Personal Expression: Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates.

Hi Mom, Dad,

Greetings from Stern! It was a team effort and you were always there to motivate me to pursue my dreams. Without you, I wouldn’t be here.

Mom – I know what you’re thinking. New York is a big city, a world away from my small-town upbringing. Remember, I’ve found my footing in foreign environments several times now: trekking to Berkeley for college, studying abroad in Barcelona, living on my own in San Francisco, moving to Singapore. You have known since my first London trip in 7th Grade that the travel bug bit me hard and it would become my pursuit to adventure abroad experiencing new cultures and meeting new people. I know how you enjoy hearing about my journeys abroad, and I look to share some of these experiences, both abroad professionally and leisurely, with my fellow classmates at Stern to help paint a better global picture. As the men in our family know, the women are strong-willed and determined, which has pushed me through the transition times, and I know they won’t fail me now. On the friend front, don’t fret. I’ll continue to emulate the style you’ve taught me to be the motivator, and if all else fails, whip up a batch of our Japanese mochi brownies. Our kitchen experimentation of east and western palette are a crowd-pleaser and will be a great excuse for me to keep the baking skills up to Iyoya standard.

Dad – ‘be prepared’ – as a scout leader for my brother and my camp coordinator, you always espoused Lord Baden Powell’s scouting mantra. My Stern preparedness comes from varied professional experiences coupled with personal development, and I’m now ready to hit the ground running and take advantage of the classes, clubs, and volunteer opportunities too. Being a Life Member of Girl Scouts is more than a title; I’ve found myself living out the spirit of volunteerism at UNIFEM and Habitat, even with a hectic work schedule. There are several Stern initiatives I can pursue to continue my passion to give back, and once I get settled I plan to rally fellow students to form the U.S. branch for Maiti Nepal or another NGO UNIFEM I worked with. You always evangelized the importance of staying in-touch with our Japanese and Chinese heritage as well. The Japan Business Association does a Japan trek over Thanksgiving so I may have to miss our annual Iyoya/Lam family holiday get-together to participate, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to connect with my cultural roots. Hopefully I can rally a Stern group to do scuba diving or golfing over one of the breaks as well!

Mom and Dad – I am ready to take another step along the path to my goals. I think of Stern as an extension of our family, a support network of individuals from whom I can learn so much, and conversely, to whom I can share your teachings that have influenced my success and can shape my fellow classmates into becoming better businesspeople.