Hometown:
Irvine, CA
My Story:
If I had a thousand lifetimes, I would pick a different career path in each one. Starting as a freshman at BYU-Hawaii, my class schedule was a conglomerate of courses from varying majors. Everything interested me, but that meant indecision and uncertainty made landing on a career path extremely difficult. When I transferred to BYU, I chose Math Education as a major, then Communication Disorders, and then finally I decided on Political Science. It combines my passion for nuance, writing, statistics, and argumentative research. I’ve grown comfortable making small decisions through uncertainty which fuels me with the desire to help you do the same.
Favorites: Biking around big cities, gardening, the ocean, salsa dancing
Book: Right now...Romney: A Reckoning or Dune
Movie: Some Kind of Wonderful
Food: Sushi, Toscana Soup, Nerds Gummy Clusters, Garden Salsa Sunchips
Animal: Hummingbirds, Beluga Whales
Color: Forest Green
Does Pineapple Belong on Pizza? Oh yes.
Boring fact about me: I’m an extrovert, but I love silence.
Hobbies: Weightlifting, hosting get togethers, ultimate frisbee, cooking, traveling, speaking Spanish
Exploration Experience
A key turning point in my exploration journey was when I let go of multiple misconceptions. One of them was that I needed a major that would directly correlate to a specific vocation. I was so scared of letting plans evolve over time and trusting my own capabilities to create opportunities, that I convinced myself that there were “right majors” and “wrong majors”. This is anything but true. Your major doesn’t define your life decisions forever. After obtaining any degree, anyone can still choose their course. Facing the fear of uncertainty let me discover that I actually preferred to have an open-ended “ending” to my time at BYU. Through internship opportunities, holding informational interviews, getting to know my professors, and taking advantage of campus resources I gained confidence that with my Political Science degree, I can secure a job after graduation. I realized it had more to do with my perseverance and hard work than the major I chose.
Why is Exploring Important to Me
Exploration is an early form of creation. Solidifying plans and creating dreams starts with discovery. Delving into rabbit holes of possibilities can be exciting and daunting. It was for me when I was seriously interested in 5 different majors! Sometimes, it can lead to uncertainty that feels overwhelming. As I chose to change directions twice, I grew awfully familiar with that feeling. But those moments are when you can actively create the life you desire. With a growth mindset, it can be some of the most rewarding moments of self-creation. Those early steps of
exploration set in motion subsequent action that creates a lifespan. Now, I know so much more about myself that gives me the confidence to make life choices with commitment.
Looking Back
The ability to decide a major had a lot to do with my self-esteem. Gaining confidence that I could work hard and that opportunities would come if I put in effort to achieve them led me to feel good about any path I would choose. I wish I would have identified my professional strengths sooner so I could have more time working on hard skills during my major. Campus resources like the Career Studio, professors as career advisors, major lecture series, Exploration Point, and in my case the FHSS Internship Office Database were all things I wish I knew more about sooner. I was intimidated by approaching these resources, but I quickly learned that their job is to help you feel secure about your future. Each major has unique resources that help guide your decision path. Sometimes all it takes is asking about what’s available! Using these resources myself has inspired me to be a part of Exploration Point and help you go through your own exploration journey.