We asked some of the brightest folks from within the community to reflect back on their days in school and to share with us a story of when they learned a particularly important or impactful lesson. We’ve shared highlights below.

Mei Sun

When I was pursuing my PhD in Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) twenty years ago, there was a moment that profoundly shaped my approach to both my career and my life.

One day, during a committee meeting with my PhD mentor and advisors, I was discussing a topic related to my research. I needed to talk about the coronary artery, but as an international student, I struggled with the pronunciation. Unable to say it clearly, I kept referring to it by its abbreviation, “CA.” Read more>>

Margot Kleinman

I learned a couple of important lessons while I was in school. While these lessons were learned at the time they were happening, they have continued to impact me in my professional life, especially as a business owner and educator. Read more>>

Liz Steblay

Nearly everyone dislikes negotiating, whether they’re haggling over the price of a souvenir or discussing the terms of a new contract or job offer.
Although I still don’t love negotiating, I do it confidently thanks to a class I took in business school that was based on the best-selling book “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher and William Ury. The visceral experience of doing mock negotiations in front of the class caused the lessons learned to stick with me for decades. Of course, negotiation skills are important in business, but I didn’t realize that the skills I learned in that class would apply anytime there’s an opportunity to be paid more or get a discount. Read more>>

Sammy Guzman

Looking back, my journey into tattooing didn’t start in a shop—it started with a pencil. I’ve always been able to draw, even as a kid, but I never had the confidence to see it as anything more than a hobby. For a long time, I felt lost, like I wasn’t good at anything and that something was missing in my life. I spent years stuck in a painful place, until two years ago, I made the decision to get sober and start building a life that felt meaningful. Read more>>