I started high school lost and without a support group. Little friends and family that was hands-off and out of touch, I was quite the definition of impressionable.  

As a first generation Asian-American, I had a “reputation” to uphold. I had to be good at math, so I ended up deciding at some point that I should be an engineer. If for nothing else, it was purely not to be an embarrassment to my family when they talked about me to their friends. I somehow ended up borrowing a camera and fell in love with the creative process. Unfortunately, the “logic” part of my brain told me that that would never be a feasible career path for me. I had little faith in my own ability and was so horribly afraid of “failing” my parents.

It wasn’t until a certain teacher took faith in my ability that that perspective changed. Hannah Jaspard saw me with a camera taking photos around campus and of my friends, and she asked me to volunteer my talents to the Matador Monthly. Having someone see the value in my ability really turned a switch in my brain.   Perhaps this is possible? If someone believes in me, I must be doing something right.

The Matador Monthly allowed me to practice my skills more frequently and get more comfortable with the creative part of my brain. A group depended on me. They valued my work. I both needed and wanted to improve my skills.

She also ended up giving me a chance to earn my first paycheck with my photography, outside of school. That really opened my eyes to what was possible. It was only a mere $100, but for a 16 year old in high school, it was all the money in the world. More importantly than the dollar amount, it was income. I could make income with my art? It was a remarkable realization.

Those events were not enough to take me out of my path in engineering, unfortunately. Despite staying in my career path, the seed was planted. About 4 years after high school, I realized my potential and started a career in wedding photography. That was beginning of it all.   I am now 25 years old, 8 years out of high school. I am a licensed civil engineer, but I also run a small creative agency that provides photography/videography services in commercial, wedding, and social media industries.   It’s the little seed that was planted many years ago that started the process that led me to realizing my true potential in this world. My journey has only begun, but I have the little relationships in high school to thank for helping me figuring out my identity.