About Me.
I was born in California and grew up in Hawaii and Barcelona alongside a huge family–consisting of my parents, my elder sister and almost-nine-year-younger baby brother, 12 aunties and uncles, and 17 (and growing) cousins. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Chicago in March 2024 and after moved to Boston to work as a paralegal for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. I currently hold the title of Miss Worcester County 2025 and am focusing my year of service on preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors. I hope to extend my passion for service into my future career as an attorney after obtaining my J.D./M.B.A. in the next few years.
The Four Points of the Crown & Me
Scholarship
Inspired by my brilliant older sister, Clarise, I have consistently strived for ambitious academic goals. Having won awards for my academic accomplishments throughout my academic career, including having been nominated for the Presidential and Rhodes Scholarships, and achieving my aspiration of graduating at the top of my class from a top university last year, I know that I am ready to take on the next chapter of my life and head into law and business school to live out my Elle Woods dream of becoming a successful attorney. (Yes, I watched Legally Blonde the night before I took my LSAT, and I will be watching Legally Blonde 2 the night before I take the Bar Exam!)
Service
My late grandfather espoused the idea that each person should use their life in pursuit of making the world a better place. I have taken his words to heart, creating an environmental nonprofit and volunteering for an educational organization in high school, then serving as the Field Trip Director for the educational nonprofit Supplies for Dreams, Fundraising Director for the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association, University of Chicago Varsity Tennis Team's representative for the Women's Athletic Association, and in multiple social leadership roles throughout college. I now serve my community as a paralegal in a variety of my law firm's pro bono matters, and of course am using the crown to further my CSI–From Victim to Survivor: Ending Sexual Assault.
Style
The most stylish thing a woman can wear is confidence. What builds my confidence is showing up as a role model for others, which I get to do every day for my little brother, who I taught to read and play the piano. With the crown, I get to be a leader to many more, and have been using my year of service to be a spokesperson for sexual assault survivors–working with schools to educate students and faculty on the meaning of consent and providing support to survivors, alongside anti-sexual violence organizations Pathways 4 Change, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and Jane Doe Inc. (the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault) to fundraise and lobby the legislature, and with my own MAO social media platform to spread awareness around the issue.
Success
My definition of success is finding happiness. For me, that means maintaining a healthy relationship with God, with others, and with myself. As a recently converted Jew-by-choice, I found my connection to faith, which helps guide me and keeps me humble and grateful. Even with a very busy work life, I dedicate just as much attention and effort to my social life, which takes the form of weekly phone calls to my family and long-distance friends, trying new fitness adventures, like pickleball and softball, with my coworkers, and discovering new hobbies and ideas on the meaning of life with my friends. As for my relationship with myself, I place a high value on the things that keep me grounded, which often is exercise (I've taken up swimming, running, and Pilates all in this year), chasing after my next waterfall, going horseback riding for a weekend, creating pointillism drawings, learning new songs on the piano, reading my next psychological criminology thriller, and buying sweet treats and blingy things.
A Collection of (Very) Random Facts About Me
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I am lactose intolerant but would rather spend my night in a bathroom than skip out on Mac and Cheese and/or a strawberry milkshake (if I happened to not have my handy dandy Lactaid pills on me when the opportunity to eat either arose).
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My dream wedding:
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Late Fall
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In a castle in Carcassonne (a city in Southern France that I first visited when I was 12)
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Fairy lights and pink carnations with Baby's Breath
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My wedding gown is the Vera Wang Katherine, Maid of Honor wears a red dress and Best Man wears a red tie, bridesmaids wear pink dresses and groomsmen wear pink ties
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We're sending out e-vites (to save money since all of it will have been spent on the castle), so check your emails
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My sister will be the photographer (again, to save money)
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DJ is just a loudspeaker playing a Spotify Jam (except my father-daughter dance will be to "My Only Sunshine") (again, to save money)
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Menu for the night is a bunch of Ziploc snack bags of plain pasta, and everyone bring's their own sauce and utensils (again, to save money) (cake will be made by Chef Mommy Huang, who went to culinary school before going to medical school)
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My partner and I ride away into the sunset on horses (so they better start learning to English ride now)
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I also have my Last Will and Testament written up and notarized (it's a little water-damaged, though, since I keep it in a box of artwork that got soaked in my basement apartment in Back Bay).
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I can lucid dream, which is why I partially believe in solipsism. I also believe in angels, ghosts, and karma.
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If reincarnation does exist, I want to come back as a super smooth rock that a kid skips at least five times into a stream. Although I would also settle for being a monarch butterfly.
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I have more than 786 stuffed animals (that number was my count on the day I left for college, when my mom asked me to pack up my "Animotel").
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Relatedly, I am a HUGE fan of dinosaurs (my WiFi name has been "ilikedinosaurs" since I first got a router in college).
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I almost got scammed into buying $600 of Apple gift cards for someone claiming to be my old company's CEO, due to my gullibility and trusting nature (sorry Mommy, and thank you to my best friend's dad for saving me from that :)).
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I can ride a bike, but only if someone pushes me to start off.
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My dad and I keep track of eligible prince bachelors for me to marry (for fun... mostly...).
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I cry when I get REALLY hungry.
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I can cook a mean Beef Wellington, braised short ribs, and cheesecake, but cannot, for the life of me, make an edible fried rice.
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Nothing pisses me off faster than experiencing technical issues (even though I've worked in technology (at least technology-tangent) spheres since entering the working world).
