The following paragraphs summarize three factors that represent how I have developed as an engineer during my time as an undergraduate student: a strong theoretical background in computer science from UCR, my practical background from internship experiences each summer, and my mindset and personality while working on projects.

During my time at UCR I developed a passion for problem solving, programming, and many facets of the vast field that is computer science. The computer science curriculum at UCR places a strong emphasis on understanding the fundamentals of both software and hardware, as well as their low-level interactions. Students start out with a year-long introduction into C/C++ programming whilst learning introductory machine architecture and physics for engineering. Upper division courses continue this oscillation between hardware and software, placing emphasis on understanding fundamentals. A full list of courses as well as an attached document with small summaries of the course work and pertinent projects completed during the courses can be found on my LinkedIn profile.

While UCR excelled at providing a theoretical computer science background, they also strongly motivated students to pursue internships during the summer to obtain practical experience. During my four years of study I obtained an internship each summer, and each year they naturally grew in complexity. During my first 3 years of college I worked for Dolby Laboratories, a mature company in the field of sound and image technology, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, a government agency that monitors pollution in Southern California, and EV Connect, a start up in Los Angeles that provides software management and hardware installation for electric vehicle chargers. In addition to these external companies, I also worked for our on-campus IT department for three years, worked with a statistics professor at UCR on a project for the US Navy, and studied abroad in Switzerland at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Throughout these experiences I had the opportunity to absorb a wealth of practical experience in computer science, including exposure to many other programming languages, front and back end web frameworks, Agile software development strategies, and much more. These experiences helped me build a strong practical foundation in computer science to compliment the theoretical one I was building while attending UCR.

The last piece of my engineering background is the general mindset I have continued to develop over the years while studying and working in the computer science field. What follows are the most important aspects of what I have learned and continue to strive for as I work on any project: being able to work effectively both on a team and individually, willing and efficient at learning and adapting on the job to use new frameworks or technologies, being happy to fill any roll and work on any project that suits my qualifications and background, strong adherence to deadlines and willing to work on my own time to ensure they are met, and dedication to life long learning, experimentation, and curiosity for the rest of my career (and life).