With a lot of hard work, privilege, and commitment to my core values. My friends, colleagues, mentors, teachers, and teammates have not only supported me, but have helped me refine and develop the kind of impact that I want to make on the world and in NYC.

Our work in the Neighborhood Development Division would not exist without the knowledge, labor, and trust of our on-the-ground community partners. I’m most proud of the ways I’ve been able to support these groups in their work, even in small ways – for example, a beautiful mural on a small business representing local Korean culture in Murray Hill, Queens, funded by an arts and cultural development program I helped design.

Listen and learn from the people you aim to serve. The most valuable insights I’ve gained into policy and programmatic solutions have been through our division’s site visits to different neighborhoods, led by our partner organizations. Urban planning by nature can be quite a top-down field, but staying grounded in bottom-up issues and ideas is both personally and professionally fulfilling.

I always hesitate to refer to myself as a New Yorker, but New York is the first place I’ve lived that has felt like home. Despite the stereotypes, I’ve found New Yorkers to be some of the kindest, most welcoming neighbors, and I hope to stay here long-term.