My Answers to The 36 Questions That Lead to Love
I love to do this set of questions with people I'm trying to get to know better, and I also can't shut up once I open my mouth, so here's more about me! (But I'm picking and choosing the questions because some of them should be answered in a more private setting.)
Q: Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
A: I would want my late Uncle Richard as a dinner guest. He passed when he was quite young, so I never got the chance to speak to him as an adult, which I think would be invaluable.
Q: Would you like to be famous? If so, in what way?
A: Yes, but only if it is for one of the following: I'm Miss America, my art is in a museum, a book I've written gets published, or I'm famous because of recognition for achievements in my career/charitable efforts.
Q: Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say, and if so, why?
A: Only if I am placing a very large food order.
Q: What would constitute a perfect day for you?
A: Any day that I start out productively and get to enjoy movement, good food, and good company is a perfect day for me.
Q: When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
A: I sing to myself in the shower every day. Usually, it's church songs or old songs from my choir days since those are the songs I'm most familiar with, but lately it's been "Hallelujah" because Hunter (my sister queen, Miss Blackstone Valley 2025) sang it so beautifully at the Miss Worcester County/Blackstone Valley competition that I can't get it out of my head. The last time I sang to someone else was probably when I was singing a prayer song from New Zealand, "May The Road Rise to Meet You", as an attempt at providing comfort for a friend.
Q: If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A: I would keep the mind of a 30-year old for two reasons: First, though I doubt I'll ever lose it, I'd like to keep my childhood whimsy, idealism, and glass-half-full attitude about the world, despite all the reasons life gives us to become jaded. Secondly, because I have had family members suffer from dementia and Alzheimers, and would rather not put my loved ones through the experience of losing me mentally.
Q: Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
A: This is maybe a bit morbid, but I think I'll die the third time I have cancer.
Q: For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
A: Hard to pick just one thing, but probably my father. He was the one who raised me and teaches me time and time again what love is supposed to look like, which I try my best to translate into my own actions towards others and myself.
Q: If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
A: Emotional healing. I haven't worked out all the details on how this would work, but essentially, I would like to be to take away someone's emotional pain for some period of time so that they can take care of themselves until they are ready to process what they went through.
Q: If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future, or anything else, what would you want to know?
A: I would want to know that my brother turns out alright. I'm sure he will, because he's such a great kid, but having been in somewhat of a caretaker role for him for several years now, I've gotten used to worrying about him constantly, so it would be nice to have extra reassurance regarding his wellbeing.
Q: Is there something that you've dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
A: My answer to this used to be "go to Miss America", but now that I'm on that journey, I would change it to "go to New Zealand". I have no other excuse for not going other than that I love to spend my money as quickly as it enters my bank account (although I have been slowly improving my financial responsibility!) so haven't saved up enough to visit yet.
Q: What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
A: Being a good sister to both of my siblings. I am very proud of the fact that I am the person both go to first when they want support, laughter, commiseration, or anything else.
Q: What do you value most in a friendship?
A: Loyalty, which to me means always looking out for the other person's best interests. Showing up for someone like that is what friendship and love is all about in my book.
Q: What is your most treasured memory?
A: Meeting my brother for the first time. I remember that whole day so clearly. I had woken up at my aunty's house, and she made us a Hawaii breakfast of spam, eggs, and rice before driving us to school. It was a Chapel day, and during service, our chaplain talked about the date, International Peace Day. My aunty called me as I was in the pickup line to let me and my sister know that we would be going straight to Kapiolani Hospital since my mom was in labor. My sister and I sat in the waiting room for several hours, during which time I talked her ear off and used up the nurse's entire notebook drawing pictures of animals. I called one of my family friends, who brought her family and took us out to Genki Sushi (which I was disappointed by because I wanted udon for dinner). As soon as we got back to the hospital, I had no qualms about my meal since Marcus had been born, and I stood behind the plexiglass with my sister and friends while we watched my dad bathe Marcus and dress him with a little blue hat. Then my dad rolled Marcus outside, and I felt pure joy as he gripped my finger with his whole fist. I went home with my family later that day and filled in the other eye of a Daruma doll I had made in art class since my wish for a little sibling had been fulfilled.
Q: If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
A: Hard to say without actually experiencing it, but probably not much. I think I am living my life to the fullest right now, and even if I won't reach my full potential, I'm happy with what I have achieved for myself and am continuing to achieve now.
Q: Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
A: Before, I might have said the way in which I acted after being sexually assaulted. I made some pretty poor decisions for myself, but in hindsight, I think those things were necessary for me to heal. So my answer now would probably be either when I cartoon-like-slipped in a mossy pit at China Walls, one of my favorite beaches in Hawaii, or when I tried to encourage a kid to go on the monkey bars by saying that it wasn't scary, then proceeded to fall directly on my head while trying to do a flip on said monkey bars.
Q: When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
A: Not technically in front of another person, but I call my dad for everything, and I called him when I had been informed that one of my mentors passed away earlier this year. The last time I cried by myself was probably when I had food poisoning from the first time I ate New England clam chowder and was laying on my bathroom floor begging God for mercy.
Q: If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone?
A: I would regret all the little things I didn't say to others about my admiration for them or my appreciation for them. To this day, I still remember something a classmate said to me when I was in middle school about how she admired my accomplishments in tennis, which helped me a lot in my tennis career since those words, even though casual to her, helped me make the decision not to quit playing at a time when I felt incredibly discouraged. I think a lot of times, our words have more effect than presumed, so I would want to know that I had done my best to spread that appreciation to others before dying.
Q: Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be and why?
A: I would save a gold pendant that has been in my family for generations and was passed down to me by my father.