A Fresh Start

A happy long weekend to everyone! The past three weeks have been some of the toughest I have had in the time I can remember but I am happy that coming out of it, I have gained many things.

First and foremost, I have got admitted to Paul G Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering after months and months of hard work. I feel very happy and proud of this face and so do my parents, who have been a driving force for me. I eagerly look forward to the multitude of opportunities that I will encounter as a part of one of the best Computer Science programs in the World. More than the final result, it is the journey that pleases me more. Many times the mountain seemed too hard to climb but after having many slip-ups initially, I started focusing on each step and thinking how I can make each step stronger rather than getting overwhelmed by the bigger goal at the end. It is good that I have this long weekend to shrug off all the tiredness of the past few weeks and go in again for the long stretch that would finish mid-March.

In addition, the Amazon mentorship program that I have been a part of has been amazing. I have had the privilege of meeting several employees at Amazon through my mentor and each of whom has shared their stories and experiences. It is inspiring to listen to listen to their experiences and how they managed to get to where they are today. One advice that was given to me and that resonated a lot was that I should stay with Art and should never leave it; it is a part of my identity and I should learn to weave it with my education and career as and when I can.

I look forward to my first interaction with ML in a classroom setting during next quarter and also to a class based on Database Systems. Hope I can learn a lot from both of them and take them along with me to future endeavors. Something that I have learned from this experience of getting into CSE is that grit separates impossible things from those that we make possible. I hope to follow this in all the tasks I overtake.

(Suggested reads: Searching for an Alzheimer's cure while my father slips away and Google Arts and Culture App, and the Rise of Coded Gaze)