Danielle Ramo
Hopelab
San Francisco, CA USA
"Don’t be afraid to express your rich roots as you follow an unconventional path."
Career Roadmap
Danielle's work combines: Science, Technology, and Helping People
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
My college experience was diverse, so when I graduated, I wasn't set up to step directly into a defined career path. I thought about going to grad school but that wasn't clearly defined either. I felt immense pressure to pick something and stick to it. The artificial pressure that we feel to hone in on a single passion is at best unfair and at worst oppressive and detrimental. We should have a more open frame starting out and realize that it's okay to pick something and then change course later.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Urban Studies
Columbia University in the City of New York
Graduate Degree
Clinical Psychology
University of California, San Diego
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
As a teen, I struggled with depression and anxiety revolving around my purpose in life—I saw my friends go through similar issues and was disappointed that our opportunities to get help were lacking.
2.
I went to college thinking I’d major in psychology but was thrown off when I really did not enjoy my first psychology course.
3.
I changed my major to urban studies and economics and got to focus more on the social determinants of health.
4.
I worked for a while after graduating but still felt a strong passion and desire to work in psychology, so I went back to school for clinical psychology.
5.
After graduate school, I did my postdoctoral training at UC San Francisco.
6.
I stayed at UC San Francisco for 10 years—I became faculty, honed my expertise on behavior-change interventions, worked more deeply with technology, and conducted grant-funded research.
7.
When I was recruited by Hopelab, I wasn’t sure what a social innovation lab was but I felt very passionate about the mission to use technology to improve the health and well-being of young people.
8.
I joined Hopelab as the director of research—I get to help ensure that our technology will work to achieve our goals in improving adolescent health, mental health, and well-being.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You need to find your passion, hone in on it, and stick to it.
How I responded:
My college experience was diverse, so when I graduated, I wasn't set up to step directly into a defined career path. I thought about going to grad school but that wasn't clearly defined either. I felt immense pressure to pick something and stick to it. The artificial pressure that we feel to hone in on a single passion is at best unfair and at worst oppressive and detrimental. We should have a more open frame starting out and realize that it's okay to pick something and then change course later.