HOW DID YOU CHOOSE A PATHWAY IN PUBLIC SERVICE?

​

My journey in public service began when I made the decision to change my undergraduate program from pre-med to public policy. As a refugee child, I was the first in my family to speak English and was the default interpreter and translator for my extended family. In that role, I experienced firsthand the language, cultural and compassion barriers that hinder and deny vulnerable people’s access to available public resources. I decided that I would seek a career in public policy and use my personal experiences to influence and shape how government and community services can more effectively deliver on the promise of opportunity and the American Dream.

​

WHO INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?

​

​I am inspired by my parents, whose courage, hope and faith gave them the will to survive and thrive in this country despite having to flee from political persecution, survive life in a refugee camp and start a new life in a new land with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs.

​

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR AAPI GIRLS AND WOMEN WHO WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE?

​

Be bold, be audacious, be ambitious and be not afraid to seize power so you can use and redirect that power to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable and marginalized, make visible the discounted and disenfranchised, and secure the rights of those who have be denied their share of our resources.

​