Humans of Haas: Annie Cai
Written by Mira Celly.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m kind of a hippie – I’ve invested in a hammock and I love playing football on the glade. I’m super passionate about business and art, probably a bit too opinionated about contemporary art, and I am in the process of completing the design certificate. I would say I’m a fairly spontaneous and adventurous person. One of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice is setting up my hammock between trees in Haas or go to the top of Wurster–it’s one of the best views of the sunset on campus. This last year here, I want to take advantage of doing fun things with my friends. You have to take a break sometimes and make time for the people you love, especially at a high-stress school like Berkeley. At the end of the day, it’s the quality time you spend with friends that make the best memories.
One of my goals in life is to launch a product something physical that I can hold and know that it will bring happiness and joy into other people’s lives. I would love to be my own boss. Right now, I work part-time, work on freelance design and I’m trying to launch an apparel company with my friend. For me, time passes way faster when I’m working on these hobbies than when I have to study for school, so I absolutely love these extracurriculars.
When was a time someone motivated you and you least expected it?
My mom is a huge motivator in my life. It’s not what she says, but how she acts. She is the sole breadwinner of our family, and she never complains. She has grown to love her work and has built a great culture within her team at work. Everything I do, I want to make sure she’s proud of me. It has really motivated me to pursue a career that’s financially stable first, give back to my family, and I know that I will always have the opportunity to do something more artistic later in life.