I-Shien Shiao is a Senior Technical Recruiter at Amazon. She recruits software development managers for AWS, who love building large-scale systems that solve some of the hardest problems in cloud infrastructure.
I was born in Taiwan and then lived in Ecuador until my family moved to Gainesville so my father could take over a family restaurant business. It was amazing to grow up in a fun college town, but I wanted to experience new places and big cities.
I attended Florida State University to study sports medicine and then accepted an internship that led to being the assistant athletic trainer for football and tennis at Georgia Tech. I always wanted to live in California, so I was very fortunate when a Gainesville friend connected me with a pharmaceutical job in San Francisco when I needed one.
Gainesville is a community that you can rely on in a time of need. When my mom was going through a terrible health crisis and I was living in California, I was able to reach out to medical professional friends here, and everyone was so helpful. The assistance I received from so many people I knew that I could trust to step in when I needed them was unbelievable.
In 2019, it was another Gainesville friend that connected me with a job here that would allow me to return to be close to my family. I’ve found this tight-knit community allows you to develop close relationships more than anywhere else I’ve lived. These Gainesville connections have led to many different avenues and opportunities. I am grateful to come back to the family and friends and foundation that I have here.
After living in large cities, I appreciate an affordable cost of living and a lifestyle that’s more flexible. I no longer have to sit in traffic for hours and I have easy access to airports for travel.
Since returning, I have also noticed the growing cultural diversity in Gainesville. Oak Hall now has a network with schools in China to invite students here. It’s refreshing to see the growth in diversity and culture not only in schools but throughout Gainesville. I feel we become more open-minded and grow as a society when we hear other people’s stories and upbringings and can respect them in a compassionate manner.
By Jennifer Kennedy