definition of success has changed over time.
It changed from "I've always wanted to work at this company." to "I want a job which utilizes all my job skills" to "A balance between family time and work time."
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Getting a teaching credential. It completed a complete life/job switch. I learned that it's more fulfilling to educate people than operate computers all day
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret not appreciating what my Aunt had to say before she passed on. I learned that she was a better listener and suggestion maker to me than I had realized.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
I was laid off from a job that fit my "ideal" job title...after two months. This was because my manager at the time had not received all the correct permissions to hire me, but did anyway. The impact was very hard, since it was sudden and unexpected. It did allow me to pursue some non-profit work, but also forced me to re-assess my priorities about what to do.
My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
Stanford Theater
