a rising junior at UC Berkeley majoring in data science. My goal is to apply the ubiquitous necessity of data to the world. Although I am constantly learning about and being inspired by new career paths, I am especially interested in biodiversity, computer vision, and conservation. I hope to find a focus within this realm and combine AI-powered technology with nature topics to ignite attention and change towards imminent global issues.

that manifestation works! If you keep believing in yourself and working towards your future with a sense of positivity, you constantly encourage opportunities to come your way. For motivation and visualization, I continuously update a virtual vision board filled with goals - from travel destinations to career goals. The more specific the better! If you want a car one day (which I do!), what brand and color do you want, and in how many years do you want it? Not only is considering these qualities inherently fun, but it also builds a sense of confidence, trust, and zeal for the future that is crucial for remaining grounded and open during uncertainty.

My experience working on teams has taught me so much about myself. For instance, I know that I tend to clearly display my current thoughts and feelings through my facial expressions. Throughout team projects, I have practiced how to restrain some of these knee-jerk expressions and instead react calmly with a smile. In addition, team projects have emphasized that people learn at different speeds and in different ways. I cannot assume that everyone will be on the same page right away, so it is crucial to check for understanding often throughout projects.

Having lived in Southern California for my entire life, I wanted to get out of its bubble for college. Berkeley's location provided the happy medium for my goals - not too far from home but far enough to explore and experience a new microcosm. Yet the path to data science was not immediate. I applied to college as a statistics major, as I was interested in biostatistics. After finding the data science major at Berkeley, I realized that its emphasis on tackling the world's questions was just what I wanted. Although like a hummingbird, I have flitted across various flowers of inspiration, I currently want to pair data science with international studies. My routine of reading the world news every day may have built into this interest. However, I have always been interested in hearing conversations about how to approach the future of the world - whether it is climate change, border disputes, or cholera outbreaks. My vision for my career still lacks definitive lines, but it is dependent on an interdisciplinary and exploratory foundation. These are the facets I will string with me when searching for a dream career. As of now, the closest to this goal would be working for a think tank as an analyst to research and analyze global events with data. Just pondering about this career is exciting, a sure sign that I am inching towards a great path.

In addition to career interests, my ambitions are deeply rooted in personal hopes. My mom immigrated to the US, forcing her to make countless sacrifices while raising me and my brother. I will never be able to thank her in full, but I wish to show gratitude as much as I can to recognize her constant investment in my endeavors. Albeit small, my nuclear family of three is just like three peas in a pod, and it is indubitably the cornerstone of my growth thus far. Yet due to this lack of extended family nearby, I have never experienced large family gatherings during the holidays, as many of my peers did throughout school. As a result, another personal goal of mine is to host annual Christmas parties in a cabin, celebrating alongside friends and family. I have heard that family gatherings can also be strenuous and annoying at times, but I know that there is an overall warmth and joy in being around a community. These are just some elements of my future that I will strive to manifest.

biologyreading world newskayakinghikinggamingSeventeenKdramasreadingtraveldata sciencebird watchingtrivia

So far, the classes that have lent important skills are Data C8, Data C88C, CS 61B, and Data C100. Data 8, the introduction class to data science, dove into teaching the basics of data analysis and visualization. Data C88C and CS 61B taught Python and Java respectively. Additionally, these courses both touched on SQL, an important tool for cleaning and gathering data. Data C100 is the course I am taking this semester. It digs deeper into Data 8's foundation, pushing me to infer, model, and visualize utilizing the pandas library. These core classes are important to obtain the skills for internship applications and interviews. I recently submitted a data science project for an internship, where I utilized my learnings in DataC100. Through this application process, I realized how useful and desirable data visualization was in the workforce, encouraging me to hone my skills.