Reprinted from I-Club newsletter

What did you do after college?

I was grateful to complete my B.S. and M.S. in Accountancy with an Emphasis in Tax while under football scholarship at the University of Idaho so I was set to go to law school following our 2009 Humanitarian Bowl win. However, I had the opportunity to continue playing football for the Spokane Shock of the Arena Football League in 2010. That season we ended up winning Arena Bowl XXIII and 2-days later I started law school at the University of Idaho College of Law. During my 1L year (first year of law school) I was training for the NFL and had earned a work outs for a few scouts. Unfortunately, the day of my NFL workouts was also the day of the NFL Lockout. I ended up playing for the San Jose Sabercats of the AFL during the summer following my 2L year and subsequently blew out my shoulder and retired from playing football. Luckily, I was heading in to my 2L year and finally had time to focus 100% on law school while still staying active in the athletic community. During that time, I was voted on to the national Board of Directors of the National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, interned for the Ada County Highway District, clerked for the Idaho Senate Majority Leader, worked in the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, started a Asian Pacific American Law Student Association at Idaho, and advocated for athletes rights and benefits of the Arena Football League Players Union.

Post law school, I moved back to Palo Alto, CA and took the California bar exam. While awaiting my bar results I began substitute teaching in the Palo Alto Unified School District and organized, united, advocated for substitute teachers and successfully lobbied the school board to award the substitute teachers the first pay raise in 15 years. After passing the bar exam (first try) I had the opportunity to take a business law job but turned it down to create AthletesLTD.com and help build Team On 3. AthletesLTD is the place where athletes share their story and where athletes write personal narratives about their sporting careers and is a resource for athletes to learn about post-athletic career skills, academics, life skills, and other athlete focused items. Team On 3 is the athlete influencer network. As a former professional athlete, I know how difficult it is to perfect one's craft while also worrying about finding endorsement deals. When I was playing I just wanted to be able to do what I loved for as long as I could. I spent a lot of time chasing after my own endorsement deals and that can be stressful because athletes have so many constraints on their time.

Brands use athletes in their advertising campaigns to increase brand exposure, fan affinity, and drive sales, but they focus on the top 1 percent. Team On 3 provides brands with access to the other 99 percent who are arguably more influential because rather than league-curated social media channels, which may or may not be run by the athlete, our athletes are creating their own content and sharing directly with their friends, fans, and family.

Athletes now know that social media is vital to his or her success as a personal brand. Professional athletes begin developing fans and followers the day they wear their first jersey, and they nurture their fan bases long after their career ends.

Team On 3's mission is to support our athletes' personal and professional goals. Our network is comprised of over 200 professional athletes who are also influential on social media. We help them monetize that influence so they can focus on becoming the best athlete possible instead of going through what I had to go through.

Fondest memory as a student?

I really appreciated and enjoyed my time as a member of the Student Alumni Relations Board, the 89-members student branch of the alumni association. During my time as a member and eventually president I made lasting life-long relationships with SARB members and advisors. SARB really taught me the importance of being engaged in your community and emphasized how collaboration really changes and improves the quality of meetings, events, and community service acts. SARB members come from all walks of life and from almost every campus community. They really embody what the University of Idaho is and stands for. Picking out one particular memory from SARB would be downplaying the whole experience.

Fondest memory as an Idaho student-athlete?

I'm going to break this down in to two answers:

1. My fondest memory as a student-athlete was when I accepted an internship position with Moss Adams LLP (a public accounting firm) in San Francisco before my Senior football season. I had just earned my B.S. was working on my M.S. and was excited about public accounting. However, I was away from Moscow so I had to stay accountable to my team and school by working out on my own. After commuting home from work, I would eat dinner, and then go straight to my high school weight room and track to complete my workouts. This was from 7:00 – 9:30, 5-days a week, like clockwork. I made commitments and had to fulfill the promises I made to my teammates that I would be ready to help my team win in the Fall. It was hard, but worth it. I came in faster and stronger than I was in any other year.
2. Best Game: 2009: University of Idaho vs. Louisiana Tech. This barely trumps the Humanitarian Bowl because of how much we overcame during that game. It was Halloween, we were playing in front of a sellout crowd, and were down by 20 points going into the 4th quarter. We ended up winning that game by 1 point after a missed LA Tech field goal, then the crowd stormed the field, AGAIN. That never got old. That was the loudest I've EVER heard the dome get. It was unforgettable.

Favorite place on campus?

It's going to sound nerdy but I actually really enjoyed the library. My secret study spot was on the third floor, all the way in the back left. I typically had an entire table to myself and it was super quiet. That was my study, relaxation, and chill spot. Don't tell anyone but I totally brought food in there.

How did being an Idaho student-athlete prepare you for your career after football?

Time management, business skills, and working as a team. I could talk about this all day and actually published a few articles on the importance of being and hiring a student-athlete. During my tenure I had three head coaches so you quickly learned about the business side of athletics and effectively any industry. You learn to collaborate, overcome adversity, stay accountable, and take pride in your work. The emphasis on student-athlete about the importance of her word and her name are deeply engrained within them and I give credit to Idaho's Department of Athletics for instilling those values in me.

How has college athletics changed since you left?

The names, faces, and means have change but the athlete condition remains the same. I've committed my work to helping student-athletes and improving the sports world, including intercollegiate athletics. Student-athletes can still be more prepared for their post-athletic careers through life skills training and other academic programs I'm currently developing with Athletic Directors, including Rob Spear.

What stands out most to you about your experience at Idaho?

Moscow really is a special place. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to mold my character, work ethic, and grow there. I had a lot of experiences that are unique to the University of Idaho and was able to learn without the distractions of being in a big city. Plus, when your biggest worry in Moscow is the “Traffic-Minute” things are okay.

What does it mean to be an Idaho Vandal?

I tell student-athletes about what it means to be a Vandal, but it's a little too intense for this newsletter. But one important thing is a Vandal isn't really a singular person. Vandals roll in packs. A group of individuals come together to become Vandals and work together to achieve a single group goal. There is collaboration, teamwork, and relentless effort. Those are Vandals.

Do you have any advice for Idaho student-athletes about to graduate?

NGUNNGU. Never give up, never, never give up. If you want to get into the field that you want you must be persistent, driven, and hardworking. When you apply for a job and someone tells you no, that doesn't mean you can't do it, it just means you can't do it with them. You must keep going, keep searching, and keep swimming. People thought I was crazy when I turned down jobs to pursue my passion and what I believed was right. As a lawyer, I continued substitute teaching, I worked as a security guard at Macys, I even was an Lyft driver, but you have to do what you have to do to get where you want to be. The outside world will look at what you're doing try to bring you down. They will tell you to think rationally, get a normal job, and even hear “you're a lawyer, why are you a security guard?” What people don't want to see is WHY you're doing it. Every day after substitute teaching, I went straight to work on AthletesLTD. Every day from 3:30 PM to 1:30 AM I worked, I trusted the grind, and I trusted my hustle. Now, with Team On 3, I make a living in the sports world. I've been flown out to the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, Celebrity and All-Star Weekends, and have met with and work with some of the coolest people in sports. Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do. NGUNNGU.