Follow your bliss
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
7/10
Grades in high school
Mostly A's.
Best subjects
Math, Science
Struggled with...
English
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
Attended college / university at
UC Berkeley
Majored in
Integrative Biology
Post-graduate education or training
Masters in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington
Master in Teaching at Seattle University
Places lived in US
Washington
Current occupations / past occupations
Fisheries Biologist
High school science teacher
Industries I've worked in
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting
- Retail Trade
- Educational Services
Did your education prepare you for your career?
Yes
Has your education and/or career trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes - I wanted to go into the research sciences, but realized that I preferred working with people and became a teacher.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
doing something enjoyable that also makes a positive difference in the world.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to tie success to some sort of rank: the university I went to, grades, job title, salary. Now those things seem less important than a life that brings meaningful purpose and joy.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Surrounding myself with people I love and trust. Anything else that I have accomplished, I have been able to accomplish at least in part because of their support. Accepting help from those around you is not a sign of weakness, but rather an indication of the strength of your community.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I chose my college (UC Berkeley) based more on its reputation and less on what would be the right fit for me. In hindsight, I wish I had sacrificed some of that prestige for a smaller school (like UCSC) where it would have been easier to try different subjects and participate in a broader variety of activities.
An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
My husband and I took a 6 month leave of absence from our jobs to ride our bikes around Southeast Asia. Our thought was that such a big trip would scratch an itch we had to get out and travel, and when we returned we would feel ready to settle down. Instead, the opposite was true - the experience opened our eyes to how much there is to explore, and now we are working towards another big trip, but this time with two kids along for the ride!
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
The Baylands
