"It's never too late to become what you might have been"

Snapshot:

Name: Shannon M. Louie

Birthday: August 29

Ethnicity: Cantonese Chinese

Birthplace: San Jose, CA

Residence: Pinole, CA

Education: B.A. in Business w/an emphasis in marketing, Santa Clara University

Stats:

Height: 5 feet, 8 inches

Weight: 115

Eye color: Brown

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Contact: Click here!

For Inquiring Minds:

First jobs: Elementary school choir accompanist .  From ages 15-17 I got played pop piano music at parties for $75 a night.

Turn ons: Ambition, intelligence, optimism, and a good sarcastic sense of humor.

Turn offs: Obesity, ignorance, lack of independence, lack of financial stability, people without common sense.

Most important lesson learned: If at first you don't succeed, try again and eventually you will get it right.  Most people don't always get it right the first time, but it is through our failures that we become stronger people.  Sometimes, life has a way of working out for the better, even at our worst times.

Loves of my life: My family.  As an only child, I was spoiled by my parents.  I adore them both.  Most of my free time is spent with boyfriend Patrick, and we plan to have a family of our own someday.

The Nitty-Gritty:

Ride: 2004 Toyota Scion xa

In my CD player: Gwen Stefani: Hollaback Girl

Favorite pair of shoes: New Balance running shoes

Favorite movie: Moulin Rouge, The Red Violin, Along Came Polly

Favorite restaurant: I don't really have one. Something with good dessert!

Favorite designer brand: Juicy Couture, Paul Frank

Most recent vacation spot: Disneyland

Pets: Franklin the betta fish

The Story of my Life:

My life began on August 29 in San Jose, CA, the first (and only) child born to my parents, Armand and Jolene.  Of course, I don't remember anything for the first 2 years after birth, but my parents often tell me stories about what a funny and quirky baby I was.  At an early age, I was given the nickname Thumper because of my affinity for jumping around and stomping my feet.  I was reported to be deathly afraid of bald people, which included my grandpa Louie.  My mother put a bald monk statue in rooms I wasn't allowed to go into to discourage me from being disobedient.

My parents moved to San Jose in the 70's for work and bought in a house in what was back then the very uninhabited Almaden Valley.  My dad found a job with the Environmental Health Department, and my mother worked at Stanford Research Institute as a chemist/technical writer.  She eventually quit her job to become a full-time mother.

Because I was an only child, I had to find ways to amuse myself because I had so much alone time.  I attended dance lessons a few times a week, along with piano lessons, violin lessons, and the occasional art class.  As I grew older, I focused more on playing the piano because I found that I was pretty good at it.  By junior high I was played for a church choir and participated in many piano recitals.

Middle school years flew by quickly, and soon, I was in high school.  It was in high school that I met some of my best friends.  In the Fall of 1999, I started college at Santa Clara University, and spent some of the best years of my life in and out of classes, study groups, and parties.  It was also at this time I met the love of my life, Patrick, who really made me into a more stable, sensible person.  Shortly after graduation I found a job in the East Bay and the rest is all history.

I currently work in public relations and sales training at Mulberry Neckwear, the second largest neckwear manufacturer in the world.  My work ranges from in-house training of field employees to brand launch parties, copywriting, and media promotions for our brands.  Our licensed brands include Kenneth Cole New York, Reaction, and Signature, BCBG, J. Garcia Art in Neckwear, Henry Jacobson, and Steve Harvey Neckwear.  In addition, I have been teaching piano lessons for the past 6 years.  Although I am busy, I still find the time to spend with my family, the most important part of my life!

My dreams for the future include being able to achieve something of value and making a difference in my life and the lives of others.  From watching and emulating the selflessness and compassionate attitudes of those I admire, I am able to shape my life into the person I wish to become.