| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | When I was 6 or 7 a neighbor fostered a cat who had kittens. She recruited me to help care for them, and I ended up begging my parents to adopt two of them. I had grown up with cats before, but these two became my first and favorite childhood pets. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify strongly with my father. He's both a passionate and compassionate man who is always looking to make a positive impact on the world. Even in his later years he's active and involved in his community and always continuing to learn from others. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire empathy, introspection, and patience. Someone who works on these traits is likely to be thoughtful and levelheaded in any situation. I always try to exhibit these traits in everyday life. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | I've had cats all my life, and they offer endless entertainment. Many of the funniest moments have occurred while introducing our newest cat to our current two older cats. Our new cat LOVES playing in the bathtub under a tiny stream of water, splashing and getting all wet. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I've been very lucky to already have traveled a lot in my life, but if I could travel anywhere and time and money weren't issues, I'd likely choose long trips through Europe and Asia. I love exploring new cultures and places (and especially new foods). It would be a great treat to have all expenses paid to explore places like Japan, Italy, and France at my leisure. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I don't plan on having any children, but I hope that all children of the next generations inherit a strong sense of curiosity to learn about their world and compassion to lift others up. We need curiosity to get the next generation excited about science, learning, and education. We need compassion in future generations to help ensure a bright future for all. |
