Growing up, I always had an innate desire to help others. But like many other kids, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I spent a lot of my free time both inside and outside of the house but I always had a peak curiosity for technology. I was fascinated by technological devices and how they operated.
Fast forward to high school, I took a Computer Aided Design (CAD) class where I got hands-on with things like 3D printing, laser cutting, designing products, etc. This is where my eyes began to open to the possibilities of what technology holds. The fact that I could design something in a couple of hours on a computer and within a couple of days I could have a 3D printed version of it right in my hand absolutely blew my mind. Along with this during my Senior year, I took AP Computer Science, which was my first programming class. As I began to scratch the surface of programming, my mind was blown once again. With every assignment I did, the more I learned and the more I enjoyed it. I felt like it felt as if I was doing magic with a computer at times and every assignment didn’t feel like homework but more like enjoyable puzzles. It was during this time I realized that the possibilities with technology were endless and that I wanted to pursue my passion for helping others through the use of technology.
Now in 2024, I am a Senior at UH Mānoa studying Computer Engineering. Being a Computer Engineering major, though we do program at times, I’d say the majority of our curriculum has been geared more toward Electrical Engineering and hardware. While I do love that aspect, I am very eager to learn more about Software Engineering through this class. Going forward I want to continuously gain more knowledge and develop more skills in the realm of Computer Science and be able to build things like full-stack websites and applications, manage databases, and how it can be integrated into hardware.
My overall goal has not changed from when I was younger, however it may have been more refined. My K-12 school helped foster my love for the outdoors and the land and engrained a servant mentality toward it. I firmly believe that if we continuously take care of the land, it will take care of us. I hope in the future to use my skills and knowledge as a Computer Engineer to help others and use modern-day technology in coalition with the environment to tackle the task of helping Hawaiʻi become more sustainable while still preserving the land and traditional practices.