高中時期，Diva就參加了學校舉辦的職能進修活動，發展美容美髮的興趣並磨練專長。此後兩年，她每週除了固定花兩天，還得外加週六做美容美髮專業進修。回想起來，她很慶幸學生時代能保有這樣的忙碌生涯，不但讓她沒有時間學壞，更讓她發掘了自己的才華與一輩子的興趣。到18歲時，很多年輕人還在玩樂或茫然之際，Diva已經取得了專業證照。

Diva畢業後，一直是她生命中重要推手的父親，讓她去了舊金山的沙宣學院進修。Diva不但遇見維達沙宣本人，還很興奮的跟沙宣本人合照。她當時除了是學院剪髮課的學生，還身兼了課堂上的剪髮模特兒。結業時，父親來接她，對她令人耳目一新的沙宣短髮髮型讚不絕口。當時身為平面設計師的父親還未雨稠繆的幫她設計了一個商標，很有信心的說，以後Diva開店時一定用得到！

Back in high school at the age of 15 and 16, Diva took part in a school program meant to discover and develop students’ traits. For the next two years, she had to spend two weekdays and Saturdays to attend the beauty program. Busy school life not only kept her away from bad things but also helped her discover her natural and life-long talent in beauty and hairdressing. And by the age of 18, this young lady was already licensed.

Afterwards, Diva’s father agreed to send her to Vidal Sassoon Academy in San Francisco. There she met Vidal Sassoon and took photos with him. She even became a model in the cutting class while taking courses there at the same time. At the end when her father came to pick her up, he was totally amazed by her new, edgy look. A well known graphic artist, her father designed a logo for her future salon, saying that one day she will definitely need it!

之後大約一年半的時間，Diva擔任一位澳洲設計師的助理。她的天份在助理時期就鋒芒畢露，所以當她的澳洲師父決定在家鄉成立一間新沙龍時，就自掏腰包把Diva派去澳洲。此後Diva長駐澳洲，在當地同時成為萊雅的教育講師，這位年輕新秀當時也不過才20歲。澳洲歲月一晃眼就是十幾年，她不僅遇見了她的丈夫，還常常叨唸著說，有一天他們一定會回去美國開一間沙龍！

For the next one and half year, Diva became an apprentice for an Australian hairdresser in San Francisco, where her talents shined through. When the owner decided to open a new salon back in Australia, he sponsored Diva to go and work there. It was then the destiny brought Diva to another continent, where she also began to work for L’Oreal as an educator at the age of 20. She spent nearly a decade in Australia and met her husband. She kept telling him that one day they would go back to the States, opening their own salon!

不久後，Diva和夫婿果真回到熟悉的舊金山。也在此時，國際品牌莎貝之聖找上了她，邀請她去洛杉磯，在那裡接受了一系列的培訓課程，也成為了莎貝之聖的團隊成員。如今Diva已經和莎貝之聖合作了20多年，現任莎貝之聖北美的核心設計團隊與國際藝術團隊。她說：「有莎貝之聖才有現在的我。這是互惠的情誼…我對品牌鞠躬盡瘁，而品牌也帶我走遍了世界各地。」教育工作讓她足跡遍佈全球，她熱愛旅行的程度令人咋舌，一旦不能遠遊，簡直教她如坐針氈！

And she did. They went back to San Francisco, and Sebastian found her. Sebastian flew her down to Los Angeles, and there she went through the courses and was invited to join the team. She has been with Sebastian for nearly 20 years since then. Now Diva is on both North America core design team and International team. “Sebastian completely shaped my life. It made me who I am today. It’s two way…I’ve dedicated to them and Sebastian is bringing me everywhere.” Her job has taken her to every corner of the world. Diva loves traveling and admits that she gets antsy when she doesn’t get to travel!

Diva的父親是平面設計師，洋溢著源源不絕的藝術精神。他在洛杉磯擁有自己的公司並設計許多好萊塢電影海報，住在日落大道，生活優渥。父親對藝術的長才在Diva身上展露無疑。不過身為墨西哥裔，這個家族要在美國爭取自己的一片天其實不容易。她父親不但爭取成為工會成員，還刻意不教她西班牙文，以讓她順利融入美國社會。另外一個影響Diva很大的人，就是同樣身為莎貝之聖藝術成員的好朋友Michael Polsinelli。她形容Michael是個「能整天關在車庫玩頭髮的人，是個真正的鬼才藝術家，總是能不斷的打破髮藝極限。」現在Diva認為，真正啟發她在美髮界不斷努力的人，「是當我在舞台上努力認真表現時，在台下目不轉睛看著我的觀眾！」

Diva’s father is a graphic artist constantly driven by art spirit. He has a printing shop in downtown L.A. and produces many Hollywood posters, living a decent life on Sunset Boulevard. These artistic and aesthetic talents certainly pass onto his daughter. But growing up in the States with a Mexican last name was never easy. To better assist her to blend in the American society, her father became a member of the Chamber of Commerce and chose not to teach her Spanish. Another person that plays a role in her life is her good friend Michael Polsinelli, a global artist of Sebastian who would spend all day in the garage playing with hair. “He is a true artist who can push the boundaries of hair, always creating something that never exits before.” Now, Diva regards the audience the one who gives her the biggest influence. “They are the ones that inspire me and push me every time I am on the stage!”

