While many people have had a positive impact on her, Gina’s mom has been a huge source of inspiration throughout her life. Growing up, their family moved 11 times all across the country. That meant Gina was the new kid at 11 new schools, where often, she was the only Asian student. “I really struggled with my identity as an Asian-American,” Gina remembers. Every summer vacation was filled with a great deal of anxiety, not just because she’d be the new kid come fall, but because she was afraid of being teased or seen differently for her Asian heritage. “My mom was always so supportive, never dismissing my fears or anxiety, just reaffirming who I was,” Gina recalls. Her mom helped Gina embrace who she was and her culture as a Korean and an American. “She’s played a huge role in who I am today,” Gina reflects. “Growing up with a person who is unconditionally supportive, not just to me, but to the community around her, taught me about the person I wanted to become.”