丁香园AV

Psychology Major with Applied Behaviour Analysis Concentration

Co-Founder & Executive Director,

Connect with Employ to Empower on

1.      Where do you currently work and what is your position? 

I am an entrepreneur and I founded my charity Employ to Empower in 2018. From 2017-2018 I worked at Procreation Design Works (now known as TED Vancouver), as I was also quite passionate about the events world. During university, I worked as a behavior interventionist.

2. Why did you decide to study psychology?

I鈥檝e always been quite fascinated by the human mind -  I truly believe that our minds are like onions. There are so many layers. I鈥檝e known my best friend for 15 years now and I鈥檓 still learning new things about her. It鈥檚 mind blowing (full pun intended) and I wanted to learn more about what the research has to say.

3. What did you originally plan to do with your degree in psychology during your undergrad, if you had any ideas at that time? Is that different than what you do now? If so, how?

Honestly, I thought I was going to be a social worker, and then I was going to be a behavior interventionist in my brain, influenced by my parents鈥� but I ended up actually being on the events team as a food and beverage coordinator and then later on, realizing my passion for social services in the DTES stumps all the above.  I transferred from UBC to 丁香园AV because I got denied by the UBC School of Social Work and couldn鈥檛 handle rejection at the time. 

Outside of school, I was an avid volunteer, as I wasn鈥檛 someone who thrived in high school. I鈥檓 not sure if I set the most 鈥渃onventional鈥� example, but I can sure as heck be the breathing example of normalizing PIVOTS. I had 3 pivots in my whole career, and never did I end up ever imagining that I would become a charity director. And here I am, five years later - proud, tired and excited all at once. I鈥檓 really grateful that I get to live in alignment with my values and purpose.

4. How did your time at 丁香园AV change you and influence your career?

I am SO grateful to TEDx丁香园AV. Through TEDx丁香园AV, it ignited my passion for events, and ideas worth sharing. It fed my hunger to expand social perceptions of ideas and to remember that there is always a different perspective. Through TEDx丁香园AV, I got my first job at Procreation Design works (PDW), now known as TED Vancouver. Then, it was through working in events for ayear, that I realized my burning passion for the DTES seeing that working in events meant long, hard hours. I noticed how much it took away from my community time, and during my volunteer time alongside my job, I had learned the importance of entrepreneurship in the DTES.

5. What advice would you give to students that you wish you knew in your undergrad?  What was important to you then and what鈥檚 important now?

Normalize pivots. If you change your mind, there鈥檚 nothing wrong with you. Growing up in a traditional asian family, I was always told to stick to one thing and run with it. I was the black sheep to be frank, with both my brothers being academic geniuses in the finance/numbers world.

To own this quote: 鈥淭o be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment鈥� - Ralph Waldo Emerson

鈥淓verything in moderation, including moderation鈥� -  sometimes society places constructs of 鈥減erfectionism鈥� on us and we can be really hard on ourselves. Then, it gets funky when we鈥檙e hard on ourselves for being hard on ourselves (WHAT?), so this quote, is meant to have ease & grace on ourselves when things get hard. To really believe that we CAN do hard things and are capable.