Who You Are Matters

Where do I come from?

I come from Cupertino, CA in the heart of the Silicon Valley.

I was born to a city girl from Beijing and a farm boy from southern China who both ended up with PhD's in biology in pursuit of the American dream.

Not a single one of their three children are pursuing careers in biology. Unfortunately.

Where am I going?

I can really only see where I'm going, maybe a few feet in front of me. As a senior with an offer out of school in a finance/accounting job, it's hard for that not to be my immediate destination. Beyond that, however, the path is a lot less clear. I might stay in that job, but I might abandon that career altogether, who knows?

I want to go wherever feels natural for me in the moment, not being swayed too much by an expectation of where I should be, but rather by what makes sense and what feels right in the moment.

How do I plan to get there?

Since I don't even really know where I'm going, I'm just doing the best I can and letting the wind carry me wherever.

How am I like my parents?

I often have a similar one-track mindedness to my father, sometimes to my benefit and sometimes to my detriment.

I have my mother's empathy and capacity for caring for others.

How am I unlike my parents?

My dad is a workaholic, I prefer a finer balance between work and life.

My mother likes to make assumptions about people, I tend to wait for people to reveal themselves to me before making judgments. 

Have you developed your own expectations of yourself?

Yes. Throughout my life, I'd say that expectations weren't imposed upon me, rather I put them on myself to do well, succeed, and enjoy my time. I've never felt pressured by anyone but myself to perform academically or otherwise.

Who serves as a role model?

Jacob Collier is an incredible role model - he pushes the boundaries of modern music theory and innovates at the highest level unlike anyone in our generation while also being down-to-earth, having a sense of humor, connecting with the community, and maintaining humility in general. To simultaneously have that level of excellence and humility is a balance I'd like to achieve.

What wild animal do I feel a connection with?

I relate to chameleons. I'm good at adapting to situations socially, physically, or otherwise.

Childhood encounter with a tree or plant?

When I was 7 years old, I saw a redwood forest for the first time and felt permanently short and insignificant in comparison to those giant towering trees. That experience still reminds me how small I am relative to the rest of the world.

Horoscope

Sun: 25 degrees Cancer

Moon: 11 degrees Aquarius

Rising: 09 degrees Sagittarius