Yang Chen

Why Computer Science?

When I was in my sophomore year of high school, I constructed a bold claim to my friend: "I will never use computers in my work so I don't think I'll really go into CS. Do you really NEED computers in STEM?"

Haha.

Only a year later, I found myself diving into web development, robotics, and some small games that served no real point other than for me to do something that felt mentally and emotionally exhilarating for me. I got excited and I found a love for shaping my thoughts in the form of software projects that carries on today. The most essential thing I learned was that computer science is incredibly flexible in how it can be used in creative and technical contexts. Yes computer science can be difficult and yes the field can seem scary if that's how one chooses to view it. But ultimately, for me it boils down to how I can use it as a tool to produce some awesome creations.

As a UTA, I hope to communicate with other students about this idea that computer science is our perspective. We can make it whatever we want or need it to be. Nothing more and nothing less.

Interests

Boxing, reading, philosophy, biking, writing, COCONUT MILK

UNC Status

2022, Computer Science, Statistics

Hometown

Greensboro, NC

Favorite Programming Keyword

global in Python. Sometimes we just lose a little scope of the process.