You could say I took an unconventional route towards becoming a GSB Fellow. As an Economics/Theater Double Major (with an English minor) I have an education that spans both the creative realm and a vast world of theoretical phenomena. Contrary to popular opinion, these two majors lend themselves to each other extremely well. I guess the conjoining of Economics and Theater makes as much sense as the combination of entrepreneurship and social action, and yet I find myself learning about the effectiveness and practicality of social entrepreneurship through this exciting fellowship opportunity. My unconventional education didn’t simply fall from the sky, however, for my life leading up to Santa Clara University was very unusual.

For whatever reason, I didn’t speak until I was four and a half years old. I claim this to be the reason why I grew up thinking so much about my surroundings as well as the world at large. By the time I was in elementary school, I was asking such questions as: why am I here? Why am I privileged while so much of the world lives in poverty? Why are people racist? These questions are not typically asked by a young child, yet I couldn’t help but question everything in my sight. Even today I find myself asking the same questions. These questions cannot be answered by a simple wikipedia article, and whether they will ever be answered concretely in my mind is a mystery. This mystery makes life interesting for me, however, and guides my life on an everyday basis.

As I entered high school, these questions continued to ferment in my brain. The only difference, however, was that these questions became framed within my interests of business, music, and environmentalism. Growing up in Woodinville, WA was a turbulent experience at times, but the vast abundance of trees saved me from going completely insane. In fact, I grew to love these trees so much that they became a part of my spiritual understanding. For this reason, I became actively involved with the Earth Club at Woodinville High School. While partaking in Earth Club activities, I was also competing in marketing competitions through DECA and playing lead guitar in my band The Uprise of a Downfall. At the time I considered all of these interests of mine to be different “hats” that I would wear at different times, for I did not yet know how such different studies and interests could become one overarching mechanism. My eclectic nature suited me well for a move to Santa Clara University, where I decided to pursue my undergraduate education.

Upon entering SCU, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was admitted into the Leavey School of Business and knew I wanted to study Economics, but had no other expectations. Little did I know that I would become entranced by the stage, a place I had been once before in my life leading up to college. After taking an acting class with the amazing Aldo Billingslea in the fall quarter of my freshman year, I jumped off the deep end and decided to become an Economics/Theater double major. Since becoming a Theater major, I have acted, stage managed, designed, written, and am in the process of learning how to direct as well. All the while I have continued my business education that was started in high school with the intent of questioning the traditional models of economics as a means of solving some of the world’s biggest problems. This education might seem obscure to the stranger’s eye, but based on my life leading up to this point, I am not at all surprised that I am now dipping my toes in a million different waters.

As if having two majors and being heavily involved in the theater wasn’t enough, I decided to also get involved with the Santa Clara Community Action Program. SCCAP is an organization on campus that consists of 20 different community action programs that reach out to diverse populations throughout Silicon Valley. By partaking in consistent service and volunteer coordination, I have been able to utilize skills that I have obtained from both my business and theater backgrounds. I have found much happiness and direction through my participation with SCCAP, and at this point I will always refuse to live a life that is void of helping others.

To this day I tell people that I am an Economics/Theater double major and receive such responses as “what are you gonna do with that?” or “wow those are completely opposites”. At this point I’ve gotten used to being an unorthodox individual. What is even more unreasonable is the fact that I intend to apply to law school in order to become either an entertainment or public interest lawyer. None of it adds up for the common person, but that doesn’t matter for me. Even the fact that I am participating in the Global Social Benefit Fellowship might seem outlandish and strange to some. Yet, at the same time, all of the lessons I’ve learned in my life have come from such a variety of circumstances that I can’t help but feel completely comfortable with the idea of social entrepreneurship. As I prepare for my trip to Uganda this summer, I will continue to ponder how my different skills and passions can be utilized for the sake of assisting Banapads. I know for a fact that I will have to juggle between my analytical business skills, my out-of-the-box creativity, and my ability to make connections between different variables. I have no idea what to expect of this exciting opportunity, but taking this unconventional road towards making a positive impact in Uganda makes nothing but perfect and unconventional sense to me.