A collection of coding projects I've done. Prior to college, I had no formal coding experience, which was both terrifying and exciting. Though I took a risk going into something I wasn't sure I'd be any good at, I had developed an interest and curiosity in the field during my high school years. It began with simply playing around with the html code of my Tumblr blogs, and I soon asked myself, "What else could be made with lines of code?" Technology has begun to permeate all aspects of our lives, as well as numerous industries. One that I grew a curiosity towards was health and technology. I came across this video of a woman computer scientist who had coded a device that undid the effects of Parkinson's disease, and the woman she had made the device for was moved to tears when she could simply write her name again and draw a straight line. After I saw that video, I knew that I wanted to one day be a part of something as important as that, and saw that computer science was the way to achieve that. Until then, here is a working collection of what I've been able to create so far.
Writing is incredibly cathartic to me. It started when I was a little girl writing in my tiny purple diary that required a key to get into. I stored all my thoughts, dreams, secrets, and recollections of being a kid in there. As I grew older this turned into journal entries, song lyrics, essays, poems, and now short stories. In my junior year of high school I tried to keep a journal where I would document everything that happened that day. However, with the business of being a high school student studying for APs and preparing for college, my journal entries came to a stop. As school continued to consume me, I had forgotten how writing was my outlet to let go off all my stress, worries, and unneeded emotions. Journal entries turned into song lyrics & poems--some written for friends, for crushes, as word vomit, and as characters I created. One of my bucket list items is to write a book, but not necessarily a published book. I just want to be able to sit back one day, look at my work, and say to myself, "I just wrote a book."
Despite my lack in professional skill, this portfolio is my life. I think of friends and family, and I see the photos I've taken of them. I despair over heartbreak and loss, and I hold onto the past in a picture. I wonder about the strangers I've photographed, and how just mere milliseconds of a snapshot have brought life to my work. This is my life, photography to me.
Before I decided to go the STEM route, I thought I was going to go to art school for college. So in preparation for art school, I took some online classes with the Academy of Art University over the course of 2 summers. One of the classes I took was advertising. At the time, I was binge watching Mad Men on Netflix, so it was very fitting to be learning about the interesting craft and profession of advertising. I excelled in my class, receiving some of the highest marks in my class, and praise from my Professor. At the end of the course, I was one of 2 people who received an 'A' in the class, and my Professor had even offered to write me a letter of recommendation. Despite my success, I did not enjoy it. Everything requires hard work, practice, patience, and some pain. Some good pains I've found in my life are practicing violin till my back hurts, playing guitar till my fingertips callous, and coding for hours with only a cup of coffee to keep me company. However, I am still proud of the work I put my time, effort, and creativity towards. Although advertising is not one of my good pains, it has become a pain I am proud of.