Janine is a first-generation American born to Filipino parents in NYC. Education was paramount in her upbringing, as her father rose up from abject poverty in the Philippines to become a psychiatrist and US Army Colonel. From an early age, her father imprinted in her mind that education was the key to bettering life’s circumstances and that serving one’s community was not only an honor but a duty. After graduating from Barnard College with a BA in Political Science and Education and a Provisional Certification to teach Elementary Education, she engaged in a law clerkship in Vermont in pursuit of becoming an attorney. However, the experience left her feeling unfulfilled. She decided to explore her artistic talents, created a portfolio, and applied for design school while gaining a life-changing experience working at a progressive early childhood learning center in Los Angeles. She completed her AAS in Communication Design and BFA in Packaging Design at SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. While Janine enjoyed her design career, she deeply desired the opportunity to dedicate her skills and energy to a nonprofit with a mission that aligned with her beliefs, which led her to Stand for Children. Janine wants to use her skills to catalyze the kind of opportunities that helped her father defy the odds when he was a child. In her spare time, Janine loves to volunteer for TEDx, design jewelry, play ruthless ping pong against her husband, and dote on her demanding yet adorable puppies, Ziggy and Phoebe.