Who You Are Matters

Welcome! I’m Kelly, a senior from Yorba Linda, CA. I moved to Yorba Linda from San Diego in eighth grade. Although I don’t have a deep connection to the actual town, the people there make Yorba Linda home. My friends are family, and all our families are friends.

After graduation in May, I’m moving to Seattle to start my next chapter at Microsoft. I’m not totally sure if Microsoft is “it” for me, but it’s a great opportunity for me to figure it out.

My parents and I don’t always see eye to eye, but I see myself becoming more like them. My mom has worked every day of her life. She loves to contribute, to help organizations improve, and to stay busy. I’m very like her in this way. I crave a hectic schedule and love to be involved. Like my mom, I think I will find work that I love and then “work” every day of my life. My dad is the definition of selfless. I’m not quite as generous with my time and energy, but I do see myself being as patient, calm, and tolerant as my dad.

For all that we have in common, I am unlike my parents in that I understand when enough is enough. In my mom’s case, I understand when I’ve worked too much. I understand when I’m doing more than my share. I understand when it’s time to take a break and when my work/schedule are getting in the way of my relationships. Similarly, with my dad, I understand when I’ve done too much for others and forgotten my own priorities and needs. From seeing how this has affected my parents, I think I’ve created appropriate personal boundaries for myself.

My parents have always been supportive of me, but have never pushed me to do something I did not want to do (maybe besides taking piano lessons). I feel like I set the tone for my life and that I control what I can. I set high expectations for myself, and while I don’t always meet them, at least the only person I am letting down is myself.

Someone who I look up to with great respect is Ellen DeGeneres. For most, her humor and charm can brighten our day. For some, she recognizes their character and improves their situation forever. I love that she can find the light in a dark world, and she wants to help others do the same.

I’m not a huge animal person, but I do feel a little connection with sea turtles. I like how they travel in groups, yet do their own thing. They give me a sense of peace and remind me of family memories. In my family’s old house in San Diego, we had lemon trees and my friends and I would always pick them after school and make lemonade. The lemon tree was less about the lemonade, and more about my sister and I being surrounded by the people we loved.

Here is a photo of my parents and me at a scholarship event at USC Town & Gown. February 2017.