I started my time at Iowa State University in the midst of 2020, an unprecedented time when COVID-19 had left everyone in masks and mainly at home. During the fall of 2020, my first semester of freshman year, all my classes were online except for one in-person 8 AM lecture. At the time, I felt wholly unprepared for college. Without a high school graduation or the entire last two months of 12th grade, it was hard to convince myself I was actually starting a new chapter in life. Despite all this, I kept an open mind, and now I can say I’ve grown in ways I never imagined possible.

I decided to major in Computer Engineering for two simple reasons: I wanted to be an engineer, and computers were cool. I knew very little about what it entailed or the different areas within the field. Despite not knowing what I was getting myself into, Iowa State’s Computer Engineering program has helped me gain both the skills and passion for my future career. From software development to hardware design, I have officially learned what Computer Engineering encompasses and how to succeed as an engineer. The coursework has been challenging but rewarding, and it has equipped me with fundamental skills and knowledge that I have already used in internships and will continue to develop upon graduation.

One of my significant experiences from the past four years is taking the course CPRE 381, or Computer Organization and Assembly Level Programming. Despite every student claiming it’s the most difficult required course in the Computer Engineering curriculum, it soon became my new favorite class. I really liked learning how computers actually worked, and although I pulled several all-nighters working on the lab projects, I enjoyed facing the challenge of designing and implementing a MIPS processor in VHDL. After finishing the course, I was offered the chance to be a teaching assistant for that same class, and I knew I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. I have now been a TA for CPRE 381 for two semesters. Through teaching and helping students, I have gained valuable communication and leadership skills, as well as an even deeper understanding of the class’s content. Currently, I am taking CPRE 488, Embedded Systems Design, and so far, it has been a similar experience to CPRE 381. The class is often hailed as the most challenging and time-consuming elective, and I had heard the labs were very hard but fun. While I was skeptical of how a lab could be both, I can now agree. Through these two courses, I have discovered an interest in low-level development, a field that combines software and hardware. With additional internship experience in software engineering, I have gained exposure to some of the most prominent fields within Computer Engineering.

In addition to my major, I got into the habit of picking up minors. In the span of three years, I added minors in Cybersecurity, Mathematics, and Chinese to my studies. I pride myself on my curiosity, and I knew I didn’t want to limit myself while in college. Before even starting college, I knew I wanted to minor in Chinese. I had taken Chinese as my foreign language in high school and wanted to continue my studies in college. After freshman year, I added the other two minors. Cybersecurity is crucial for computer systems, and since technology intersects with nearly every aspect of our lives, I wanted to educate myself on the field. Meanwhile, math has been my favorite subject for as long as I can remember, and after finishing all the required math courses, I knew I would miss the subject if I didn’t take more classes. Through each of these minors, I have diversified my worldview and developed a deeper level of analytical thinking. While taking on three minors has made each semester’s credit load higher than average, I’ve never regretted the additional education.

From the countless hours I have spent in Coover Hall to the amazing friends, mentors, and professors I’ve met, I am thankful for my journey at Iowa State and all it has offered me. Four years ago, I was unsure of where I was headed. Now, I am confident in the path I have chosen. While I still have so much to learn, I have the foundation to pursue my goals, and I am excited to see where life will take me after graduation.

Iowa State’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department requires all students to fulfill General Education credits, which consist of courses outside of engineering, science, and mathematics. In such a technical field of study, it can be easy to focus solely on STEM subjects, but the General Education requirements helped me explore social sciences and humanities and broaden my worldview. I completed my General Education credits through a combination of Honors seminars, Chinese classes, and transfer Advanced Placement credits from high school. Although I did not take the traditional General Education route, each of the courses I took was a valuable learning experience.

During my first year at Iowa State, I took two Honors seminars that fulfilled my U.S. Diversity credits. The first seminar was called “Human Trafficking 101,” and it explored the history and concepts surrounding human trafficking around the world. This seminar was incredibly eye-opening, as it shed light on a serious crime that happens everywhere, including our very own cities. While I went into the class already knowing the basics of the subject, I was surprised about how diverse the focus was. We learned about the intersectionality of human trafficking, and it was very insightful to see how different factors, like race and gender, add nuance to each narrative and type of trafficking. This seminar really allowed me to develop my perspective on the issue, and it was a call to awareness and action that I still follow today.

The second seminar I took was called “The Social Psychology of Activism.” In this class, we analyzed the motivational, interpersonal, cultural, and generational factors that contribute to social and political engagement. For our final project, each student chose a different historical movement to research, write, and present about. My favorite part of the class was how interactive it was. During each session, we spent over an hour in group discussion, where everyone shared their questions and insights on the different topics we learned about. This seminar truly pushed my critical thinking skills and increased my confidence in sharing my own thoughts. It gave me a deeper understanding of how psychology applies to social movements, a subject that will always remain relevant in society.

The remainder of my International Perspectives and General Education requirements were completed through my Chinese minor and AP credits from high school. Since I had studied Chinese in high school, I was able to test into CHIN 301 and 302, Advanced Mandarin Chinese, during my freshman year at Iowa State. In these courses, I continued to develop my speaking, writing, and reading skills in Mandarin through various exercises, presentations, and essays. I was surprised that some of my classmates were native Chinese speakers who either grew up in Chinese-speaking households or were international students. By having such a diverse class, I was able to learn about different facets of Chinese culture from firsthand accounts. Taking these Chinese courses improved my communication skills and cultural awareness, which will help me foster better global connections and collaboration in my future career.

In addition to studying Chinese, I took several Advanced Placement courses in high school. By putting in the work and performing well on the AP exams, I earned transferable credits in History, Economics, Mathematics, Psychology, and Physics before even starting at Iowa State. The transfer credits fulfilled the last of my General Education courses, and it opened up room in my college semesters to add minors in Mathematics and Cybersecurity. While taking multiple college-level courses in high school was nowhere near an easy feat, each class was interesting and provided me with a deeper understanding of its subject matter. The difficult course load also developed my work ethic, which has definitely helped me succeed throughout my time at Iowa State.

Overall, each of the courses I took for my General Education credits has helped me grow as a student and individual. They challenged my critical and creative thinking skills in unique ways that my STEM courses have not, and I know they have made me a better problem solver and engineer. I will continue to value these learning experiences as I move forward in my career.