Raising the Bar

This week Pinkgurugal was forwarded some photos from a recent event I was humbly asked to emcee...the AABA GALA That's an acroynym for the Asian American Bar Association, or translation: hundreds of really smart Asian American lawyers thrown into one ballroom to celebrate their professional success (as they duly should!) My role was simple. Read and talk. No worries. I can talk all day. But I'm not so sure everyone would listen. I think dessert was being served at this moment.

Then I was asked to pose with some really nice new friends. Oh I can do this .

This is incoming AABA president Emily Kuo. Emily graduated from Harvard and Harvard law, is an attorney at MD Anderson, and is a former Fulbright and Jaworski as well as Nabors Industry lawyer... and this is just a few of her accolades. Then there is Steve Wu and Joyce Kao Soliman... this year's gala co-chairs. Steve is in house counsel for Chevron while Joyce is an attorney with Porter Hedges. This means they are really smart cookies who work for big companies. Then I was asked to smile with Judge Jay Karahan., who is on the AABA board of directors. Look kids, a non Asian :) Now I can easily put on a good face, but there is no way I can the jobs they do. I guess God gives us different gifts. But God gave people like Emily, Steve and Joyce and the rest of the hundreds of the savvy lawyers in that ballroom that night.... the gift of intellectual overachievement. And they sure do raise the "bar" for the rest of us, not to mention make their Asian parents proud! Thanks guys for the invite. It's always an honor and an inspiration to see your Asian peeps shine! Cheers and happy training! "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." C.S. Lewis