Back in 2021, I had the amazing experience of being selected as one of the six speakers for TEDx Oxnard- and the youngest one at that! I was so excited to share my thoughts on the power of norm breaking, the power each of us has to reach new levels of innovation and success by breaking those norms and embracing our authentic individuality.
In pursuing my education and discovering my own unique career path, I had to push past tradition and cultural norms that had been established. Was I going to settle on pursuing expectations my family had set out for me to be a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, or an engineer? Or was I going to be courageous and craft my own journey, even if it was outside of what everyone expected from me?
It wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of strength to finally muster up the courage for what I knew my heart and mind really wanted. But accepting my true passion for environmental science and policymaking allowed me to discover more about myself and my goals.
I discovered my leadership, my knack for creative analysis, and strategic thinking. And moreover, I uncovered my deep passion for public service. If I hadn’t pushed past what I thought was expected of me, I would have never molded my own path and ignited my journey to helping others make a lasting impact.
My path to discovering my passion has inspired everything I’ve already achieved and continues to inspire me to enhance what truly fuels my purpose. But more than that, going on my own path has put me on an adventure of loving my career. Helping others discover their purpose and ability to serve others ignites pride, love, and passion in my life, and I hope sharing my experiences inspires others to discover their impact and love what they do, even if it’s not what is traditionally expected.
Enjoy my TEDx Talk! I encourage you to be brave and push past the norms in your own life – It’ll take you to new heights and launch you to your bigger dreams for making an IMPACT!