Code of Conduct

During an internship in a dormitory with a dozen other young adults, we had Friendsgiving dinner together. All of us had known each other for about five months at that point, but mostly just passing small talk. So we all met up in the kitchen and started setting up. We all got to bond, share stories, play games, and eat lots of food. Towards the end, we took turns expressing what we were thankful for. I said I was thankful just to be invited and being able to share a nice memory with a kind group of people.

It taught me that life is truly a series of fleeting moments. Imagine if we were straight lines being drawn on paper, each going in a different direction. Miraculously, everyone’s lines happened to converge at a singular point in time, for just a split second. After that, each of those lines continued onwards in their respective directions, likely to never cross again.

My knee accident in 2003. It changed my life forever in every single way. 4 surgeries later and still in physical therapy with future surgeries on the horizon. I used to have major depression from my accident but with lots of therapy and extreme perseverance and determination I was able to mold that attitude into my every day life and make me who I am today.

When I was in the woods swinging on this long rope hanging on a tree with my "friends". I was a couple years younger and we had been taking turns swinging on it and making sure we didn't hit this boulder next to us. When it was my turn to swing they pushed me to get some momentum going but didn't stick around to catch me so I didn't hit the boulder. I smashed my leg onto the boulder really hard and my "friends" ditched me in the middle of the woods. I couldn't get up for about 20-30 minutes and had to limp back to the campsite. I learned that just because they say they're your friends and do friend things, it doesn't mean they are an actual true friend.

I was a dual immersion kid, learning in English and Spanish from K - 11th. I grew up hating being in the program; I hated speaking Spanish and I wished so badly to be in "normal school." I didn't understand why my parents put me in Las Palmas. It wasn't until high school when I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on a class trip to Spain. I was on bus, leaving the airport, driving through Madrid, and it clicked: I can read the signs. I can understand what the tour guide is saying. I know a little about the history of this place. I was like "oooh, I get it now. This is why they did it. This is why mom and dad put me in that program." That's when my love of travel really started. That love of travel turned into a major change at Saddleback when Film didn't work out. If you like travel so much, why don't you work in hotels? That's the career path I've taken, hospitality, all because I took one trip, all because I was a dual immersion kid.

Breaking my arm goofing around as a kid. After that, I shifted away from a lot of my physical hobbies realizing my fragile state and limitations. One of my favorite things to do was to shoot baskets. While I learned to shoot okay 1 handed with my left hand, my right arm could never follow through the same again. I happened to fall into computer animation, and then programming. Funny how an accident and misjudgment caused such a realignment for me.

When I moved from the midwest to CA after graduating college with just my 2 luggages, no job lined up nor friends I know or car I owned. What a great way to start my life over.

Divorce. The biggest blessing and curse - forced me to reevaluate everything and rebuild a different life for myself.

Life finally began to make sense when I discovered that I have AuDHD

Building lego blocks with my dad when I was a kid. It inspired me to always love building or creating something (science, technology, etc)