I have always loved working with computers. In elementary school, I became an avid gamer, and, later, I learned computer programming. In high school, I enjoyed computer science so much that, by the time I graduated, I took every computer science class that was offered. Also, I became involved in robotics when I co-founded a world championship competing robotics club and team, and I founded and mentored a robotics club for gifted elementary students. Moreover, I became a National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing recipient every year in high school, be it Illinois winner twice, national runner-up thrice, and, in 2015, I became a national winner.

As an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I continued to pursue my love of computer science, engineering, and robotics by pursuing dual degrees in Agricultural Engineering and Biological Engineering, and I applied my skills, knowledge, and abilities in those areas. When I was a freshman, I created a farming robot that won the first place engineering award. Throughout my undergraduate career, I worked as an engineering researcher, including positions as a software engineering researcher and robotics engineering researcher. Because of my love of engineering and computer science, I created, developed, and taught my own Agricultural and Biological Engineering course. I designed this course after I learned that few students in my major know how to code.

As a current Informatics Ph.D. student, I am studying a perfect blend of computer science, data science, and the interaction between these methodologies and society. Now, I have an opportunity to further develop my computer science and engineering skills while also learning about the interrelationship between information technology and cultural, social, and political values and processes. I really love what I do!