My name is Maggie Xiao and I am a freshman currently majoring in marketing management.
I chose this picture because I think it represents me very well. It combines my love of streetwear and boba. Since I was a kid, growing up in an Asian household, drinking boba has been commonplace. My mom used to make it for me and now I regularly make it for myself when I am not purchasing it at a store. I work at a boba shop, I constantly crave boba, I spend my paychecks on it, and when I hang out with my friends a typical activity is to get boba together. I sleep with a boba shaped pillow that my friend gave me and I constantly mention it on my social media accounts. I have memorized my usual stores, favorite drinks, and typical orders; I can be found criticizing boba like I’m a high profile food writer submitting to an established magazine. While seemingly simple, this one drink is a huge part of my identity. Upon looking closer, my shoes are also featured in the photo; streetwear is another facet of my identity. I sell shoes, I own many pairs myself, and I could probably name the shoe someone is wearing as they walk down the street. I get up at 10 am, well before my typical 12pm breakfast, for shoe releases, and I’ve been navigating platforms through which to sell them since I was 14. In a way, this also influenced my passion for business because I have created an Instagram through which I could grow my brand and spread the word about it, and grow a customer base of people with the same passion.