Why Software Engineering?
29 Jan 2026
Past
My lifelong interest in Computer Science and Computer Engineering began when I watched the movie Big Hero 6, and later Iron man. Seeing these heroes save the day with something they built truly inspired me. I learned as much as I could, and even started a coding club at my middle school because they didn’t offer any programming classes. In high school, I was a member of and later the captain of our school’s FIRST robotics team. This exposed me to what career programming and electrical engineering is like, and I enjoyed working on the robot so much that I knew that I wanted to major in Computer Engineering in college.
Present
Now, in my second year of computer engineering, I am still working hard to learn as much as I can about the field and to kickstart my professional career. The parts of software engineering that currently interest me most are applications in the Robotics or DOD industry, and game design. My college classes aren’t too deep in software engineering yet, but I’m working to build a foundation for understanding more complex topics. I also joined the drone building club at the University of Alabama, where I’m learning about what it takes to build a drone of my own, which I plan to do next semester. This current semester, I am studying abroad at the University of Hawaii where I am taking ICS 314: Software Engineering.
Future
To prepare myself for a successful career once I graduate, I’m applying to several internships for this and next summer. Industry-specific work experience is highly prized by employers, and helps me become ready for a full time job right out of the gate. I hope to go into either the defense or robotics industry, as I enjoyed programming a robot on my high school FIRST team. Cutting edge robotics is currently one of the hottest technologies at the moment, and it is going to significantly change how humans live and interact with robots very soon. I also plan to make a video game as hobby some time soon, as I find simulations and digital experiences very interesting to design and develop.