CSpotlight: Computer Science and Finance
Why did you choose to pursue a degree in computer science specifically at the University of Minnesota?
In high school I thought about doing something either computer-related or finance-related when choosing a major. After talking with a few different individuals, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to study computer engineering. While in that major, I found myself enjoying more of the computer-science aspect rather than the electrical-engineering aspect, so I decided to make the switch to computer science and have enjoyed it since.
How did you become interested in computer science? What are your specific interests within the field?
What first got me interested was seeing people write code for games and seeing how they were able to go from envisioning a great idea to seeing it on a screen. On top of that, the subject I enjoyed the most was mathematics because I saw how big of a role it played in computer science. Mixing those two passions with my interest in finance, I want to go down the path of quantitative finance and trading.
Congratulations on earning your scholarship! How will this scholarship impact your academic and extracurricular work?
It definitely takes a little stress off by allowing me to not worry about how I will pay for school. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity. This also means that I have time to focus more on developing my career and will be able to put more focus on a club I’m trying to start with my friends called Machine Learning @ UMN.
Tell us more about your new group! What inspired you to get involved?
A few of my friends and I have started Machine Learning @ UMN. Our goal is to spread the knowledge of this growing field while also learning as much as possible ourselves. Another student group I hope to be a part of this year is the Oromo Student Union (OSU), which is a community of Oromo students. I’ve attended a few events they have held in the past and have seen the amazing work they are continuously doing.
Tell us more about your internship experiences.
During the summer, I was fortunate enough to be a software engineer intern at The Bernard Group. I was placed in the Python division with an awesome team who supported and mentored me. In this internship, I learned a lot about different technologies that I wasn’t familiar with, such as AWS and Docker. I also learned about working in an agile environment and worked more in-depth with some other things I already knew such as Python and GitHub.
What do you hope to contribute to the computer science community at the University?
The computer science community here at the University has been amazing in supporting each other, whether it is through job recruitment or school work, and as I continue to grow, I hope to share what I have learned with the people around me. I was previously a teaching assistant and found it to be very rewarding helping other students study programming languages and I would like to make room in the future to continue that.
What advice do you have for incoming computer science students?
Work hard. For those who work hard, opportunities will find you. Also, make friends with similar interests that will help motivate you in whatever you want to achieve. It’s very easy to learn from one another, whether that be through mistakes or triumphs.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduating I hope to start work either as a trader or a software engineer. I would also like to explore other paths such as starting a business and learning how to invest in real estate. In addition to these, I hope to seek mentorship and continue to learn as I begin my career.