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What’s the one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I am a Pole/Aerial amateur dancer. I started pole in West Hollywood, Los Angeles five years ago and was immediately hooked. I was happy to found a pole community at Cary after I moved to North Carolina in the fall of 2016.

What drives your curiosity?

How people reach the same destination by taking vastly distinct paths, while those who once shared the same boat diverged to different places.

What are you passionate about?

Effective science communication. I am fascinated by scientific work across all different disciplines. The beauty of science is that we use vastly developing tools to solve local or global issues and improve the quality of our lives. And it is so much more powerful if we have conversations about it, if we spread the message out to bigger communities and to young generations. I want to encourage young kids to pursue STEM major, regardless of where they come from. I am eager to let them know that science is nothing intimidating but is meaningful and a lot of fun!

What are you striving for?

Over the years, I have been striving to search for public representatives in my community who has shared background of mine – female, alien, Asian, and interdisciplinary STEM major. Often the time, I run into those women in the back scene, or next to me in the audience seat, feeling enlightened being there but also intimidated by the very idea to speak upfront. We are instead always hoping together for some other women to show up in the front stage as our representatives, other women that are more successful, more capable, more outspoken, more equipped, than ourselves.  Thanks to all the communications with many individuals especially those from other underrepresented populations, I came to realize that this inaction is dangerous and is preventing us from building a strong and ideal community. With many small nudges from them, from my mentors, family and friends, I am finally taking small steps forward to become part of this journey. Little as it seems, I hope to be one of the pebbles in the pond that creates the ripple for change (quote from Tim Cook). I hope to have conversations with more women and together we build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of survival and sustain.

What three words would your closest friends use to describe you?

Warmhearted, active, authentic

Team Moe’s or Team Chipotle?

Chipotle. Almost mouth-watering when picturing Chipotle’s richly colored veggies and incredibly fresh-looking salsas