What is your major, and what do you want to do?

My major is bioengineering with a minor in Global Health. Right now I really enjoy being a bioengineering student, triathlete, and a resident advisor. In the future I am looking to combine my experience as an engineering and global health student and work for a successful company that has a healthy contribution to society. In more specific terms I am looking to help create everyday devices that people can use to help themselves live healthy, active lifestyles.

Where did you grow up/what was your athletic background?

I grew up in Castro Valley, a town in the east bay area. I played some team sports when I was in elementary school and middle school, but, by the time I reached high school cross-country and track took over my free time. Running was such a big part my identity I wanted to make sure I could run in college so I came to UCSD and was on their NCAA cross country and track team for two years.

What made you join the tri team originally?

After two years at UCSD I was becoming very involved with my major and working as a RA so I felt to optimize my time I should leave UCSD cross country and track. However after being off a team for seven months I missed working out with people.
About the same time I was missing working out I saw someone in tri jacket. I knew mom had done tris so I thought I would enjoy them to. I knew triathlon was a club sport and therefore would have a more flexible schedule than an NCAA sport. Interested in trying TRI I asked Tri jacket when practice was. They said practice was Monday at the track. That Monday I showed up to practice, everyone was kind and on the extreme side (which I liked) so I kept showing up. The rest is history.

What is your favourite sport of the three?

My favorite sport currently is swimming.
Personally I enjoy improving. The easiest sport for me to improve in is swimming so I enjoy swimming the most.

What is your best race experience?

My best race experience was Conference 2012 simply because I finished.
The race was my first triathlon with the UCSD TRI Team. I almost did not even make it out the water because the lake was frigid which surprised me and I forgot how to swim. Somehow I made it out of the water, through T1, on a bike from Kerri (thanks!), and then through the rest of the race. I was so happy and relieved to be done with my first triathlon I talked (sorry Brooks) basically for 6 hours straight on the car ride back to San Diego.

What’s your favorite workout (any sport)?

Two of my favorite workouts are long easy runs talking with a friend or finishing an extremely hard workout that I did not think I could finish.

What race are you most proud of?

Conference 2013

With a year of training with UCSD Triathlon I was able to drop 20 minutes off my Olympic Triathlon time.

What was the most embarrassing rookie mistake you made?

Luckily I joined the team in the middle of season so I was the only “newbie” around and had a lot of veteran support as I tried to learn the ropes yet it is embarrassing that I thought triathlon was going to be easy.

What are your goals for this academic year and triathlon season?

Academically I would like to graduate. With triathlon I would like to improve my time on my Nationals race.

What is one thing no one would guess just looking at you?

Depends. Are you more surprised I studied abroad in Australia or I can lick my nose?

Are you on social media anywhere?

 and .  Check me out!

What is your craziest RA experience or what is the weirdest thing you have caught your kids doing?

This is a hard question to answer. Residents are very dynamic and talented, everyone has a different story to tell. The most positive experiences I have had as a RA always seem to involve food and jokes. Everyone loves eat or learn how to cook or bake. Some of the best memories I have made as a RA have been teaching residents how to use an electric mixer. Recently I have started telling my residents really bad jokes. Yet my residents are super nice and polite so they laugh anyway. Now residents are starting to tell jokes and are challenging me to joke offs. I find being challenged to joke offs extremely weird because I am really not the class clown type.

Rank your three favourite cookies, with explanations, and what will it take to convince you to make them for me?

If you hang around long enough I will probably make you cookies. I also like to perform “procrastabaking” where I make cookies instead of doing work (so pro tip hang around during finals week). If you want cookies today then you should buy me the ingredients and I will whip something up.

Some of my favorite cookies to make are as follows:

1. Magic Cookie Bars – My auntie had a recipe for these graham cracker, chocolate, walnut, coconut bars that was so easy to make they had to be magic. I make these bars to remember her by.
2. Amazeballs- Exactly how they sound. Don’t eat if you have a nut allergy.
3. The classic oatmeal walnut chocolate chip cookie.

What kitchen utensil would you be, why?

If I could be a kitchen utensil I would be oven mitts (or a rag to use as oven mitts). Without oven mitts you can’t take your cookies out the oven and they will burn. No one likes burnt cookies.