I was born and raised in Yorba Linda, CA within a good family as the youngest of triplets and an older brother. We were raised with good Christian morals and a strong work ethic and taught to be independent, well-balanced, and responsible. Education was important, but never at the expense of developing athletic and social skills through a variety of outdoor and community activities, sports, and the arts.

My early education was spent at a private Christian school before attending Troy High School in Fullerton. While still in junior high, I made a dramatic shift from my interest in physics and literature to all things Japan. In the years that followed, I spent most of my spare time immersed in studying the history and culture of pre-modern Japan. In 1995, I was one of the first students to represent my high school in a special trip to Fullerton's sister city in Fukui, Japan. My deep interest in Japanese history also led me to be invited to guest lecture to Troy's freshman history classes. Apart from my interest in Japan, I was well-studied in many areas, but was probably most known for my artwork, contributing much of my time and work to Troy high school and the Fullerton community. To keep active outside of my academic studies, I ran cross country and track for three years in high school and served as a martial arts instructor for several years at my hometown dojo.

After graduation from Troy I spent four years at UC San Diego where I pursued a B.A. in Japanese Studies and received minors in both Chinese Studies and Visual Arts. At UCSD I also became actively involved in grassroots environmental work, ballroom dancing, and my church.

Following my desire to go into teaching and live for a while in Japan, I joined the JET Programme for a year after graduating from UCSD. I was stationed in Gifu City, Japan, most famous for its ukai cormorant fishing and Gifu Castle, which once belonged to Oda Nobunaga. Though my work kept me pretty tied down, I still managed to travel quite extensively while in Japan, including an overseas dive trip to Palau.

When I finished my time in Japan, I returned to California to pursue a master's degree in East Asian Studies at Stanford University. My studies there were broad and challenging, but I nevertheless did what I could to stay active in a variety of athletics and student organizations. During my time at Stanford, I spent one summer in Yokohama, Japan and half a year in Beijing, China for language study. These were both very good growth experiences for me and have helped lead me to where I am today.

Currently I continue to work on East Asia, focusing more specifically on international relations with the U.S. and contemporary social issues. I still find Japanese history and culture fascinating, and I hope to one day have the opportunity to pursue my research in it further. I draw my greatest faith and inspiration from God and am lovingly supported in what I do by my family and friends. My passion and integrity and the love I have for those dear to me are what drive me. And though I may fall sometimes, God's grace enables me to continue along on the journey ahead, guided by the Spirit, learning and growing as I go so that I can continue to challenge myself, bring a smile to others, and live life to its fullest.