Hi, I'm Stavan, a senior here at UCSC. Im currently majoring in Computer Engineering and minoring in Computer Science.

Hometown

Fremont, California

Major(s)

Computer Engineering

Minor(s)

Computer Science

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Circle K International - Fundraising Chair, AIEA(ai research lab), Slug Book Club

Describe your college experience

Coming into college from high school was quite an interesting and fun experience. Living in the dorms was very fun, and was a great way for me to meet people and just get used to living life on my own. Even though I went through a little "sophomore slump" in my second year, I really learned a lot of important lessons that I was able to implement in my third year. These lessons included taking care of one's personal health, and taking initiative in one's own life. With that experience, this previous year has been one of the most fun and fulfilling years of my life. Even though I am introverted, I pushed myself to join clubs and even became the Fundraising Chair of CKI. I also focused up on my academics and was able to pass the hardest classes of my life, after initially struggling with them. This coming year, I am excited to apply these lessons into my life even more, and learn even more!

Tip for future students

1. Be honest with yourself about who you are, what you want, and who you want to become. 2. Try as many new things as possible 3. Keep your mental health in check 3. Keep a good daily schedule 4. Have concrete goals in mind, and stick to a plan that will help you reach that goal

Favorite class

My favorite class so far has been Phil 11, introduction to philosophy. This class was taken as a GE, and I was lucky to be able to take it with a couple of friends. This class really opened my eyes to different perspectives on life, and challenged my own ideas as well. I really enjoyed that the class was full of discussion with my peers, in large groups and small groups. The readings we did were also super interesting and never felt like a burden.

Career goals

After college, I hope to be a hardware or software engineer and eventually become a video game developer and designer.

Ideal way to spend a free night

After a long day of studying and working, an ideal night would start with a fun evening of playing basketball with my friends at East gym. Then before heading home to shower, we catch the sunset at East Field right next to the gym. After freshening up, I would head over to some of my friends house where we cook dinner together, play some board games, and do karaoke!

High school or secondary school

Washington Highschool, Fremont, California