Kishore Kumar
Let’s start with an introduction. Can you tell me your year, pronouns, your majors/minors, and hometown?
My name is Kishore, but everyone calls me Kish. I’m a senior studying EECS, and I’m from Chicago, Illinois
In terms of hobbies and interests, are you interested in any form of entertainment such as books, movies or shows lately? Or any sports?
I've been reading books, mostly technical books. It's a little lame– it's about how to design databases and stupid stuff that most people don’t care about. Outside of academics, I either hang out with friends, go to the gym, or run. Lately, I’ve been trying to play volleyball since I like physical activities.
What are some of your professional interests?
My professional interest is mostly in Software Engineering, entrepreneurship and startups. All 3 of my past internships have been at startups of various sizes, and I think working at a startup is a great place to start your career because you get more ownership over the things you work on and have a lot more of an impact. Additionally, you’re able to get to know your coworkers a bit better, and it provides you with a valuable network. Overall, my main college advice would be to join a startup at some stage and work from there.
Have you learned any important lessons in your professional experience?
Take a lot of initiative and ask questions if you get stuck. These are all basic things that people will tell you over and over again, but they are the building blocks to a good professional career. Those are definitely things that have helped me. A lot of people enter a job thinking “oh, I might not be smart enough for this because I have no answers on top of my head,” but look things up, ask questions, and it will be okay. Also, invest in your relationships with your coworkers because those are people that could vouch for you in the future.
How did you find out about SAAS/Why did you join SAAS?
I found out about SAAS through friends and Facebook. At the time, I was a sophomore and I was interested in data science, but I hadn’t really done anything substantial to learn about the field. So, I joined SAAS and CX as it was a way to make my understanding of data science concepts a bit more concrete without having to take an additional class.
What made you stay in SAAS?
My initial experience was memorable thanks to the “170 homework gang”. My initial experience was full of love from the previous members of SAAS. Being a part of the 170 homework gang was a way for me to meet many people who were dedicated to the club, and I felt integrated pretty quickly. In later semesters, the reason I stayed with the club was because I thought there was a lot of opportunity for the club to grow in both a social and professional aspect that could actively develop our members into people who are ready for the real world.
Considering that SAAS’s values are community, exploration, and mentorship, what does exploration mean to you?
I think SAAS provides a lot of different opportunities for people, in terms of both social and professional involvement. These opportunities can range from workshops held for new members, to hanging out with people you might not normally hang out with through donut bots and coffee chats. I think there is something for everyone to learn.
What is your personal vision for SAAS going forward?
My personal vision is one where the member experience is more unified. We currently have a bunch of different committees, and the experience in each committee is very different. In the future, I would hope to have all of the new members go through a training program together, and from there have them choose a committee without a reapplication process.
What are some of your favorite classes?
CS 170. I think it is the best class I took at Berkeley–it’s pretty fun, and not too challenging. It was an interesting way to think about problems, so register for the class if you're a CS major because you pretty much have to take it.
What’s your favorite place to study on campus?
I would say that my recent favorite study spot on campus would be Kresge Library. It’s very convenient and there are always SAAS members there so you can always find a table. It’s also close to Northside, which is where most of my labs are.
What are your biggest fears and why?
My biggest fear would be letting my full potential go to waste. Like most people, I want to achieve my full potential, so I keep working toward it. If I don’t see myself striving for my full potential, it would not be fun.
What’s the best advice that you’re ever received?
It doesn’t apply to all situations, but it’s good to think of decisions you make in terms of the expected value of a decision that you're gonna make. So there are both values that are good or bad and there's a probability of 2 things happening. if you weigh the decisions do you get your expected value? Applying that decision making framework is actually surprisingly useful.
What are some of your red flags?
Some of my red flags would be that I’m bad at responding, I eat the same food (sunnyside eggs for breakfast everyday), and I’m always wearing company merch.
What would you sing at Karaoke?
I actually know 0 songs. But if I were to pick a song, maybe something by Lady Gaga because I always hear it.
How many pillows do you sleep with?
I have 2 on my bed, and I guess I use both of them.
If you had a warning label, what would it say?
It’d probably say: “talks a lot and is annoying.”
What makes you laugh?
Recently, my friends and I have entered a “your mom” joke phase. It’s pretty corny but if you say a decent “your mom” joke, I’ll probably laugh.
What's the best and worst gift that you’ve ever received?
The best gift I’ve ever received would be a mountain bike that I received a while ago. The worst gift would probably be socks.