This document provides a summary of what is important to the author through a collection of photos and brief descriptions. The photos depict the author's experiences volunteering abroad, working with students in Taiwan, enjoying nightlife in Taiwan, becoming certified as a Zumba and yoga instructor after an ankle injury, and helping one struggling student improve his English scores. The overall document highlights the author's passion for pushing outside their comfort zone, broadening perspectives through teaching and travel, and finding purpose and joy through helping others.

1. What’s Important to Me

2. Always pushing my comfort level. With a big
smile on the outside.
Petrified of leeches on
the inside.
My mentee and I planting mangrove trees in
Malaysia

3. Stanford’s South East Asian
Leadership Network 2007
“Circle Painting” learning
activity led by the incredible
Hiep Nguyen. Displayed at
2007 ASEAN conference
Two week
experience opened
my eyes to viability
of career in social
value creation

4. This is my co-teacher
Monica in a nutshell.
She broadens my
perspective daily.
This could be filled
with red pen marks.
Instead she writes
“You can do it!”.
This applies to
children in school and
adults in business.

5. Studying and Working
Abroad in India and China
Super important life
lesson learned: one
cannot survive
without being
flexible—
professionally and
personally—so enjoy
it!
Planned 3 day journey.
The motion of a camel
walking makes me
nauseous

6. They are full of love, joy, and fun despite having parents
who committed suicide recently.
These children inspire me.
Many of my students in Taiwan come from a children’s home.
I teach English there twice a week.

7. Friday Nights in DaShu (Big Tree),
Taiwan
Only nightlife activity: chatting at noodle shop I live above

8. I love being
proactive!
Sometimes a bit
too much at work…
Ankle was shattered
and out of work for 6
weeks
I am extremely active so it brought my spirits real low,
but made it a goal to become Zumba instructor within
1 year of incident. I became one within 6 months.
Certified yoga instructor 9 months later.

9. Dick
5th grade.
Taken care of by his 7th
grade sister along with all
5 of his siblings. Father
alcoholic, mother left.
Zero interest in English
1st semester test scores: 43%
and 52%
Remedial Class began 2nd
semester
2nd semester midterm exam:
82%
I moved him to the reward
class where I teach not from
the textbook, but about each
state in the US
He still doesn’t like learning English,
but was sure was proud to beat all
his friends’ scores
Told him he could get a 90% last
exam. With a nod and smile he
replied, “OK”
My Students

10. This is the most
embarrassing photo of me
Now you know everything
…and was published in the newspaper