For all the people who cared

I thank them all for caring. From the second-grade teacher who saw my mind outpace my reading, to the mentor who first saw me as a leader at 14.

We are the products of people who cared.

Those who bought our stock, pushed us to think bigger, and helped us realize we were capable of more.

I still remember the day an upperclassman texted me: “Boeing is going to be at the career fair. Do you have your résumé ready?”

Twenty hours later, I stood in front of a recruiter’s booth wearing a black suit, golden tie, and shiny gold hair to match (the product of the previous weekend’s Halloween).

Turns out Fred doesn’t have black hair (nor is he Filipino). I had to do something to make it more convincing.

That text was the first domino that tipped me into the world of tech and business. It brought me to Microsoft, which led to Google, and—unintentionally—to San Francisco, where entrepreneurship stopped being a 'someday' and turned into a plan.

Now, I try to be the first domino.

To see more in someone, push them to think bigger, and buy their stock. Just like those who've bought (and are hopefully still holding) mine.