I want to be on the Lacey City Council so I can help build a stronger, more resilient community that supports small businesses and protects the most vulnerable in our community. I want to represent my community and be part of increasing transparency to voters.  When I listen to the news and feel frustrated by the lack of control I have at the national level, finding a way to become more engaged locally gives me hope and purpose.

I have been a Peace Corps Volunteer, small business owner and a teacher. Through each of these experiences I have had to work with other people, across cultures and even language barriers to create plans and accomplish goals. These skills uniquely situate me to work with other members of the council and the other city or county departments to work on strategic plans and facilitate cooperation between them.

I grew up not far from here in Puyallup. My father was a Chinese immigrant who came here when he was 3 years old. My mother was white and grew up in rural Washington. I grew up having to find a balance between these two parts of me. This position is all about balance. Being able to balance urgent projects that need to be solved quickly and others that may take years to come to fruition. We need to balance the needs of the present with our vision for the future. 

As a biracial person I will be a voice for people of color on the Lacey City Council. I recognize that my experiences are not representative of all of those who live in Lacey but I will be open to listening to differing viewpoints and stories of how marginalized groups have been impacted by policies and practices of the city. Hearing their stories and incorporating them into new policies in order to prevent future harms is important to me. Recognizing and naming previous harms is an important step in moving forward and healing as a society.