CSpotlight: Staying Connected Through Student Groups

Why did you choose to pursue a degree in computer science specifically at the University of Minnesota?

I guess my whole interest in computer science and data science started in high school when I first took AP Computer Science Principles. That was the only computer science (CS) class that my high school offered and it was my first introduction to problem-solving using code. In one of our units, we read about how Target was able to find out which customers were pregnant using shopping data. The goal was for Target to direct its ads to pregnant women based on their pregnancy cycle. That was interesting to me - being able to take a bunch of numbers and data, being able to understand it, and then add business value. Data science was really interesting to me, so I decided to major in it. I specifically came to the University of Minnesota because my home is Minnesota and I thought that for my bachelor's degree, that's a really good option. Coming here is financially feasible, and all of my friends are here.

How did you become interested in computer science? What are your specific interests within the field?

It was the Computer Science Principles class that initially sparked my interest, specifically that case study I did. I guess in general being able to use so many different areas of school like math, statistics, and problem-solving really interested me. I just think being able to understand that logic in those areas was cool and things like algorithms and machine learning are super interesting. Those kinds of courses interest me, as well as the idea of taking such a complex idea or name, and being able to know how to translate it down to the basic ideas of math behind it.

Congratulations on earning the James Parker Memorial scholarship! How will this scholarship impact your academic and extracurricular work?

I’ll definitely have some more time to work on my own goals and not have to worry about financial stress. Part of that is that I want to be way more involved in extracurricular activities and give back. I will be working part-time next semester and I want to continue doing research. I’m also a part of the Science and Engineering Student Board (SESB), and of course, I can focus on my coursework more, too. One of the biggest things that I value is understanding what I’m learning. It’s really hard when you have so many credits and can only get to the surface level of understanding things, do assignments, and just check boxes. With the extra time, I will be able to digest the material and maybe be able to read things in my own time. It will be nice to be able to learn more without trying to figure out how to get a job to support myself financially for college.

Tell us more about your internship experiences.

I’ve had two internships - one last year and one this past summer. They were both with Allianz Technology, which is an insurance company. Last year I worked in project management, which is not a traditional thing for a computer science or data science major to do. There was a lot of crossover in terms of problem-solving and organization. With coding, you have to be organized and know how to logically solve a problem. In project management, you do that with a business lens. It was interesting to see those parallels. This year I’m working with the same company but a different team. I am working on analysis work with artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Are you involved in any student groups? What inspired you to get involved? 

As a freshman, we had the fall activities fair and ExploreU event during welcome week where you walked around the whole Huntington Bank stadium and Mariucci Area to look at different clubs on campus. It was kind of overwhelming to see all those clubs. I knew I wanted to do something that involved leadership experience and advocacy because those are two of the main pillars that I was involved with in high school and I wanted to translate that into college. I thought that something like a student board, even though I haven’t had that experience before, would have a similar leadership or advocacy position. I heard the president of SESB talk at the activities fair and orientation. I immediately signed up, became a committee member, and slowly started exploring different positions over the years. I was the K-12 outreach director at some point and I was the Recruitment and Retention director last year, which involves recruiting freshmen and being at freshman orientation fairs. This year, I’m going to be the Communications director on the executive board, focusing more on communication and newsletters and being able to foster connections with different student groups.

What do you hope to contribute to the computer science community at the University?

One of the things I’m interested in is AI, specifically how we can use and integrate AI into the curriculum. I was doing that with my internship as well, and I think with the changing landscape of technology, it’s more important to not disregard AI. AI has been controversial for its use in cheating and plagiarism, but there should also be a way for us to adapt and use AI in educational settings. I think being able to understand more about how AI works, the risks associated with it, and how to best share that with people is what I’m interested in doing.

Have you been involved with any research on campus?

I am currently researching under Dr. Harmanpreet Kaur's lab. I started in January. It’s been an insightful experience. It’s different from an internship or a job because research is determined by your results and the process itself is very different. I’ve learned a lot about the research process and a lot about the analyzed data and how to pick the right data. We are currently exploring the effect of human personality on human AI and decision-making insights.

What advice do you have for incoming computer science students?

Don’t shy away from the fact that you may not know everything. That is something I faced when I went into computer and data science. I would think, “Oh I’m kind of good at this.” Then I got to a classroom and people asked questions and I had no clue what they were saying because they already had more prior knowledge than me. In general, you need to understand that not everyone has the same knowledge base, and it shouldn't stop you from pursuing a career in something like computer science just because you feel a sense of imposter syndrome. Computer and data science is the way to go at this point - everything is data and everything is numbers and bits. Being able to understand this field is important and you shouldn't feel held back because other people seem to know more than you. So just being open to learning, and open to trying new things in general. Make sure that the curiosity to learn is there even though you don’t always feel comfortable.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation, I'm thinking of going straight into the industry. I'm not sure which industry yet, and I think it will be dependent on what opportunities come my way. I think after a few years working in the industry I’d like to go to grad school. I’m not sure for what yet, but I could do an MBA or a master's in data science. I think that work experiences and being in that environment will help me decide which path I want to take.

Are there any additional experiences you did that you would like to highlight in the article?

Another piece of advice is to have fun. It’s easy to get caught up in a lot of things, especially as students in CS&E. Everyone is trying to do their best, and I think all of us are naturally achievers. It helps to not get caught up in that and being able to pull ourselves back and reflect and reassure ourselves that everything is fine. You don't need to compare yourself to other people. Just have fun with the process because these four years are a time where you get to explore yourself. Don’t be hesitant and see what you have to offer.