I am a God-believer first — and looking back, I can clearly see that His plans for my life were different than what I imagined. His plans are good.

I was raised by my maternal grandmother, my father, my stepmother and my paternal grandparents — all from working-class, non-privileged backgrounds. My maternal grandmother and her husband migrated from Honolulu, Hawaii to the mainland so my grandfather could work at Mare Island, which ultimately brought our family to Vallejo. After he passed, my grandmother lived on a fixed Social Security income, yet maintained excellent credit by living within her means, paying bills on time, and saving consistently.

On my father's side, my paternal grandfather was born in the Philippines and arrived in the Oakland Bay Area on a Naval ship at just ten years old. He later worked for the same utility company as my father — the same company I would one day work for as well. Both of my grandmothers, women of Polynesian American descent, were very close and poured into me lessons on responsibility, discipline, humility, and resilience that shaped who I am today.

The men in my family all worked for that same utility company and eventually retired with stability. I admired that legacy and wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. Years later, I did — becoming the first and only woman in my family to work there, serving as an Executive Assistant. While my father and grandfathers worked in service and operations, I supported leadership behind the scenes. I believed loyalty, consistency, and hard work would lead to the same security. But God had other plans.

At twenty-two years old, I purchased my first home in 2007 while working a corporate job in San Francisco. Seven years later, my position was eliminated. Unlike the generations before me, my chapter with that company did not end in retirement. The layoff became a defining turning point. I lost my home to foreclosure and experienced firsthand how unforgiving the credit system can be when life changes unexpectedly. Credit denials, closed doors, and missed opportunities followed — and I knew there had to be a better way.

After the layoff, I went on to work for the California State University system as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at California State University Maritime Academy (now Cal Poly). Serving students in that role reignited my purpose. I saw how many young adults entered adulthood without financial education — and how early guidance could completely change the trajectory of their lives.

Determined to understand the system, I studied credit laws, financial strategies, and consumer rights, eventually becoming a certified credit specialist. What began as personal restoration became purpose — and ultimately entrepreneurship.

Today, as a CFEI Certified Financial Education Instructor, I teach financial literacy workshops and lead Diamond Credit Care with a clear mission: to educate, empower, and elevate individuals, families, students, first-generation college students, homebuyers, and entrepreneurs.

This work is intentional.

When people are educated early, they move differently.

And when God redirects you, it is always for His greater purpose.

I am thankful to be here.