Today we’d like to introduce you to Mika Sueyoshi.
Mika, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always tend to ask people who I meet for the first time “What gets you out of bed in the morning?” The reason I ask this question is that you can learn a lot about a person and figure out what their true passion in life is, or their purpose for living. The reason I get out of bed in the morning is that I want to live my life, I want to enjoy every minute that I am living, as cliche as that may sound. I have a strong passion for helping others, I believe in cultivating kindness wherever I go. I have always had a strong personality to contribute to my community or people around me.
When I was in high school, I was involved with Associated Students and many other organizations that contributed to the school as a whole. Then, when I started school at San Diego State University, I got involved in many clubs such as Rotaract and Best Buddies. All my life, I have always tried to get involved because I wanted to make an impact. My outgoing personality has allowed me to make many connections throughout my life so far. I was born and raised in San Diego my whole life which has given me the opportunity to explore this lovely city. I began studying at different small coffee shops around the county and found a love for the interior design and the different aesthetics each place has. Although I am only 19, I have a goal and a dream to own my own small business one day. Whether that be a coffee shop, boutique, or unique cafe, I want to make something of my own to share with my community.
However, there are many coffee shops, so to make my business different I want to focus on employing people with special disabilities. I have a lot of people in my life that have intellectual or mental disabilities and I want to promote how they are capable to do so much more than people expect of them. I am doing whatever I can now to later achieve my overall goal in the future. I currently am an intern for Geraldine Ridaura the founder and owner of Holy Matcha. I wanted to shadow and intern her because I knew she was opening up her second location in East Village. I want to own my own business one day and getting the full experience and being hands on is just what I needed. Throughout the process, I have learned the highs and lows of starting up a business and I know that it will not be easy. However, I have a passion, goal, and dream and that is the only thing that will push me to achieve this goal. When you open up your own business, nobody is telling you what to do, or how to do it, you have to do it for yourself. I learned I will have to work long hours and days for myself because nobody is forcing me. Since I have this dream and passion, I hope that one day, I will be able to open up my own business.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life has not been a smooth road for me, however, I would not ask to change the way it has been nor do I regret anything in life. When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with a very rare type of cancer. I had a tumor at the end of my pancreas and I had to get an open surgery to get it removed. Having to go through such an extreme difficulty in my life at such a small age has made me mature faster, and appreciate the little things in life. I am very proud to say that I have been cancer free for six years now. I learned to live my life every day like it is my last because it was a really rare type of cancer and I do not know if it will ever return again. I believe in spreading my kindness everywhere I go because life is too short not to be grateful for this life. Although I am only 19, I have big goals and dreams that I want to pursue. After my surgery, I was left with a large battle scar on my stomach and I used to hide that scar because I was embarrassed, however, I learned to embrace it because it displays how much I have gone through and is a constant reminder of how I am a cancer survivor. When I tell my story to others, I always hope that they learn how grateful they are for their health, I am so appreciative of my health because I know how it feels to be on bed rest and not healthy. I also hope that by telling my story people realize how you should be comfortable in your own skin, whether you have a scar or imperfection, it makes you unique and who you are.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
My favorite app that is underrated is VSCO, it is a photography app where creators can share their photos with their peers. Similar to Instagram, VSCO allows people to use filters to create images that are more artistic. I also love Instagram. I enjoy posting aesthetic places around San Diego, cool interior designs, and coffee. On my Instagram, I post things that make me happy, and things that make me smile, in hopes that it will make other people smile as well.
Contact Info:
- Email: mikavsueyoshi@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mika__sueyoshi/
- Other: https://vsco.co/mikasueyoshi/images/1
Image Credit:
Rachel Jung
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