Being successful comes from gratitude from the good things achieved in life
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
9/10
Grades in high school
A's and B's. I got mainly A's but I wasn't in all AP classes.
Best subjects
English, Visual Arts
Struggled with...
Math - i just didn't really like it. Though I had a cool teacher, [name omitted]!
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
Attended college / university at
UC Santa Barbara
Majored in
Sociology.
Places lived in US
New York
“I wish I would have been more confident in my professional skills earlier on.”
Places lived outside US
Italy
Current occupations / past occupations
HR Manager, Administrative, Special Events
Industries I've worked in
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Did your education prepare you for your career?
Not really.
Has your education and/or career trajectory ever changed? How?
I originally thought I would study Communication but grades/schedules led me to switch to Sociology.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Being happy. To be happy I consider 3 factors - my healthy, my friends/family in my life and the work that I do. Therefore I ask myself – am I in good health? Do I have friends and family in my life that care for me and vice versa? Do I wake up every day content with what’s in my life or am I unhappy? Am I able to make an impact and help people on a weekly basis? If I can answer yes, then I can feel successful.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Yes. I previously thought that to be successful you had to have a job, any job. Now I think it’s a bit more than just having a job. You have to have a balance of good things in your life and it’s certainly not all about having a job. It’s about having the opportunity to experience good things in your life and that can come from a result of relationships, traveling, reading, listening to music, living in a place like the Bay Area, etc.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
My greatest accomplishment has been being able to purchase a place of my own in San Francisco. What I learned from this accomplishment is that it’s really important to work hard and save money as early on as possible so you can afford to do things like this. I was able to do majority of this on my own so anyone can do it, you just need to save.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I tend to not carry a lot of regrets but when looking back I do think I wish I would have been more confident in my professional skills earlier on. Since I wasn’t as confident, I stayed at my company for more than 7 years and I wish I would have left maybe after 4-5 years. I didn’t think or know how my skills could be used elsewhere so I just stayed where it was safe. I also loved my coworkers and had a blast at work and thought it couldn’t get better (even though I wanted to learn more in my role). I’ve since moved on and learned that it’s important to push yourself in asking questions, speaking up on your behalf, learning more professionally, networking and just growing in your profession. I also learned that it’s very important to work hard, be grateful for any job you may have, but that it’s okay to explore and look for something that will speak to your strengths so you can continue to grow professionally.
An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
In my mid-twenties, my best friend’s father passed away pretty suddenly. At that point I realized I was taking my parents for granted and I hadn’t ever imagined how I would/could cope if they weren’t in my life. Since then I honestly cherish more each time I spend with them and am grateful for their input and interest in my life.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes, I didn't know what I would be doing for work or what goals I would achieve as an adult when I was in high school or graduated from college and that's ok because I consider myself successful. High school should be a time to have fun and build friendships not to get worried about which college they'll get into or what grade they'll get on their next exam.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
In high school, it was: PA Bowl, the Dish (Stanford Hills/Rock Quarry), Fred's Deli, Italian Deli
(map is showing the Dish)
