"I first became interested in history, philosophy and religion during middle school. Overtime, these interests merged into a focus on communism in East Asia, particularly North Korea. At UCI, I wrote my honors thesis and first published academic article about the DPRK, as well as taught a history class on it. In September 2022, I toured South Korea with the NK News staff and received briefings from them and various experts on regional affairs. Serendipitously, I found a new passion for Vietnam after visiting the country in January 2023, and eventually moved there two months later. During my year and a half in Hồ Chí Minh City, I taught English, studied the local language and culture, and traveled around ASEAN. Asia trips (in order): South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Japan, Laos, Taiwan, China."

Concentration: Southeast Asia

Hometown: Irvine, CA

Academic Background: B.A. in History, University of California, Irvine