Back in elementary school, saying I loved video games would’ve been an understatement. There wasn’t a day that went by without playing online games with my friends. Whenever I played these games, I had a sense of curiosity that would come over me. However, what interested me wasn’t the number of wins I got or my skills in playing the games but the coding behind it. I wanted to discover the mystery behind every pixel, every movement, and every seamless interaction in the game. What made these games work? How does someone go from nothing to this fully-fledged digit world for thousands of people to enjoy?

In all the games I played, there were always certain aspects I wanted to change. Whether it was making a weapon more powerful, increasing movement speed, or adding new levels. From then on, I decided to learn programming and make the games myself so that I could make the changes I wanted to. I realized that instead of being limited to someone else’s vision, I could be the architect of my own digital world. Coding became a tool of empowerment, a way to take control of the experiences I was passionate about. I started simple. Using Scratch, a program with blocks of code that users can drag and drop, I made my first-ever game. It was a two-dimensional platformer where the player had to complete different levels to move on to the next. I remember the first time I added code to make the character move – I was ecstatic. As soon as I had written the code, I wanted to share my creation with the world. Never before had I thought I would be able to build my own unique version of what I loved. From then on, I was hooked.

In middle school, I would go on to learn more advanced computing languages. I focused much of my effort on Python, which felt like hacking into another dimension. While I was nervous at first about branching out from the familiarity of what I already knew, I was excited to take on a new challenge. Learning Python was like opening Pandora’s Box because of the limitless possibilities it provided. Through Python, I learned about key concepts of programming that could be applied to a variety of other languages – things like variables, loops, and functions. Throughout middle and high school, I continued to learn about more languages. In my AP Computer Science class, I learned the Java programming language and the principles of object-oriented programming, a concept that really intrigued me. I transitioned from wanting to code games to more theoretical fields like machine learning, as the idea of artificial intelligence has always interested me. A tool that can learn completely alone and adapt to improve at a skill without external aid is mind-blowing.

I also built my own website for the first time, a site that has video guides for people to follow about various technology-related tasks. I had intended it to mainly be used by senior citizens who aren’t as familiar with new technology. In creating this resource, I realized that technology can be a bridge, not just between devices and people but between generations. Being able to use my technical skills to help a community made me even more passionate about the field. It wasn’t just a case of how much I knew but how to use what I knew to add value to the lives of other people. In order to create the website, I had to learn about a bunch of new web technologies. Although this was challenging, accomplishing it made me feel great. I had built and published my own creation that people could see, and that felt really good. 

Over time, my passion for programming languages and technology led me to want to pursue a career in computer science.  After all, it was the natural next step to continue doing what I love. When it came time to choose a college to attend, I found Rice to be a great choice for studying computer science. Not only was it the tight-knit community I had been looking for, but it also brought along a stellar reputation in the computer science field with excellent professors who care about their students.

Now, as a student at Rice, I want to learn more about these fields in my classes and clubs. Since I have been here, I have found the other students in my major to be both innovative and welcoming. It amazed me to look at some of the projects people built for this year’s annual Rice hackathon and watch their videos explaining their projects. I have realized how many talented individuals I am surrounded by here, all from different walks of life, who can come together and create something great. It solidified to me that I am pursuing the right major at the right place. Overall, the computer science major is a great community of innovators and is definitely something I want to continue being a part of.