From as far back as I can remember, I have been passionate about computers. During my junior year in high school, I picked up a book on C/C++ programming entitled, C++ for Dummies and I became so engrossed by it that I decided to pursue a career in the tech industry.

Not surprisingly, throughout my undergraduate training at California State University Fullerton, I majored in computer science and minored in mathematics. I learned a depth and breadth of theories and methods in the field, including Algorithms, Operating Systems, Database Systems, and Software Engineering. Within my curriculum, I earned mostly A’s with a few B’s. Outside of the classroom, I completed an internship at Unisys as a co-op system engineer for close to 3 years. As a current system software engineer, my tasks often involves implementing software requirements in an ever changing environment and represent my company at tech conferences. Over the years, my work experience has taught me to adapt quickly to new projects as well as communicate problems and solutions. As a result, I’ve been able to be moved to new projects and provide contributions to help my team reach goals.

This experience not only enabled me to apply theory to practice, it allowed me to help my peers who struggled with the material in their entry-level computer science courses. Oftentimes, I would first hear what concept the student was having trouble with. If the person misunderstood the concept that they learned, I would clear up some misconceptions that they had. In the case that the person simply solved the problem incorrectly, I would try to understand their thought process on how they got to the solution. Sometimes, this process allows the student to fix their mistake in their current solution or allows the student to consider other solutions. As a result, the person was able to not only master the current concept, but they also had an easier time picking up more advanced concepts that relied on a previous concept.

I understand that students have different w