From doctor, to scientist, to teacher, to tech geek... wander!
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
7/10
Grades in high school
A's and B's. I was in all the AP classes, but probably had a weighted 3.5 GPA, mostly B's with a few A's and C's sprinkled in.
Best subjects
History / Social Studies, Foreign Language, Science
Struggled with...
Math and Physics, b/c not all asians are good at math! But, I did LOVE physics.
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
Attended college / university at
UC Berkeley
Majored in
MCB - Immunology
Post-graduate education or training
I considered grad school, but was terrible in the labs, so I considered teaching Bio/Chem and was offered a job to teach in LA Unified. I opted instead to completely switch over into technology (networking and servers) and have been in the tech sector as a Networking Architect/Engineer since then (mostly in sales).
“I abandoned the career path set before me from where i started. I looked around me at what others were doing, and looked critically and objectively at what I was good at - balanced with what I enjoyed.”
Places lived in US
California, Washington
Current occupations / past occupations
Network Security Consultant, Network Engineer, Network Architect, Sales Engineer,
Industries I've worked in
Information (e.g. Publishing, Film, Broadcast, Telecommunications, Libraries)
Did your education prepare you for your career?
My education taught me how to think critically, analytically, systematically. The most important things I learned were how to think analytically. My science background created the underpinnings for this. The second most important set of skills I learned involve communication - in the form of public speaking, written prose and possibly my favorite class at UCB... Rhetoric.
Has your education and/or career trajectory ever changed? How?
I abandoned the career path set before me from where i started. I looked around me at what others were doing, and looked critically and objectively at what I was good at - balanced with what I enjoyed. I found it, and have been doing it for a while now. Moving up isn't always a better place when it comes to enjoyment, fulfilment, etc... If you can't find fulfillment in your job/career, it's just as good to find a job/career that stays out of your way and enables you to find joy/fulfillment elsewhere.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Primarily it means having good, healthy, happy, fulfilling relationships. Relationships do take time and resources, so i'd also like to have enough. Enough to me means, most/all of what I need, some of what I want and hopefully enough to share.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I thought it would be defined by scholastic, professional, financial success. Phase two came after college when it evolved to be one that embodied personal satisfaction and fulfillment and religious discovery and pursuit. Phase three evolved into finding my satisfaction in relationships with others, and learning to love, care for and seek the good of someone other than myself, while also becoming content with knowing that I will not and cannot know all the things I want to know.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Navigating the strengths and weaknesses that came from my upbringing and subsequent life choices of my younger years. It's amazing (and somewhat obvious in hindsight) how much what you feed your mind/soul/body will come to shape who you are and what your subsequent life choices will be.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
It sounds clichéd but it simply is that I wish I cared less about the specifics of achievement and more on just lifting my head up, and looking around, and taking time to absorb the view from the whole ride of life. It's amazing how far we can come in life and really never look up from our work on the desk in front of us, whether scholastic or professional.
An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
My grandparents began passing away. I regretted greatly not enjoying all that I could've learned and gained by hearing their stories more, gleaning wisdom from their journeys and experiences. It also awakened me to the ephemeral time we have on earth and how much less time I have with my parents and those that I love.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
Cafe Borrone!
