CSpotlight: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

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

I chose the University of Minnesota because it has a strong computer science and engineering program in general. Additionally, it is a major research university and has a wide range of opportunities for people who are interested in research, and that was the reason why I chose to come here. They also have a ton of resources for students who need help in various specific areas and I really like how accessible the school is to their undergraduates. I also grew up in Minnesota, so this has always been my top pick for a school that was in state. 

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

Honestly when I first started computer science, I went in really blind. I had switched my major before I started any classes during my freshman year. Coming into this major, I didn’t have a clear idea of what the field would be like since I didn’t have much experience in high school related to computer science. As time progressed, I discovered how much I enjoy working with

data and programs that help me analyze datasets. There is something enjoyable about trying to figure out the patterns and insights from a set of raw information, and that is what drew me into data analytics underneath Computer Science. I enjoyed coding from a visualization perspective and how satisfying it is to come up with a solution that is on paper and the combination of creativity and problem solving. 

Tell us more about your internship experiences. 

I have not had any internship experiences prior to this, but I currently work as an undergraduate teaching assistant here at the university for CSCI 3923, Ethics and Computing. As a TA, I help students navigate through questions of ethics in computer programming. I try to facilitate discussions in lecture, and I aid the professor in grading and giving feedback on ethical frameoworks. Additionally, I work as a student tech at the research facilities around the university, where I work with sensors and data analysis. I take data that’s transported to the cloud and then I make inferences or insights where I can uncover patterns or solutions that would be transported elsewhere to help solve problems. 

Congratulations on your CS&E Scholarship! How will this scholarship impact your academic and extracurricular work? 

I am really grateful that the CS&E department has given out the opportunity for financial support to students that need it. Overall, I have had a lot of help from the department itself. I was a College of Liberal Arts student before I transferred to CS&E because of how many more opportunities that this department had. Ultimately, this scholarship will help me explore different opportunities that are on campus without the burden of having to worry about finances. I used to be interested in research since there are a lot of opportunities that came with it, but they were always unpaid. Given that I am a student paying my own tuition, it was hard to manage taking these opportunities while having the financial burden in the background. This scholarship has given me the opportunity to open more doors and help me learn what I can try to achieve this semester. 

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

Last year, I held a position as the treasurer of Women of Color in STEM. In that position, I helped coordinate events and budgeting for our purpose of trying to get students to assimilate into the STEM field. As a woman of color in STEM, it is challenging to find your place at this university when there is a specific demographic in these majors. My goal was to help the board come up with a solution where we can have enough budgeting to host events that would be helping students with the resources that we have. I also currently hold a position at Tech Horizons, an organization where we help tech students find their niche field within tech that are seen as unconventional. Last year, I was the secretary where I helped coordinated events and filled out documents. This year, I am the treasurer for this club where we figure out what we can do with the club budgeting and how we can host events in the future.

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

I hope to contribute to the community by trying to combine my technical background and experiences with leadership. As a current undergraduate teaching assistant, I have worked with a lot of students trying to understand concepts that are very vague or difficult to understand. I enjoy helping others succeed and build confidence in their technical skills. What I hope to do is try and continue supporting my peers and students through tutoring, mentoring, or being someone they can turn to with questions. This year I am a mentor for the first year CS&E mentor program. I want to help new people coming into this department and try to figure out what they are going to be doing for the next few years. I am also active in Tech Horizons, where I help lead a lot of event coordination and help students challenge real-world problems. Through involvement, I hope to create more opportunities for collaboration. 

What advice do you have for incoming computer science students? 

Being a mentor here for first-year CS&E students, the most important thing is to utilize the university's resources and find somebody who could be a mentor to you. The CS&E department has a variety of resources, whether that be trying to build your own portfolio, or trying to figure out what you want to do in the future. I see a lot of first-year students say they are too afraid to go into these resources or to find somebody who could help them. Coming into university, the most important thing is to step out of your comfort zone and to step forward and do something that would help you progress in your career and academic life. 

What are your plans after graduation? 

I hope to see myself in a position where I can work with a lot of data and tools that can help me visualize that said data. If given the opportunity, I would be interested in doing research as well. My general hope is to get a full-time job at a company and continue my life from there after graduation.