Hometown: Peachtree City, GA
What's something on your bucket list?
I have always wanted to take part in supporting the Mustang Heritage Foundation by training a wild mustang or burro. When I was younger, I really wanted to participate in their Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition. Furthermore, I would also love to rescue and train a group of mustangs to horseback ride from the Mexican border to the Canadian border (based on the documentary “Unbranded”).
What's your favorite place you've traveled to and why?
My favorite place that I have traveled to has been China. When I was younger, my mother went there to teach on a Fulbright Scholarship, so for about six months, I had the amazing experience of living in Xi’an. I am also adopted from China, so I spent a few weeks traveling the country before returning to Yueyang where I was born. It was a really eye-opening experience to be able to reconnect with my orphanage director and the three nannies who took care of me when I was an infant, and I really loved being able to learn more about my birth home and culture.
Favorite family tradition:
My favorite family tradition is watching classic Christmas movies on Christmas Eve.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
One of my proudest accomplishments is when my sister and I founded a club based on my grandmother’s nonprofit in high school. We had the idea right before COVID-19 hit and ended up having to implement it during the pandemic, which made growing the club difficult. Despite the adversities, however, we were able to collect over 200 donated books to send to schools in the South Dakota Rosebud Indian Reservation, and the club continues to raise awareness about the importance of education and supporting underprivileged children while providing communities across the nation with access to donated books.
What did you want to be when you were small?
When I was younger, I wanted to be a horse trainer.
My latest book recommendation:
My latest book recommendation is “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See or “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison.
My life story in exactly one sentence:
After traveling 7,061 miles from Yueyang, China as a toddler, I made it home to Georgia where I have had the amazing opportunities to grow, mess up, discover various passions, experience love and loss, overcome challenges, and support those around me.
My favorite restaurant in Atlanta:
One of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta is Momonoki.
My favorite comfort food or family recipe:
My favorite comfort food is my best friend’s mom’s pasta, but really any of her cooking.
