| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I spent part of my childhood in the grassland of Inner Mongolia; I remember being around sheep and horses during the summer to a great extent. During one summer, I learned how to ride a horse. I believe I bonded with the horse and rode effortlessly. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I love my parents, the both of them, to death for they have always loved me and provided for me unconditionally; while mother always pushed me to excel academically, father was the moral compass and helped me develop important social skills. Despite the important role father played in my life, I find my self closely identifying with my mother and this is because our values are more aligned; the other important reason why the bond between my mother and I is so strong is that she is a great communicator and a great listener, and we often talk just about anything. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire many character traits, creativity, humility, confidence, and empathy, the kind of traits that makes an individual happy and successful in life. But it is the trait of empathy which I value the most. Nowadays, it is increasingly more evident that we value achievement over caring for others. As a result, many parents are raising children that are indifferent or even hostile to those who are suffering. I value empathy so much that I will make it a top priority to help my future children develop it. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | My great grandfather was a well-known physician, my grandfather was a surgeon, my parents were engineers that specialized in medical devices, and my extended relatives are medical doctors; While most of my family work in the medical field, I work as a data scientist/programmer in oil and gas. I happen to be the only person in the family that does not work in the medical field. Rather than following a family tradition, I chose a career in an emerging field with a high demand. What I find so funny is, it is perhaps an irony, after many years out of school, I now realize that I can no longer ignore my obsession with the medical discipline and have decided to apply to medical school. It is in the family, after all. It is in the blood. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | Without the constraint of time and money, I'd definitely go to the space and travel through the galaxies, as I always dreamed since I was a child. Little did I know before that space tourism would become a reality. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | My life experience has been very enriching and rewarding as I have always tried to give my best efforts in my endeavors. Integrity and hard work were the very virtues that were deeply ingrained in my character since my early formative years, and as a result I have never kept out of challenges’ way. Figuring things out on my own and sharing the knowledge and findings with others have been the most worthwhile. I'd like my children to carry on these traits, and I know they will work towards their advantage in the future. |
