What is your year, major, hometown, and pronouns?

I’m a 3rd-year student studying Computer Science and Data Science from San Jose, California, and my pronouns are she/her.

What were your past committees and what is your current committee?

I was in Career Exploration Fall 2020, Internal Affairs Spring 2021, Insights and Analytics Fall 2021, an Insights and Analytics Director Spring 2022, and now I’m a Data Consulting Project Manager [for Fall 2022].

Do you have a favorite fun fact or hot take?

Hot Take: I cannot stand Kanye West…at all.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I really enjoy thrifting and will go to the thrift markets here in Berkeley whenever they come around. I’ve also traveled to San Francisco just for the sole purpose of thrifting. Aside from thrifting, I like listening to music. One of my goals this year is to get my Spotify Wrapped number of minutes listened to reach 100,000 [minutes] because I was really close last year with 99,000 minutes. I also like to paint and do a lot of art. I've been getting into Gouache, which is another type of medium to paint with.

Who is/are your favorite artist(s)?

There are so many! Long term, my favorite artists would be Glass Animals, Nightly and Fiji Blue. But recently, I’ve been getting into the Weeknd. I’m going to a NOTD concert next week, which I’m excited for!

How did you find out about SAAS and why did you join?

To be honest, it's been so long. I don’t exactly remember how I heard about SAAS, but since it was a virtual year [in Fall 2020], I probably saw the club name on the Cal Link website and thought that the club’s purpose was really interesting. I think I also came across it on Reddit. At the time, I was actually trying out two different data science clubs, but I stuck with SAAS this long because I felt that it had a way better community. The returning members do a great job integrating the new members, and especially as a first semester freshman, it was the perfect place to find new friends and people with similar interests!

What's your favorite SAAS memory?

I think this past retreat encapsulates a lot of my favorite SAAS memories. During the daytime, it was really nice and wholesome because we all got to go to the lake and just hang out, sunbathe, relax, do whatever. And I feel like out of that experience, you just get a lot closer to the people you are with, and make a lot of great memories by talking to people that you have probably never talked to before, which I really enjoyed.

Which SAASie are you closest too?

It would definitely be Aisha, the first little I picked up! We didn’t hang out too much in the beginning, but after a while, we started hanging out a lot more, even outside of SAAS events. We just have good vibes together. I try to see her every week, but it’s hard sometimes since our schedules conflict. Aside from that, it’s just a great time to have a friend in the club!

What has been your favorite Berkeley class and who has been your favorite professor?

Definitely CS61B with Professor Josh Hug! That man is just SO good at teaching, I don't know what it is. His lectures are lowkey addicting. I'm the kind of person who does not watch lectures, because I physically cannot, but that class was the exception because I somehow watched all the lectures. I also really enjoyed completing all the projects and felt like the content from that class was really applicable.

What is your favorite spot on campus that more people should know about?

I don’t know if this counts but I strongly believe, and will take it to my grave, that Main Stacks is the best place to be for productivity. I think people know about this place, but I just want to put it out there. I am aware that people say it's depressing, but personally, I get distracted easily, so I need that kind of depressing atmosphere to stay focused.

What is your favorite and least favorite restaurant in Berkeley?

My favorite restaurant has to be Toss Noodle Bar…it’s just so good. I’m not sure what makes it so good, maybe it’s what they put in the sauce? I also really enjoy Fresh Roll, also because of the sauce. My least favorite restaurant would have to be Gypsies… I think it has just fallen off the train. It's too greasy.

What is your favorite Berkeley tradition?

I like the tradition of everyone avoiding stepping on the seals. I remember when I brought one of my friends from back home, I told her that nobody steps on the seals here, and she's like what? And then as we people watched, we were laughing at how everyone just swerves around them.

What is your favorite Berkeley memory?

I went up north of Berkeley to the Berkeley Rose Garden while it was in full bloom, and had a picnic and enjoyed the pretty nature surrounding me. I also just always have a good time spending time with friends and getting food together!

Do you like attending lectures in person or over Zoom?

Can I say neither? I don't really prefer to watch any kind of lectures because I am more of a reading notes kind of a person, so if a class releases notes, I just study those.

What are your professional interests and why?

I think I’ve been leaning towards software engineering, as well as data science, and I am trying to combine both fields. Anything that has to do with some kind of social good is something I would be interested in pursuing. I want to go into software engineering because I enjoy building things–I’m more of a back-end kind of person, hence why I liked CS61B. As for data science, I think it is really cool to be able to work with data, and it's always something new. You'll always get new results from data, it's very applicable to different domains, and does not really get boring. For social good, I want to have an impact that I know is good for a community, or something that benefits a group of people, because I think that makes work more meaningful and makes me more passionate about it.

Have you learned any important lessons from your professional experiences?

I didn't want to believe it at first, but I think networking is actually really important. Not just to look out for yourself, but it's also a great way to meet other people and learn about what they're doing. You can learn from them so that you don't have to navigate things on your own.

What's your biggest fear?

This is a little weird but I don’t like being on transportation where I am not able to stop often, because then I feel like I am stuck on it for a long time. When I am on transportation for a while, I’m just thinking every second “Oh, I want to stop.” So that's why I don't really like going on planes, which may or may not have been one of the reasons that I chose Berkeley. Long car rides also…not that fun.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

I feel like anyone would say this at the end of their college time, but I believe that people should be focused more towards making memories, rather than just prioritizing the short term things. I am not saying to not focus on academics, more like, do things that you will remember after you're done with school. You're probably not gonna remember that 1 hour you spent adding one small feature to your project. But you'll probably remember spending time with your friends, doing something fun and trying something new. So, I really want to use my time here and do the things that I know I can only do during this time of my life.

If you were an animal, which would you be and why?

I feel like a deer, maybe, actually no. See, I’m looking for an animal that likes to be chill at times, but then can also be a little bit energetic at times. I'm not at a sloth level, but I’m also not like a cat that has had catnip or something, you know? Maybe I'm a middle aged dog. Not as energetic as a newborn, but not as tired when I'm really old.

What is your go-to song to sing?

I think it changes for different scenarios. If it’s me in the shower alone, then I would say “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore, because I know all the lyrics and it’s fun to rap. But I’m not a good rapper, so I don't want other people to hear it. If I were in front of people, I would say “Nothing On You,” “Stereo Hearts,” or “Payphone.”

What song describes your life currently?

Is there a song called hungry? Does that count? Oh, “Starving”! That's a song. That’s a good one! So “Starving” except for food, not for somebody, cause I need food.

Best and worst gifts received?

I love all the gifts that I’ve ever received in my life. The funniest gift I’ve received was for my birthday this year. My friend got me a cantaloupe for my birthday, which I thought was so funny. But the day before, I was thinking about it, and I was like, “Wow! I want a cantaloupe for my birthday,” and then somebody actually got me a cantaloupe!

What makes you laugh the most?

To be honest, I laugh at anything. But what makes me laugh the most are probably bad pickup lines. I actually told one to Saumya a couple of days ago. It goes like “Hey, is there a mirror in your pants, because I can see myself in them.”

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

This is really bringing out my like knowledge of Hollywood actors and actresses. Somebody who has a Kevin Hart personality hopefully, just to make the movie more interesting. Obviously, Kevin Hart and I don't have the same life…he's like up there. I'm not at Kevin Hart level. But somebody who knows how to make things interesting and lively.

What is your dream job?

Owning a daycare where I just get to play with puppies…does that count?

What is your biggest Pet Peeve?

When you're walking on a sidewalk and there are people in front of you who are blocking the whole sidewalk and walking really slow. I just need to go where I'm going.