More about me

"I speak, therefore I am."

I was born and raised in Shenzhen, China. I grew up speaking Cantonese[1] at home and Mandarin elsewhere.

[1] I was mostly exposed to Hong Kong/Guangzhou Cantonese through mainstream media and my peers. My dad's side of the family speaks a local variety Nantou Hua (南头话). My mom's side of the family speaks Dongxing Cantonese as spoken in the Chinese-Vietnamese community. These varieties are all very distinct from each other!

More about me:

• I am a proud first-generation college student and first-generation high school student.

As a first-generation high school and college student and the first member of my generation to navigate this path,  my academic path has been defined by self-directed resourcefulness. Because neither of my parents had the opportunity to attend high school, I learned early on how to navigate complex institutional systems and build my own roadmaps for success. 

• Neurodivergent

My experience as a neurodivergent person has likewise shaped how I approach the world. It has made me particularly attentive to the diverse ways in which people process information, communicate, and navigate complex systems, and continues to inform how I approach both academics and everyday life.