I am a second generation Asian American. My parents both emigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. to pursue their graduate school degrees. My father was a chemist, and my mother was a civil engineer. My older brother Peter, older sister Susie, and I were born in Corvallis, Oregon. We moved to Portland shortly after I was born. Money was always tight, so like most kids, we entertained ourselves by riding our bikes and playing with friends until the streetlights came on. If we wanted money for candy, we would bike around town to find cans and bottles to bring back to the store for their nickel deposit. (My early experience with recycling!) Weekends consisted of Saturday morning cartoons and Chinese school. I was nine years old when my brother Ted was born and, shortly after, only 11 years old when our mother died of breast cancer. After that it was up to Peter, Susie, and me to take care of two-year-old Ted while our father worked long hours to support us. I will never forget the kindness of my neighbors who drove me and my siblings back and forth to Ted’s daycare, so we could bring him home after school everyday.

 

In high school, I worked babysitting jobs and spent three years working for a small bakery. I always loved school and believed that if I worked hard, I could achieve anything. I exceled in school and sports and aspired to have an exciting career someday. I attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland my freshman year. Longing for sunny weather and the experience of a living in a big city, I transferred to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and moved to Newport Beach after landing my first engineering job.