Diva入行時有過幾段難忘的經歷。一次是約8年前在柯達劇院與大師Robert Lobetta同台表演，面對偌大堂皇的劇院與全場4、5千名觀眾，讓她為之屏息，還看到她的父兄坐上觀眾席上開心的為她加油。另外還有一次，在表演中發生了她割傷手指的小插曲，為了不讓血漬沾染模特兒的白色漂髮與白色衣服，她只好整場把手指藏在背後直到表演結束。

Diva can recall a Sebastian stage experience 8 years ago with Robert Lobetta in the Kodak Theater, where almost five thousands of audience watching her cutting on stage. “The stage was perfectly set as if it were set for a film. My father and brother were sitting down there watching me and got all excited. It was an incredible experience.” There was also another time she cut herself on a stage and had to hide her bleeding finger throughout the show so it would not stain the model’s bleached hair and white dress!

Diva專精於剪染與造型，但是真正熱愛的還是染髮與色彩。「磨練技術就像跑馬拉松，不管是為了現場工作還是下次登台，都永遠不能鬆懈。有些人能休息6個月沒碰染膏就直接登台，但我不行。對我而言，熟才能真正生巧。」對於比賽，她也有獨到看法。「這取決於個性。如果你不擅長面對拒絕與挫折，我就不建議。但如果你很熱愛，當然就去參加。其實，自我提昇有很多方法，比賽只是其中之一。」

Diva specializes in cutting, coloring and styling. As she put it, “my color is my background…like canvas. And to train the skill is like running marathon. Be as active as possible because you are constantly training for your next performance and it doesn’t matter if you are in salon or on stage. Some people can rest for 6 months and think they can get on stage doing it right away. But I can’t. PRACTICE is everything.” When it comes to hair competition, Diva has a very unique worldview. “It really depends on who you are. If you are not good at dealing with rejection or disappointment, then it is not suggested. But if you love it and it’s related to your nature, then go for it. There are so many different ways to keep yourself better. Joining competition is just one of them.”

1992年時，Diva和夫婿在舊金山開了第一間工作室，但業務成長很快，就搬到市中心。店名Diva International意指她全球走透透的國際背景。她的沙龍打響了專業的好名聲，也涵蓋多項服務。現在她有20名員工。「我是天生的教育者。但我並沒有要開學院。這只是間能提供訓練的沙龍。事實上，通常我只從學校招募新人，這樣才能真正以我的方式教育他們。」

In 1992, Diva and her husband established their salon as a studio in San Francisco. It grew so rapidly that she relocated to a busy downtown district, and the name Diva International derived from her global traveling experiences and background. Ever since, her salon is able to maintain professional-level business, covering hair, makeup and various fields of services. Now she has about 20 staff. “I am a natural trainer. But I am not running an academy. This is just a salon that provides training. And I usually recruit people from beauty colleges so I can train them in my methods.”

Diva的靈感來源大多是來自織品、繪畫與雕刻的藝術家作品。最近一次她造訪紐約大都會博物館的Alexander McQueen展覽，就讓她歎為觀止。「實在太令我讚嘆了！我常常在想，這些偉大的藝術家到底怎麼能每次看起來都已經發揮一切本事，結果下一次竟然還能再超越極限？這實在太不可思議了！」

Diva usually gets her inspirations from amazing artworks from artists, including fabric, paintings and sculpture, etc. She recently visited the Alexander McQueen exhibition in Metropolitan Museum in New York City. “It is such an inspiration to me! I am frequently astonished by how far the artists could go, wondering how they can always go beyond themselves next time if each time they seem to have done everything they possibly could!”

名人：名模 Elle McPherson 以及美國前國防部長夫人Mrs. Donald Rumsfeld.

電影首映紅毯：《慾望城市》與《髮膠明星夢》舊金山首映

時裝伸展台：Chanel, Christian Dior、Christian Lacroix、Dolce & Gabbana、Ed Hardy, Escada、 Gucci、Jennifer Nicholson、Moschino Cheap & Chic、Oscar de la Renta、Prada、R.E.D. Valentino and Vivienne Tam。

平面拍攝：Cover of American Salon、英國Culture、韓國Estetica、土耳其Fashion TV Europe、新加坡Female、希臘Hair & Style、馬來西亞Malaysian News、新加坡Nanyou and Nuyou、義大利Pinni、丹麥Vibra Salon、Modern Salon、San Francisco Magazine、SOMA and where。