Who is Merissa
Who am I? that’s a very good question. A infamous question that has probably gotten me rejected from so many companies because I literally have no idea what to say. But I guess it’s time to answer this question once and for all. In terms of characteristics I am a biracial woman, African-American and Chinese. I wear glasses. My hair is a mess almost everyday. Due to the pandemic I can’t get my eyebrows done and I’m too lazy to do it myself so they look like two caterpillars on my forehead.I’d like to think I’m a stylish person, I have like a streetwear type of style. I’m obsessed with shoes so you’ll always see me in some type of sneaker. Now that you kind of have a sense of what I look like let’s get to the deep stuff.
Who is Merissa as a person? Who inspires her? What made her the way she is today? These are questions I have avoided my whole life but since you asked I guess I will have to actually put some thought into this post. Let’s first start with who inspires me. Some of my inspirations include my great-great grandmother, step-grandmother, and Kehlani. Yes Kehlani the singer. These women inspire me because they all have something in common, their graciousness with everything they do. Even when put in trying times, they somehow remain calm and optimistic. That’s something I get inspired by because it reminds me that not everything deserves a reaction. When I’m faced with a hardship they remind me that I won’t be in this place for long and I just need to be patient and look for a way to grow from that experience.
Some of my greatest accomplishments stem all stem from these types of inspirations and lessons I’ve been taught my whole life. I’ve created an app that gives minority students a platform to seek help and encouragement from one another as I have experienced that not all of us have a support system. Being in an environment where you are the only outsider can be daunting and discouraging and I wanted to fix that. Imposter syndrome is real and it limits a lot of students from getting the help they need because they already feel like they shouldn’t be there. I’ve been in that position just by being a woman in the tech industry. At one point in time after my first year of college I was at a really low point, and felt like maybe I wasn’t supposed to be in the field that I’m in. I felt worthless, depressed, and anxious in social situations. I felt like at some point my friend group was going to realize that I’m actually not as smart as they think. I’m really happy that I was able to create something that I truly believe could be a solution to this problem. Problems like this are just some of the things that inspire me. It inspires me to keep pushing forward to show those who look like me that they can be innovators and creators as well. I love the feeling of being apart of a moment that potentially changed someone’s life.
Let’s take a break from the serious stuff for a minute and let me tell you about some hobbies I’ve taken up. This year in particular has been a learning year for all of us. No one has experience in living during a pandemic so this was a year on reflection for sure. Needless to say I’ve taken up quite a few hobbies such as photography, shoe customization, and hiking. I’ve always been fascinated with shoes and one day I saw a shoe customization video on YouTube. It looked easy enough so I got all my supplies and tried my first pair. These are the first pair that I was really proud of.
I’ve also taken up hiking with my friends. I am fortunate to have grown up in a place like Oakland, Ca where the hiking trails and views are amazing. This photo was taken during a sunrise in the city. I travel a lot to the city because I’m just over the bridge so it’s not too far. I went with my best friend and although it was freezing up there, the view made it all worth it. Since then I’ve been really fascinated with taking nature photos. One day I may go into different areas of photography but where I live there’s no beating these views.
So the question of who is Merissa still remains. Well, I am an average looking, family-oriented, adventurous, optimistic, and fashionable woman that wants to show the world that anyone can be a creator and/or genius. I am a representation that average people have the ability to accomplish great things all while still being relatable. Hope this gives you and idea on who Merissa is and what she wants to become.
