A circuitous road to home just up the Peninsula.
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
1990s
Overall high school experience
6/10. Slightly Dickensian: I had great friends, but I also struggled with my peers; I enjoyed some classes, but it was all I could do to get through others. My family was supportive, but we went through some pretty tough times. Maybe that's just being a teenager, but I have friends who had much better runs in high school, and others who had much worse.
Grades in high school
A's and B's. It took me a while to find my groove, but once I applied myself I did reasonably well.
Favorite subjects
History / Social Studies
Struggled with...
Science. Attention to finite detail has always been a struggle.
Favorite extracurricular
Music
Life since high school
“I marvel at how little I knew when I was selecting a college, and yet how well it turned out. As subjective as it is, overall feel was a great indicator for me.”
Attended college / university at
University of Wisconsin, BA Sociology. I marvel at how little I knew when I was selecting a college, and yet how well it turned out. As subjective as it is, overall feel was a great indicator for me.
Post-graduate education or training
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Places lived in US
California, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin
Places lived outside the US
Republic of Korea (i.e., "South")
Current occupations / past occupations
In-house attorney; previously a litigator at a large law firm with a brief stint as a District Attorney; U.S. Army officer. I currently spend most of my free time volunteering for my kids' youth sports.
Industries I've worked in
- Construction
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (e.g. Law, Accounting, Interior Design, Graphic Design, R&D, PR, Advertising, etc.)
- Public Administration (e.g. Government, Police, Judicial, etc.)
- Military
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes, but it's not a straight line. [High school] reasonably prepared me for college; I loved the college experience, which prepared me for life afterwards (ROTC prepared me for my stint in the Army). The straight line of school to occupation came from grad school.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
Yes; my goals have evolved over time. It's a big world out there and the more you know, the more opportunities you see to pursue.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Finding balance, continuing to work toward your priorities -- keep them in sight; your personal well-being should be one of your priorities; learning to know and respect yourself.
My definition of success has changed over time.
Less focused on titles and resume bullets, more focused on well-being and impact on those around me.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
Not treating a person with respect. You will never regret treating people well (which isn't necessarily the same as giving them what they want).
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My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto
the Peninsula Creamery (now the Palo Alto Creamery)
