I wanted an adventure after college, so I traveled abroad. Now I feel pressure to match my family's success.

"In 2022, the summer after my junior year of college, I interned at Tesla as a software engineer. It was a busy summer. That June, CEO Elon Musk told employees that they had to work from the office at least 40 hours a week or risk losing their jobs. Later that month, Tesla laid off 10% of its workforce. Once the dust settled, I had a new boss, a new team, and everything was fine."

"I liked my job, the culture, and the pay. But upon reflection, I realized staying in this environment isn't what I wanted to do. I ultimately decided not to try to pursue a full-time job offer with Tesla. A few years and one graduate degree later, I founded my own startup, something I'd considered for a long time."

"So far, my entrepreneurial journey has had its share of twists and turns, but it's given me the adventure I was looking for. It's taught me to take advantage of the window when no one is paying attention to what you're working on and figure things out. I left high school early and started college right away."

"In 2018, I left high school early during my junior year after not feeling that challenged in my classes. I wasn't sure exactly what I would do next, but I wanted to forge a different path than my peers. I reached out to Harvey Mudd College, a liberal arts college in California, and told them I was interested in attending before finishing high school. Given my academic background and extracurricular achievements, including my background as a professional ice climber, Harvey Mudd ultimately agreed to admit me before I completed high school."

In 2022, a software engineering internship at Tesla involved strict office attendance expectations and workforce reductions. After a period of disruption, the role stabilized with a new boss and team, and the work environment felt good in terms of job satisfaction, culture, and pay. Despite that, the decision was made not to pursue a full-time offer. Years later, after completing graduate education, a startup was founded. The entrepreneurial path emphasized using opportunities when attention is elsewhere and continuing to figure things out. Earlier, high school was left during the junior year due to a lack of challenge, leading to early admission to Harvey Mudd College and graduating early with the senior class.

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