Empowering Students to Thrive
I blended career mentorship and industry connections to help students grow the skills, confidence, and creativity they need to thrive.
CAREER MOMENTS
Lecturer
My years at San José State University were defined by the privilege of walking alongside students as they discovered their strengths and pursued their dreams. I cherished creating a classroom where ideas felt alive, where students supported one another, and where incremental growth was celebrated. Watching their confidence bloom and seeing them step into the world with courage and creativity remains one of the most rewarding chapters of my career.
SVIC Director
My primary focus: create an environment where students could harness their entrepreneurial spirit, build confidence, and connect with industry leaders early in their careers. The program gave them a platform to showcase their ideas, gain mentorship, and take their first steps toward turning vision into impact. When industry leaders praised our students’ creativity and work, it underscored the power of real-world connections.
Design and Marketing
After word got out that I had experience as a product manager at Cisco, several deans approached me to help tackle challenges in their colleges. I used my skills in design, marketing, and strategy to create solutions, support initiatives, and bring fresh perspectives to their programs. Being able to leverage my corporate experience to drive initiatives addressing challenges posed by the deans was a rewarding and enjoyable complement to my teaching.
Shaping the Next Generation of Changemakers
San Jose State University is my beloved alma mater. For 12 academic years, I taught business communications and marketing, where I designed award-winning curricula that built not only critical thinking and presentation skills, but also confidence and leadership. Teaching was never just about getting through a syllabus; it was about helping students from marginalized communities find their voice and step into their potential.
Mentorship has always been at the heart of my work. Beyond the classroom, I continue to support students and alumni by hosting quarterly “lunch & learns” on Zoom, diving into topics like personal branding or, most recently, how to navigate job searches in tough markets. I also run a LinkedIn channel where hundreds of former students collaborate, share opportunities, and lift each other up as they move through their careers.
As Director of the Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge (SVIC), I spent three years leading a multidisciplinary campus-wide competition that fostered entrepreneurship and innovation. More than just an event, SVIC connected students with industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs, giving students a rare opportunity to test their ideas in real-world settings. It was a platform where they could sharpen problem-solving skills, practice elevator pitches, and learn how to hold their own in rooms where big ideas and high expectations collide. Watching students transform their concepts into actual MVPs and themselves into confident innovative leaders remains one of the most rewarding chapters of my career.
My commitment to SJSU runs deep because I see myself reflected in my students. Their determination and drive to make something bigger of themselves is so apparent. I want them to have the edge I didn’t always have, and that’s why I’ve continued to help open doors, listen, and remind them that they matter.