hi!
I’m currently a rising senior at Scripps College majoring in computer science and minoring in math. However, I am majoring at Harvey Mudd College because Scripps doesn’t have a computer science program. I am able to do this because both schools are a part of the Claremont University Consortium. I have completed the introductory sequence for computer science, learning Python, Java, C, C++, CSS, and HTML. I have also taken courses on data structures, programming development, discrete math, software verification, computer systems, software development and algorithms.
I just finished working on a group project for a class that is a web application that identifies flowers. We learned about neural networks and training models to classify images and decided to apply our knowledge to plant identification. Our application identifies an image the user uploads of a flower and tells the user the best ways to plant and care for it. The database we used has 102 species and has a 5% accuracy rate. Although we faced many obstacles and errors, we were able to overcome them through problem solving, self-teaching, and working together.
Additionally, this past summer I worked for Girls Who Code for their Summer Immersion Program as a teaching assistant. This is a seven-week program that is run by Girls Who Code every summer at different locations around the country. It aims to introduce high school girls to computer science, furthering their mission to close the gender gap in the tech world. The girls come in with a range of abilities, some not know what programming or computer science is and others having experience in Python or Java. A general overview of the curriculum is a a week on Scratch, two weeks on Python, two weeks on robotics, and finally two weeks on a self motivated group project. I really enjoyed this experience because I was able to cater to each of the girl’s needs and encourage them to pursue computer science. Girls Who Code’s mission aligns with my beliefs and I felt that I was able to foster a supportive and safe environment where they felt comfortable explore computer science. I loved the bond that I developed with all of them and it was a learning experience for both the girls and myself. It also allowed me to practice my own skills as a programmer by having to explain concepts and clearly communicating to others.