Candidate for
Director; Ambrose Recreation and Park District

I was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to the U.S. in 1988. My father is a lawyer and businessman and my mother was a high school teacher before she passed away in 1974. I have seven sisters and two brothers, most of who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I went to St. Paul's College of Manila, an all-girls Catholic school, during my formative years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism from the University of the Philippines.

As a young girl, my parents encouraged me to sing and perform on stage. I enjoyed this and became a professional singer and recording artist after graduating high school. I was also a scriptwriter, a clothes designer, a duty free shop supervisor, a property manager and a fashion boutique owner. I am lucky to have traveled to Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada, Mexico and Brazil and met people from different walks of life. I love diversity and learning about varied cultures while speaking their languages.

In 2000, I joined the University of California's Office of Alumni Affairs. Currently, I work with UC Student Affairs where I am involved in several special projects including the Student Mental Health Committee and the President's Health Challenge Workgroup.

I have enjoyed running, jogging and hiking and now, I am a strong advocate of walking for one's health! I am the captain of the TEAMO bike team and have raised funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Cancer Society.

I love to dance, garden and cook during my spare time. I organize high school reunions for my school, fun events at work and have emceed dinner-dances for church groups.

My children, Tallulah and Yves, support my passion in giving back to the community. They benefited greatly from our California public schools and after school programs. Yves is a Heald College graduate and is currently enrolled at Diablo Valley College while pursuing a four year degree in Computer Technology. He is a supervisor of a Chevron credit card center. Tallulah is a recent UC Berkeley graduate in Development Studies and a co-host of a cable show entitled "Speak Out" where she moderates debates on political and socio-economic issues affecting Filipino-Americans.

I hope to make my children proud of my efforts to improve the programs and services offered by the Ambrose Recreation and Park District. I also hope they will be inspired to give back to their communities when they have the chance in the future.