What is your background?
I am the son of two immigrant parents and was born in Georgia, USA before moving to California when I was just a few months old. I spent the next twelve years of my life moving within Stockton, California, and the San Francisco Bay Area until I moved to Belgrade, Serbia in the summer of 2014. Although I only spent two years of my life in Serbia, it gave me a valuable perspective on economic, social, and cultural issues that I took with me when I made the choice to move with my father to Southern California in 2016 to pursue my dreams. Today, I use many of my life experiences and research to fuel projects such as Illusion of Democracy, which now serves as an extension of myself.
Below are just some pictures from my time in Serbia.
What do you plan to do with your education?
I am currently a Mathematics/Economics student at UCLA. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in economics after my bachelor’s and am particularly interested in the fields of labor economics and political economy. My dream is to become a professor at a high-ranking university and eventually utilize my experience for a government position (Federal Reserve, Treasury Department, Economic Advisor, Congressman, etc).
Why make this blog?
I started this blog with the intention to encourage my fellow classmates to engage in democratic discourse and provide a unique, research-based perspective on various issues that are not often presented on mainstream media. I also possess a deep love for economics and politics. Unfortunately, do not get a chance to discuss them as often as I would like. This blog serves as a great platform for me to share my opinions on pressing issues (Although I still manage to annoy my friends and family with hour-long rants regarding political and economic theory).
I also use this blog to distribute my personal economic research, share my thoughts on various forms of art (music, movies, etc), and write poetry!
Special thanks to my sister and girlfriend for always encouraging me to contribute more on this blog and strive in life 🙂
Political Bias?
In case it is not obvious enough, I personally identify as a progressive Democrat or, in political theory terms, a social democrat. Please be cautious of my bias when consuming any of my content.
Recommendations?
Click on this link for a list of my recommendations.