Introduction
I am currently a rising junior. With an interest in the biomedical engineering field, I have been using my technological knowledge and interest in science to design and build impactful projects. I have experience in HTML, CSS, Python, Javascript, JAVA, and am currently exploring the C++ language. I have taken an AP Computer Science A course and has participated in clubs that allow me to teach and encourage younger students to dive deeper into the field of technology and computer science. I hope to expand my knowledge in the technological field by learning more coding languages, and engaging in more hands-on engineering projects.
My Interests
My interest in computing and technology started in fourth grade when I was introduced to drag and drop code through Code.org. From that moment, I started to enjoy finding solutions to different challenges. I began by doing challenges on Khan Academy and then shifted to Code.org’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript lessons and challenges throughout middle school. This knowledge allowed me to create basic projects, like a crossword puzzle and a word search game. During this time, I attended a girls-only hackathon, which aimed to bring in more girls to engineering fields. This was when I started to understand the true disproportion between males and females in the technological fields. I knew then that I wanted to be part of the effort to be a female in a male-dominated field and bring more females into technical areas. I enrolled in my local Girls Who Code sector and used MIT Scratch to develop a project about plastic pollution and its harmful effects on the environment around us. I attended multiple Microsoft DigiGirlz sessions, through which I learned about opportunities for girls in the computing fields and talked to mentors about their personal experiences. Today, I am also part of the volunteer team that maintains the same hackathon that I had been inspired by so many years ago. By continuing this effort, I feel that I can inspire young girls, like myself years ago, to enter technological/computing fields as well.
Work in Technology
Starting in middle school, I began to participate in different activities that helped me develop my skills in technology and computing and allowed me to showcase these abilities. Over the past few years, I have attended a VEX Robotics camp and a Python coding class, giving me insights into various coding languages. During ninth grade, I used the languages I learned to create an app. I designed the app to provide easily accessible tools to users in danger or users who feel threatened by someone around them. Many tools and resources are available for efficient emergency communication, but the novelty of my app is in its innovative safety tools. Later on, I started to dive into the world of robotics and learned C++ to help code my VEX Robotics team’s robots. My team tied for first place in the world two seasons ago. I took two Project Lead The Way (PLTW) courses (Intro to Engineering Design and Computer Integrated Manufacturing), which taught me valuable career skills. Additionally, I am an active member of my school’s Robotics and Coding club, where I conduct programming workshops for younger students. I have taken an AP Computer Science A, through which I learnt Java, and a PLTW Principles of Engineering course. In addition, I enrolled in an “Exploration in Data Science” course for the fall semester, and a "Introduction to Algorithms" course in the spring semester through Columbia University’s Science Honors Program. Through this program, I learnt how to analyze NYC Open Data by using the statistical analysis language R and learnt about various algorithms used to analyze data and write code.
Future Plans
In the future, I want to pursue a degree that integrates my love for life sciences with technology. My ideal career field is biomedical engineering. Using the coding languages that I have learned, I plan to develop solutions in the medical field. Whether it is developing algorithms to keep track of diseases, or using technology to develop functional prosthetics, I would like to build machines or programs that provide patients with greater mobility, health, and a better quality of life. Apart from my future goals in biomedical engineering, I am currently working on a research project that tests the effects of light on insulin levels in D. melanogaster (fruit flies). Although this is a small-scale version of diabetes research, I hope to use the procedures and data collected throughout high school and possibly use biotechnology to develop light therapies that could help improve diabetes treatments in humans. After college, I aspire to lead programs that bring women into engineering and technology fields, while using my knowledge in engineering and science to create solutions to health problems.