In high school, gaming was my favorite hobby, something I enjoyed after finishing my homework. I played on a modest quad-core computer with 8 GB of RAM and integrated graphics. While it wasn’t very powerful, it was enough to handle Minecraft. Later, I ventured into other games like CS:GO, a competitive first-person shooter, and H1Z1, a zombie survival game. Through these games, I met new friends, and we’d chat while playing. However, I often experienced severe lag, with my framerate dropping from 60 FPS to as low as 4 FPS.
When I mentioned this to my friends, they asked about my computer’s specs. After I told them, they explained why I was having issues and described the different components of a computer and their roles. Intrigued, I began researching PC parts, watching countless YouTube videos, and reading articles. I quickly became hooked, spending hours learning about computer hardware.
As graduation approached, I enrolled at Piedmont Virginia Community College, initially planning to pursue general studies. I told my mom about my plans and mentioned that I’d need a computer for school. Around that time, my gaming friends told me about a deal on PC parts on Newegg. With some convincing, I persuaded my mom to let me build a new computer.
When all the parts arrived, I followed a YouTube tutorial to assemble my first PC. The process took 14 hours because I was terrified of damaging the components. After finishing the build, I hit the power button, but nothing happened. Hours of troubleshooting later, I discovered I had plugged in the power supply but hadn’t turned it on. Once I flipped the switch and pressed the button again, the PC booted up successfully. I verified that everything was recognized in the BIOS and proceeded to install Windows.
This experience sparked my passion for computer hardware. Over the years, I’ve built more desktops with increasingly powerful components and, of course, RGB lighting—because that’s what gamers do.
It wasn’t until my second semester at community college that I delved into the software side of things. For a final project, we had to create something, and I decided to build a digital calendar that could hang on a wall. The idea stemmed from my frustration with my parents constantly asking about my work schedule. I wanted to make a calendar that would display my schedule so they could check it without asking me.
To bring my idea to life, I repurposed my old gaming laptop—the same one that struggled with 4 FPS. I used its LCD display and connected it to a Raspberry Pi using an HDMI-to-ribbon cable adapter. I found software online to design the calendar, complete with visual elements like pictures of the weather that matched the seasons of the month. After loading the software onto a microSD card, I had help writing a Python script to ensure the calendar booted automatically.
The final product allowed users to sync their Google calendars, enabling them to post events and view others’ schedules. Seeing my idea come to life was incredibly rewarding, and it solidified my decision to pursue a career in computer science.
Fun Facts!
Why VT over UVA? Well, I am from Charlottesville, VA, but UVA does not accept spring transfers for their engineering department, whereas VT does. I love VT though, and I recently found out through a VT resource on Ancestry.com that my ancestors lived in and around the counties where VT is located.
Hobbies: Gaming, astrophotography, bass fishing, and hiking. In fact, while I was a sophomore in high school, I started a high school bass fishing team.
Favorite Game: League of Legends. I actually only play League of Legends when I have free time. A zombie survival game called H1Z1: Just Survive, before it got shut down, was also one of my favorites.
Favorite Esports Team: Team Liquid! Let’s go Liquid!
Pets: I have a dog. He is a border collie, and his name is Luka.
Favorite Music Artist: Nathan Feuerstein, aka “NF,” with my favorite album being “The Search.”
Favorite Football Teams: Detroit Lions and the Denver Broncos