Being my own version of an adult is so much better than high school

My time in high school

Attended high school in the
1990s

Overall high school experience
7/10. I felt like I did well in school, was good at sports and had success with that and had a good group of friends.

Grades in high school
Mostly A's. I went for the A- and felt smart but always felt the pressure that I wasn't in the highest lanes in all my classes. Looking back I wasn't aware how much my environment impacted me and how much smarter I felt when I left. High schoolers are competitive and seem to bolster their self confidence by making others feel inferior. Get over yourselves.

 

Favorite subjects
English, Spanish

Struggled with...
Math, Physics but I ended up in an analytical career. Just because you don't identify with these classes doesn't mean you aren't good at this type of stuff.

Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation


Life since high school

Attended college / university at
New York University

Majored in
International Studies / International Economics

Post-graduate education or training
MBA, Wharton

Places lived in US
California, Washington, DC, New York

Places lived outside the US
N/A

Current occupations / past occupations
Strategy Consultant

Industries I've worked in
Management Consulting

Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Absolutely. The case method was indispensable for my career and prepared me to be a leader.

Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes, I became a stay-at-home Mom. Best decision of my life. I was lucky enough to have the option to stay home. My life now is very different than it was when I was working but I've never worked harder nor felt as happy or more fulfilled when things are going right. 


A little introspection...

To me, being successful means...
What a question. For some reason I tend to think of my life now by how my kids are doing, my husband, myself and the state of other relationships I have in my life. When all of those things are hitting I feel successful but when they're not I don't. It seems too close-in and too short term for such a global definition but that's how I measure my life day to day. The bigger, grandiose definitions are wonderful and make for good quotes to remind myself of sometimes but I don't think anyone really stays true to them.   

My definition of success has changed over time. 
In high school it was about grades, sports and college ranking. In college it was grades, social status, job offers. In career it was work reviews, weddings and grad school. As a Mom, it's are my kids happy, having fun and learning. With my husband, right now, it's are we getting along, lol.

My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
My kids. Overcoming obstacles I was faced with in my childhood and realizing that that's not my baggage. It's just not. I've build my own life and that's what is "me". It's been so long I don't even care/identify with any of the things I worried about growing up or thought defined me. 

My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
Caring what people think and putting myself down or giving people the upper hand to make them feel better. I can't decide if it was because I had an ego problem or self esteem issues. 

An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
My husband and kids. I always had a checklist of what he would be like in my head when I was running / meditating and now he's here. I never fathomed I would be a Mom to two such amazing little people.


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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto

The calm streets with the tall trees, Stanford Shopping Center, all the restaurants