The last Surviving [High school name omitted] Graduate!

/ The New Varsity/

To me, being successful means...
Not obsessing about "being successful", what a yawner question...

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Sure, why not...

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Straight outta Stanford

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My time in high school

Attended high school in the
1990s

Overall high school experience
6/10

Grades in high school
A's and B's

 

Favorite subjects
English, History / Social Studies, Science

Struggled with...
Visual arts (issues with dexterity) computer science (hard to think in a linear way)

Favorite extracurricular
Community Service / Social Activism

Life since high school

Attended college / university at
Stanford

Majored in
Biopsychology

Post-graduate education or training
Masters of arts in general psychology

Places lived in US
California

Current occupations / past occupations
Research, caregiving, volunteer tutor

Industries I've worked in
Nonprofit

Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
Yes

Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
In 9 years and 11 mos it will. Upon retirement I will embark unto a second career.

A little introspection...

“Marriage. I learned compassion, understanding from multiple perspectives and forgiveness. I learned that love is a give and take.”

To me, being successful means...
contentment with life, past, present, and future.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
It shifted from a superficial worldview to one that was deeper and richer.

My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Marriage. I learned compassion, understanding from multiple perspectives and forgiveness. I learned that love is a give and take.

My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret not relying on my own intuition more when making decisions.

An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
Trumps presidency. It seems that after that everything went downhill in politics.

My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto

Lake lagunita

 

Mother, pursuing dreams little by little

/ Cow Hill/

To me, being successful means...
Being able to provide for myself and my family, being content in the small moments with family and friends, continually learning and growing and being able to share my talents with others.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Yes, not having completed graduate school I used to feel less than in some way when compared to my career oriented peers, but as I realized that I could keep learning and developing talents and pursuing interests on my own I have felt liberated to pursue my own life path that is meaningful to me.

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Scripps, Therapist, California

/ Mitchell Park/

To me, being successful means...
being happy and confident in myself. having positive relationships with people who love me as much as I love them.

My definition of success has not changed over time. 

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UC Davis, Attorney, California and China

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To me, being successful means...
Being happy with myself and achieving the goals that I have set out for me.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
The realization that personal success and happiness comes through reflection and being exposed to different things in life in order to identify what is truly important.

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Purposeful, Playful, Passionate

/ Palo Alto Baylands/

To me, being successful means...
never giving up on oneself and learning lessons from failures as much or more than accomplishments

My definition of success has changed over time. 
As a young person/adult, I thought success was measured by achievements and milestones (eg. getting a degree, securing a job, owning property, getting married, and having children). Life taught me it's not about the what that made my life fulfilling, but the who and why. The relationships and personal connections (fleeting as well as enduring) that I made helped shaped the way I viewed as well as moved in the world. Learning to savor and value the experience of my journey than impatiently focused on reaching my destination.

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Barron Park kid.

/ Stanford Campus/

To me, being successful means...
Giving back to the community. Sharing wisdom to be a positive influence.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I started adulthood financially driven. I had monetary success early on. As I grow older, money and things don't matter as much as experiencing life. 

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chapters of my life, traveler, wife, mother, and rancher

/ Foothill Park/

To me, being successful means...
being happy with where you are in your life. Being able to look back at my life and be satisfied with what I've done, and looking forward to the next chapters of my life.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Having a good income is nice, but labels and things have never given me a fulfilled feeling. My actions have.

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UC Davis, Marketing in Tech, California

/ Lee's Comics/

To me, being successful means...
Living comfortably, having good health and enjoying my time with family and friends.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Health... something you take for granted when you're 20, but not when you're more than twice that age. 

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Palo Alto Is Just Where You're From. Not Who You Are.

/ The Dish/

To me, being successful means...
Happy, healthy and engaged in satisfying work and personal relationships.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
Realizing that all those "resume-builders" matter very little in the long run. I spent a long time trying to be the kind of person my parents wanted me to be and used it as an excuse not to do the hard work of figuring out what do do with my life.

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Breathe It All In And Exhale Peace

/ Shakey's Pizza/

To me, being successful means...
First of all being happy in my own skin and content with my own company and using that to make a difference in the world.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I was brought up to become educated and to earn a living and make a great retirement for myself.

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A circuitous road to home just up the Peninsula.

/ The Peninsula Creamery/

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. 

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Mediocre high school student finding success in college

/ The Dish/

To me, being successful means...
Being successful is something that is constantly changing to me. In high school, that math test was the biggest deal in my life. Then which college I went to seemed important. In college, a long term relationship that turned into a breakup seemed like the end of the world. Now, graduating from college, the job that I have seems to taken priority. That being said, being content in the present is something that to me signifies success. Nothing else really matters.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I think my concept of self confidence has improved after leaving Palo Alto. Having that confidence has allowed me to find success in more ways.

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Success with a hiccup - struggling with mental illness

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To me, being successful means...
Being happy, waking up each morning knowing you are loved and that everything will be OK, no matter what happens.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I realized that what I do for work has much less importance in life than who I am as a person. 

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Happy balance over everything else

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To me, being successful means...
Maintaining my happiness.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
There is no dollar amount or title that can fulfill my success, which I initially believed. It's a matter of a work life balance that allows me to do the things in life that make me happy.

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