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.

Imran ‘ali’ Mookhi

The biggest lesson I learned while working in the kitchen was to always think outside the box and never be afraid of failure. I believe in trying something over and over until you get better at it. For my team, opening our first restaurant that showcased our food and culture was always a dream. One day, my business partner Iqbal and I discussed how our Pakistani community in Southern California needed a great restaurant that had top-tier service and atmosphere. At the time, many of the Pakistani restaurants around us only focused on basic food, but we wanted to create something more—an experience. Read more>>

Serena Varghese

My medical school experience was probably one of the most impactful periods of my entire life, not only because I was now in one of the most competitive career paths, but also because of an additional challenge – one that I chose at the age of 16. I packed my bags, left my family, friends, and a rather luxurious American suburban lifestyle, to live in a less than 100 square-foot dorm room with a single window with the view of a brick wall. With very limited internet access in a small rural town, 9,637.54 miles away from home, my whole life had changed. Read more>>

Brandon Wolucka

I moved to San Francisco from a small town in Northern California in 2010 to start college at SFSU. New school, new city, all new experiences for me. School wasn’t that difficult for me but college proved to be another test. No one really guiding me through it or forcing me to be there. I had to visit teachers office hours, chase down advisors, take summer school classes and take classes on 4 different campus’. If this is something I wanted to finish, it was up to me. This is where I learned the perseverance it took to become a small business owner. Whatever it takes to run this business, I will do. Read more>>