I'm a Cognitive Science and Machine Learning student at UC San Diego, currently spending part of the year in New York interning at an early-stage startup. Outside of school I'm into fitness and have been dabbling in wellness content creation. I don't have everything figured out, but I try to stay curious and easy to get along with; happy to chat about pretty much anything.

Hometown

Santa Ana, California

Major(s)

Cognitive Science

Minor(s)

Data Science

Clubs, organizations & involvement

AAPI Club

Describe your college experience

Coming into UC San Diego, I already had my sights set on Cognitive Science with a Machine Learning specialization; a natural fit for how I like to think, sitting at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and computation. Being on the Heid Full Ride Scholarship gave me the freedom to be ambitious with my time rather than just getting through each quarter, which pushed me toward opportunities I might not have chased otherwise. That mindset carried into this past summer, when I balanced UCSD coursework, including a communication disorders course covering topics like aphasia and phonological disorders, with a Strategic Growth internship at Clique, a social connection app, based out of their NYC headquarters. Juggling coursework remotely while embedded with a founding team taught me a lot about self-advocacy and time management, from coordinating exam accommodations with professors to figuring out the logistics of splitting my life between San Diego and New York. My experience so far has been less about one defining moment and more about learning to hold several ambitious things at once; coursework, a real internship with real deliverables, and a personal content project on the side, without letting any of them slide.

Tip for future students

Honestly, I wish someone had told me it's okay to not have it figured out yet. I said yes to a Strategic Growth internship across the country during what was supposed to be a lighter summer, and there were definitely moments I felt in over my head; emailing professors about exam accommodations felt uncomfortable, and I was making up the logistics of splitting my time between coasts as I went, not because I had some smart system for it. I got a lot of help along the way, and I'm still learning how to balance things without dropping something important. My advice would just be; it's fine to feel unprepared. Say yes anyway, and figure the rest out as it comes

Favorite class

Intro to data science as it sparked my career interests.

Career goals

I'd like to end up somewhere that connects cognitive science, machine learning, and how people actually behave, but I'll be honest, I don't have a fully mapped-out plan. Working at Clique this summer has taught me more about what I don't know than what I do; I'm still figuring out what "good" product thinking even looks like. I'm also drawn to building something of my own someday, maybe around wellness content, but I'm aware that's more of a hope than a plan right now. Mostly I just want to keep learning from people who are further along than me and stay open to the goals changing as I do.

Ideal way to spend a free night

Go to the gym, go out to eat, watch a movie, and sleep.

High school or secondary school

Santa Ana High School

Favorite spot on campus

RIMAC because I love working out.