The reason truth is funny is because it's true, not because it's funny.
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
5/10. If I had stayed at [high school name omitted], the rating would have been lower. I left and went to a private school though that was infinitely better and would have earned a 9, so I averaged the two scores.
Grades in high school
A's and B's. A's and B's in private school after leaving [high school]. C's, D's, and F's at [high school]
Favorite subjects
English, Foreign Language, Physical Education, Visual Arts
Struggled with...
I didn't struggle with subjects, I struggled with teachers.
Favorite extracurricular
Sports / Recreation
Life since high school
“The biggest regret in my life so far is allowing an ex-boyfriend of mine to have so much control over my decision-making that I missed out on a lot of opportunities and experiences in high school and college that I wish I hadn’t missed out on. ”
Attended college / university at
Santa Clara University
Majored in
Spanish Studies
Post-graduate education or training
Teaching Credential
Places lived in US
California
Places lived outside the US
Argentina
Current occupations / past occupations
Teacher; Martial Arts Instructor
Industries I've worked in
- Educational Services
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
- Nonprofit
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
I could have gone to ANY college for my undergraduate degree and still be doing what I'm doing now as a teacher.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes. I didn't know what I really wanted to do for several years. As a natural teacher, education found me, but I was thinking about a plethora of other professions before going into teaching.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Being true to myself -- all the time. Most of the time, this is easy, but in the times when it matters most, it tends to be hard.
My definition of success has changed over time.
I used to immediately think of material wealth and popularity when I thought about success. Now, I think about the quality, not quantity, of relationships I have and about the things I feel proud of doing in my life.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Earning my black belt in martial arts. More than anything, I learned that humans are capable of WAY more than we typically give ourselves credit for. It taught me that own limiting beliefs will trick me and hold me back. It taught me to put my faith in those who are wiser and more experienced than I am. They knew what I was capable of before I did. They believed in me before I believed in myself.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
The biggest regret in my life so far is allowing an ex-boyfriend of mine to have so much control over my decision-making that I missed out on a lot of opportunities and experiences in high school and college that I wish I hadn't missed out on.
An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
I got pregnant. And the guy who got me pregnant didn't want a child, so I decided to have an abortion. If he had wanted the child, I wouldn't have had an abortion, but because he did, I did. I just couldn't bring a child into the world whose father didn't want him/her, but it has not come without guilt, self-medication, and increasing self-doubt in being capable of making a good decision about men.
This alumni is open to your questions and follow-ups.
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
I can't pick just one: the Baylands, the creeks as a walking shortcut, Thanksgiving reunions at Rudy's and the Nut House, Printer's Ink, watching "It's A Wonderful Life" at the Stanford Theater every Christmas eve; stargazing in Palo Alto/Los Alto Hills; "the dish"; Bob's Donuts; V-Street; "the path" at Gunn; any PA park; El Gruellense; any place where my friends were/are.
