Stanford was a gateway for me into technology, and it changed my life by providing a strong foundation beyond just engineering education.

In college, I majored in political science after realizing that medicine might not be the right path for me.

I was in a PhD program in statistics, but I had a passion for business, which was a difficult conversation with my traditional Asian parents who valued academic careers highly.

I ran a lab for more than a decade and still teach medical, graduate, and undergraduate students at Stanford.

Even though I had a traditional career path, my choices have been driven by a desire to solve compelling human problems.

At Stanford, I discovered the Symbolic Systems program, which combines computer science, design, philosophy, and psychology, emphasizing the importance of understanding the context around software development.

My time at Stanford was pivotal; it was the first class to start with Facebook, which changed perceptions about young people being able to innovate and bring game-changing ideas to market.

While at Stanford, I took a class called Startup Engineering, which emphasized practical skills needed to start a business, rather than just high-level theories.

Interning at Google as a sophomore opened my eyes to the tech industry, making me realize I wanted to work in California after graduation.