Success and Contentment
/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.
Best subjects
Foreign Language, Physical Education, Science
Struggled with...
High level Math and Physics. Once math went from concrete to less concrete (like, from algebra to calculus), I was completely lost. It was frustrating to get further and further behind. My senior year, I dropped down a lane in Math and it was a good decision.
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
Attended college / university at
UC Berkeley
Majored in
Psychology
Post-graduate education or training
Continuing education in Early Childhood Education at Foothill College, Mission College, and De Anza College.
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
My first job after college was a Preschool Teachers aide, then a Preschool Lead Teacher. I stayed there for 7 years. For the past 10 years I've been an Administrative Assistant then Project Coordinator in the special education department of a public school district.
Industries I've worked in
Educational Services
Did your education prepare you for your career?
Yes. Socially, the 4 year college experience was very important for me. But, the most meaningful classes for my career were the ones I had at the local Junior Colleges.
Has your education and/or career trajectory ever changed? How?
Not really. I've been in education at different levels since I graduated college.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Feeling contentment in ones life. Having balance with all aspects of life; work, friends, family, and play.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
I didn't really think much about my specific definition of success until this survey. Contentment drives me but I don't know if it always did.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness and changing my lifestyle to accommodate it and prevent it from getting worse. I lost a fair amount of weight and learned that my insides are still the same. I look different on the outside, but I'm the same old me on the inside.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
In my sophomore year of high school, mid-season, I was offered a position on a more competitive, higher level sports team. But, I said no to the team because I had made such good friendships on my current team and I felt my skills were more valuable to the lower level team. In retrospect, if I had chosen to move to the higher level team, I would have advanced further in my sport the next year. But, the friendships I made through sports were so meaningful to me, I wasn't willing to give those up. I learned that friendships and loyalty are very important to me
An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
Falling in love for the first time was unexpected to me. I was 24 and had never been in love. I wondered if I was able to fall in love with a romantic partner. But the first time my partner said "I love you", my entire body tingled from my toes up to my head. To have such a visceral physical reaction to an emotion was surprising to me. It showed me that I was very capable of deep love.
This alumni is open to your questions and follow-ups.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
The Edge, of course!
(Unfortunately, the Edge is closed. Map is pointing to its old address.)
