My journey with the violin began as a fourth grader in the San Francisco Bay Area, when an administrator at my school spared a violin from permanent doom in the dumpster and sent it home with me instead. Almost immediately, it became obvious that it was something I had a natural inclination towards.

By the time I finished 8th grade, I had already started teaching my first private student, and as a freshman in high school, I volunteered to revive, organize, compose for, and direct the school orchestra. This provided me with many wonderful opportunities for personal growth in addition to the daily teaching experience.

I had the privilege of studying under several amazing teachers, such as Susan Freier and Dale King, but I began to truly excel after starting to study under the virtuoso and master pedagogue, Ming Shiu Yo. It was under his expert teaching that I won my first of several local solo competitions.