Living life out of sequence, with engagement and experience leader Grace Liaw | S2E11

Still Curious

A conversation all about doing things in a different way and order than you’re supposed to. Not doing what you’re told, leaning into life’s sudden twists and turns, feeling behind, and taking flight, all while figuring out adulting and navigating the exciting challenges, complexity and expectations of cultural identity.
Key Topics:

• Having a family at a young age and living life out of sequence with your career-focussed peers
• Starting undergraduate studies at age 28 and catching up
• Becoming a public school teacher and chafing against the system
• Living and working in Shanghai, China as a Chinese-American
• From educator to entrepreneur to engagement leader

About the Guest: Grace Liaw is a connector, an educator, and a global citizen-in-progress.

Unlike most of her peers, Grace did not start her undergraduate studies until turning 28, when she began to pursue a degree in Human Ecology and Family Studies at Montclair State University. Finally fulfilling her dreams of being a teacher, Grace taught in New Jersey public schools for a couple of years and realized that public education was not for her. Later, she found herself living and working in Shanghai, China, for 6 years in various private schools. The experience of doing work, life, and family in a foreign land was absolutely transformative. Grace then pursued a Master of Education at Penn State for Curriculum and Instruction.

Now living in New York, Grace is designing and hosting events, creating experiences, and building relationships with global students at Quantic School of Business & Technology, a virtual business school. She is now able to tick all of the important boxes of connecting, educating, and becoming more culturally intelligent.
Grace hates and loves running, is a novice birder, and is obsessed with Canva. She is also excited to see what the second half of life has in store! [Grace's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceliaw1/]

Recorded 8 July 2022
Links:

• Quantic School of Business and Technology [https://quantic.edu/]
• Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9963483-falling-upward]
• The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23878688-the-5-love-languages]

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About the Host: Despite never letting school interfere with his education, Danu has nevertheless acquired two social science degrees and an executive MBA. He toils at the intersection of education, technology and society and has worked at various times in teaching, research, project management, business development and customer service. He has so many interests that he has started to outsource them, and his life plan is rapidly running out of alphabet. He is the Founder of Grokkist. [Danu's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danupoyner/]
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon

Website: grokk.ist/stillcuriouspodcast | Email: [email protected] | Socials: @grokkist
Music: Kleptotonic Swing by Tri-Tachyon