Road less travelled is rocky but eventually evens out

My time in high school

Attended high school in the
2000s

Overall high school experience
2/10. I was bullied relentlessly for seemingly no reason, constantly in trouble with teachers for not completing assignments, would essentially never come to class as I had such a pervasive fear of failure and my peers. Eventually I stopped forming meaningful connections with anyone. It took a lot of love and a lot of therapy to get me back to a place where I could finally love myself again.

Grades in high school
C's and below

 

Favorite subjects
English, Science

Struggled with...
I struggled in math. I think my teachers had no patience for me.

Favorite extracurricular
Performance Art


Life since high school

Turns out though, I am allowed to choose a different path than my parents and make different decisions. My family doesn’t determine who I will be.

Attended college / university at
I went to San Jose state, then transferred to foothill, and eventually got my undergraduate degree at UC Irvine.

Post-graduate education or training
I got accepted to graduate school at Pepperdine university, but transferred to University of San Francisco.

Places lived in US
California

Current occupations / past occupations
Clinical research coordinator, mental health practitioner, mental health consultant, administration of psychometric assessments, mentor.

Industries I've worked in
- Retail Trade
- Educational Services
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Nonprofit
- Research


A little introspection...

To me, being successful means...
Being successful means not being afraid to try, fail and try again.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I used to associate success quantitatively. Especially growing up in a community that values high achievers, never receiving 100% or A+, I grew up constantly feeling like a failure.

My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Finishing grad school. Actually I got my Masters degree in clinical psychology, worked a practicum and decided clinical work wasn't for me. I pursued a research path instead and now work for Stanford.

My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret not forming more connections and isolating myself in my feelings of failure. Chances are that others were feeling just as I was, and having reached not been afraid to out I probably would have felt less alone.

An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
When I found out my father was cheating on my mother it devastated me. I thought my relationships and life as I knew it would never be the same. Turns out though, I am allowed to choose a different path than my parents and make different decisions. My family doesn't determine who I will be.


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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto

Palo Verde