My story as a career advisor didn’t begin in 2025.
It began much earlier—

with a question I carried since high school:
“What should I do?”

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The Early Quest (2000–2008)

I followed the traditional academic route.
The expected path was engineering.
But I never loved it.
My grades showed it.
I failed my licensure exam.

My early career stumbled from role to role, searching for a lane.

I still remember solving formulas late at night, just to pass probation as a young engineer.
And wondering if my worth would always be tied to the accuracy of my numbers.

At 24, in 2008, I paid one week of living expenses for a coaching session.
The coach advised: “Go pursue an MBA. Leap into business.”
It felt like a gamble.
But it was advice from someone who had been there.

That advice changed my path.
Instead of pursuing an advanced degree in engineering,
I went into corporate, built four years of experience,
and in 2012 pursued an MBA to take a chance on myself.

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First Spark (2013)

During my MBA, I worked part-time at the admissions office.
On paper, it was just a student job.
In reality, it was my first taste of career advising.

I listened to applicants.
I shared my own struggles.
And I felt the joy of helping someone forward.

For once, I knew: this felt right.

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Carrying It Forward (2015–2022)

After graduation, I re-entered corporate life.
But I didn’t leave the spark behind.

In 2015, I began volunteering with Upwardly Global,
helping immigrants and refugees rebuild their careers.
It was humbling, stretching, deeply human.

And the circle widened—
friends, colleagues, team members.
Advising was no longer a hobby.
It was becoming a rhythm.

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Turning Passion Into Practice (2023)

By 2023, I could no longer ignore the pattern.
I pursued Career Development Advisor certification.
I expanded volunteering on ADPList and 104, reaching hundreds of mentees and job seekers.

After one session, a coachee showed her gratitude by buying me a $5 coffee.
That moment hit different.
It wasn’t about the coffee.
It was the first time I realized:

passion can be valuable.
Passion can be a career.

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The Leap (2025)

In 2025, at age 41, I finally stepped away from the corporate paycheck.
Not because I had everything figured out.
But because I chose honesty over certainty.

Now, the metric I count is no longer the accuracy of my numbers.
It’s the number of Leaps I’ve helped enable.

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Reflection

I can’t go back and whisper to my younger self:
“Be more assured. Be more courageous. Choose what you love.”

But I can stand here today, with all the detours and doubts behind me, and offer the same light that once guided me.

One coaching conversation changed my path.
One coffee showed me that passion can carry value.

And for you—make sure you only take the path that feels honest.

Because sometimes, it isn’t certainty that moves us forward.
It’s honesty.