The plan was to write the book, sell the film rights, and then go out in a blaze of glory.

Things didn't really work out that way...

But that's not a bad thing --

Two years after graduating with BA in Media Study and English from the University of Buffalo (and failing to find the blaze), I began work on my Masters degree at Bank Street College -- an institution well known for its work in early childhood education and its "Developmental Interaction" approach to teaching. I graduated with an MS Ed in Museum Education. I also earned state teaching certification and a New York City teaching license.

In the years between receiving my Bachelors and my Masters, I had the opportunity to work with several grassroots non-profit organizations like the Chinatown History Museum (now the Museum of Chinese in America), the Asian American Writer's Workshop, and Constitution Works. These organizations provided me with valuable first experiences in curriculum design, program development, and project management.

Currently, as the Director of Curriculum Initiatives for the SIFMA Foundation's youth investor education program, The Stock Market Game, I have had the opportunity to develop educational websites, manage online content, write and edit a variety of teaching guides, lesson plans, and training materials (I support the program's teachers, students, and its national network of distributors).

In addition to my work in education, I still write. I maintain two personal blogs, Cranial Gunk and K2Twelve, and contribute to an Asian American parenting blog, Rice Daddies.

So, now that I have found a successful career, I don't have to sell the film rights anymore. I can protect the integrity of my writing.

It's not exactly how I pictured it in my dorm room all those years ago, but I can't say I've been disappointed with the results.