About Me

Background

A little about me: I was born and raised in St. Lucie, Florida. After high school, I was accepted to Cornell University and FL state colleges, but due to financial constraints, led me to persue my academic career at Indian River State College (IRSC) while helping support my family's businesses. After earning my AA, I was accepted to both UCF and UF, ultimately choosing UCF, where I'm currently pursuing a BS in Computer Engineering and a minor in Mathematics.

As a first generation college student, I'm the first in my family to pursue higher education, so working toward this degree represents a significant milestone for us all..

From a young age, I've been curious about learning everything from philosophy to medicine, but mathematics and engineering is what I was passionate the most. I spent years exploring how Apple's operating systems worked, diving into both hardware and software, which led me into security research. In my early college years, I became fascinated by financial markets, particularly volatility and derivatives. This interest pushed me to learn machine learning. I started out majoring in finance at IRSC, but after talking with professionals like Agustín LeBron (a former trader at Jane Street) and Kris Sidal (a portfolio manager at Ambrus Group), I realized I needed to pursue what I'd always been passionate about: engineering. Switching majors set me back two years, but it was the right choice for my long term goals.

Before transferring to UCF, I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Zheng, my physics professor at IRSC. His unique teaching style and mentorship impacted me, introducing advanced methods that reshaped how I approach solving problems and deepened my passion for math and physics.

Outside of my studies, I tutor students in STEM subjects, participate in a run club, explore thrift stores and museums, and enjoy cooking steak while listening to philosophy debates and nutrition podcasts.