Mother, wife, caregiver and joyful member of the Universe
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1980s
Overall high school experience
7/10. I wasn't the usual Palo Alto teen. I had a single parent and we didn't have the affluence of my peers so I was different. I became accepted by my accomplishments, not my status.
Grades in high school
Mostly A's. I spent most of my time in the library as I was not socially acceptable to my peers.
Favorite subjects
English, History / Social Studies, Foreign Language, Science
Struggled with...
Math because it was taught poorly
Favorite extracurricular
Cultural / Language
Life since high school
“I now know that success is internal. It is not defined by my outward conditions and materialistic trappings but who I am as a person and a member of society. Success is my own view of fulfilling the destiny life has laid out for me by being true to my beliefs. ”
Attended college / university at
UCSD, Foothill, Mesa College, CSULB
Post-graduate education or training
Annual continuing education and training in my field
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
Physical Therapist
Industries I've worked in
Information (e.g. Publishing, Film, Broadcast, Telecommunications, Libraries)
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes, my degree was a BS in Physical Therapy
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
It did in my 2nd year of college when I became too ill to attend the University away from home. I had to move back and reset my entire career plans.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Finding joy each day in something: be it an action I perform, an interaction with family, friends, colleagues, an experience in nature or a story I hear. Joy is a deep happiness that comes from within which is what makes life meaningful and keeps me grounded despite external conditions. Being happy with what I have, where I am in life and career. I do not base my success on comparisons with others.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I now know that success is internal. It is not defined by my outward conditions and materialistic trappings but who I am as a person and a member of society. Success is my own view of fulfilling the destiny life has laid out for me by being true to my beliefs.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
I have raised two amazing human beings who will contribute goodness to the world and it was the hardest job I never imagined I would have. I learned that I could be wholly unselfish and not resent it.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I failed to persevere in my education opting for a shorter, easier path. I love my career and find joy in what I do every day and I have learned to let go of regrets and focus on the "as it is now" not the "could have been".
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
An illness changed my entire life when I was in college. I had to rethink everything I was planning to do. The circumstances were extremely challenging but I learned resiliency and that I could do the hard things that life presented me and not give up.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
California Ave farmers market.
