What drew you to this position in CBS?
During college I was heavily involved in mentorship roles and was able to build a lot of meaningful relationships with my peers/mentees, especially to support their needs. It was kind of happenstance, but those experiences were the first times that I realized I can pursue a career that's centered around helping people and it didn't have to be in the medical field. I loved working with college students, getting to know their stories and helping them figure out how they wanted the rest of their journey to unfold and it only made sense to jump at this position when I saw it was open. I knew that the Student Engagement Coordinator role meant I would get to supervise a lot of the programs that helped me succeed through the challenging years and it was the best way for me to give back.
You are a CBS alum. What is it like working in the college now after getting your undergraduate degree here?
I'll be honest... It's a bit weird, but overall, it's so fun and fulfilling. CBS students are extremely unique in a lot of ways and being an alum helps me empathize with their experiences in a different way; in a way, it's helped me a lot when it comes to being relatable to both the students and faculty that I've spoken with. It's been a great experience that helps me see both sides of higher education and being around the community of students, researchers and faculty really inspires me to keep my interest in STEM alive.
What's something unique about your role that you enjoy?
I love the way that I get to interact with and support students. While I don't see students for meetings the way our advisors and career coaches do, the way that I get to engage with them through events, Dean's Scholars courses, conversations on campus involvement and advising the CBS Events Board still gives me the opportunity to form those authentic and meaningful relationships. I may not get the same exposure to the entire CBS population the way my peers do, but I'm grateful for each and every moment that I do get!
You are a member of the CBS DEIJ Community of Practice. What does your role in that group entail and what are you looking forward to with your role?
I'll admit, I'm pretty new to the CBS DEIJ Community of Practice so I don't feel as confident to speak on my role there since I feel like I haven't necessarily contributed as much as I'd like! That being said, I'm just excited to be a part of the work being done. As an Asian-American woman who studied at a predominantly white institution, I fully recognize that the positive experiences I had in college were due to the folks who were committed to starting initiatives centered around creating inclusive and equitable environments/policies.
What things do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I think I'd describe myself as a renaissance woman when it comes to my diversified range of hobbies. I'm a huge foodie, so I love to cook and try new restaurants/dishes. I'd consider myself to be an adventurous thrill seeker, so I love to travel, hike and go on motorcycle rides, while simultaneously being a homebody who loves board games, video games, sewing and knitting.