On a languorous afternoon of 2015, I drove my way up north to the city airport.

The late summer air was simply perfect, a delightful concoction of coolness from the coming fall and warmth from the departing sun. I had to put the top down, the breeze brought an intoxicating amount of comfort that was both reassuring and electrifying, a feeling that only Charlottesville in September can conjure.

On the US-29, the only artery connecting campus to the airport, I drove past, hundreds of times during my four years in college, that crooked "STAY IN LANE" sign, a fitting metaphor for where I was in my life at the time. It spoke to me on a personal level - or rather, it screamed at me - of my younger days, when I was full of vim and vigor and the last thing I wanted to do was to stay in my lane. @2015-XX-XX, Charlottesville 🇺🇸

On the US-29, the only artery connecting campus to the airport, I drove past, hundreds of times during my four years in college, that crooked "STAY IN LANE" sign, a fitting metaphor for where I was in my life at the time. It spoke to me on a personal level - or rather, it screamed at me - of my younger days, when I was full of vim and vigor and the last thing I wanted to do was to stay in my lane. @2015-XX-XX, Charlottesville 🇺🇸

Freshmen, wide-eyed, giggling and milling about in small groups, eagerly venturing forth into the nights. The thumping beats of dance music can already be heard for miles around, emanating from the rooftop parties at the frat houses that line both sides of Rugby Road. It's a place I know all too well, for it's where the architecture school is located.

And yet, I too was headed to a party, one that was to take place on the other side of the planet: the Red Dot Design Award Gala in Singapore.

The holy grail of design awards, the Red Dot Design Award is the Mecca for designers from all corners of the globe. Winning the trophy at the age of 19, with a part-time project that had little to do with my college studies, may sound like a tall tale to some.

But to me, it was simply fate.

And there I was, hanging with the founder of Red Dot Design Award, Professor Dr. Peter Zec himself, who looked sharp as a tack in his white tux and white bow tie. Yeah, that's right, white on white. Because that's what us designers do. We don't play it safe. We make bold moves. @2015-09-25, Singapore City 🇸🇬

And there I was, hanging with the founder of Red Dot Design Award, Professor Dr. Peter Zec himself, who looked sharp as a tack in his white tux and white bow tie. Yeah, that's right, white on white. Because that's what us designers do. We don't play it safe. We make bold moves. @2015-09-25, Singapore City 🇸🇬

I was in a bad way. Perpetually trapped in a hamster wheel of lectures, studios, and essays, there was never any time to figure out what I actually wanted to do with my life. While others breezed through college with a clear sense of direction, I was the lost cause in the back of the classroom, scribbling buildings onto my textbooks because I didn't know what else to do.

My father was an architect, so I followed in his footsteps and applied to architecture school. But it didn't take long to realize that I was barking up the wrong column. Cutting polyurethane foam and memorizing the various orders of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian left me feeling unsatisfied, hungry for something more.

Switching my major to studio art in my sophomore year was like discovering a new spice. Editing appropriation videos and making photographs all around the city was interesting, but more importantly, it allowed me the capacity to explore the world of design on my own.

At the time, I was not what one might call a "real" designer, but I was fully committed to immersing myself in the craft. Every spare moment was spent honing my skills and seeking out opportunities, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, whether I was getting paid or not. I created a logo for a DJ friend who spun records on the side, and even designed ad campaigns for Coca-Cola based on open briefs that I stumbled upon online.

The summer of '15 was a wild, caffeine-fueled ride of endless creativity and sleepless nights. I spent every second I had on the Coca-Cola open brief contest, churning out one billboard design after another. Eight in total. I was driven by a fierce determination to win and it paid off in ways I never could have imagined. The awards came pouring in, more than a dozen of them, the kind that make you feel like you've truly arrived. @2015-05-XX, Shanghai 🇨🇳

The summer of '15 was a wild, caffeine-fueled ride of endless creativity and sleepless nights. I spent every second I had on the Coca-Cola open brief contest, churning out one billboard design after another. Eight in total. I was driven by a fierce determination to win and it paid off in ways I never could have imagined. The awards came pouring in, more than a dozen of them, the kind that make you feel like you've truly arrived. @2015-05-XX, Shanghai 🇨🇳

In late 2015, I started a gaming company. With a handful of like-minded friends - none of us hailing from any sort of traditional background in mobile development - we set out to create something special. And create we did: eight games were born from the ether, three of which were even published live on the App Store. One of them even caught fire, soaring to the top 10 on the charts.

But before all this, there were the dorm room days. Ah, the memories. Countless nights spent hunched over my desk like a mad scientist, furiously scribbling and sketching, straining every last creative muscle.

313 Johnson, my dorm at the time: that dim, 150-square-feet space became my dance floor, open for business every night of the week, where I had some of the wildest parties of my life. @2016-03-21, Charlottesville 🇺🇸

313 Johnson, my dorm at the time: that dim, 150-square-feet space became my dance floor, open for business every night of the week, where I had some of the wildest parties of my life. @2016-03-21, Charlottesville 🇺🇸

Those were the years of unbridled creativity and unfettered exploration. I didn't care much about getting good grades - sorry, Professor Sylvia, I didn't finish the readings on the history of Chinese American immigrants because I was too busy digging gold on my own, you see.

But let me tell you, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I had my fair share of failures and anxieties. I flunked a couple of classes, and every time I had to talk to my academic advisor, my heart would race like a cheetah. And then there was that one summer when I had to take extra courses just to make sure I could graduate on time.

And then one day, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me. I had all these amazing designs just sitting there on my computer hard drive, going nowhere. That's when I decided to submit them to design contests and began my scary obsession with competing against other designers.

I didn't really want to win - I needed to win.