dreamilygeneralpeach-blog

[dreamilygeneralpeach-blog]

My liberal arts education at Dickinson has given me the skills to not only succeed professionally, but to be a well rounded individual who is able to think critically and make well informed decisions, actions and statements. My time at Dickinson has taught me a number of life lessons as well, firstly, that it is okay to fail and make mistakes, it is how you react to that failure that will make either a positive or negative difference in your life. I did extremely poorly during my sophomore year as a result of mental health issues that were brought upon as a result of the pandemic. As a result I had to drop my Economics Major and focus on Computer Science, although it was difficult, I managed to catch up with my peers during my junior year and am set to graduate on time if all goes well this semester. 

As a Computer Science Major, I have been able to take introductory courses that delve deep into Python and Java, two of the most versatile and useful languages. After this, we took specific upper level classes that further enriched our knowledge in various aspects of Computer Science such as Computing Abstraction, Data Structures and Algorithms and Analysis of Algorithms to name a few, although these are challenging courses, we learnt a significant amount of relevant information as a result of these courses and were able to gain a deeper understanding of Computer Science. The choices we were given to take 3 elective courses was the most memorable aspect of the major for me as I was able to realize and pursue my interest in Data Science by taking Data Mining and Database Systems. 

Although all of the courses that the Computer Science Major at Dickinson entails have been beneficial to my learning process and have taught me a lot, I believe that the classes that have had the biggest impact on me have been COMP 190, 290, 491 and 492, through COMP 190 and 290 we were taught the necessary skills to make successful and meaningful contributions to humanitarian open source projects and were able to contribute to Dickinson College’s open source project, Farm Data 2, which helps support small scale organic farming operations. The Senior Seminar was a course that I was initially incredibly nervous about as it seemed to be an extremely challenging course with rigid requirements and difficult assignments, however, it has been one of my favorite Computer Science Courses, the ability to choose what Humanitarian Foss Project to work on has made the experience more meaningful as we are able to make a difference in a sector that we are passionate about. Educational Inequality is an issue that Is extremely important and the thought that our group has been able to contribute to Sugar Labs, a free learning platform for children has made us so much more passionate and involved in the process as we showed through our many meetings with the founder of the project, Walter Bender and our contributions to the project. Additionally, the in class discussions added a lot of valuable information that is vital for us to understand before we join the workforce.

Apart from Computer Science courses,  due to the broad graduation requirements that Dickinson has in place, I have been able to take intriguing classes in various fields such as Economics, History, Creative Writing, Spanish, Women and Gender Studies etc… All of which have taught me information that has allowed me to think critically regarding all aspects of life and have prepared me to be a well-rounded person in my future career. I planned to minor in Economics, however I was unable to fit the final course that I needed into my schedule for Senior Year. However, the classes that I was able to take such as Environmental Economics and Political Economy of gender have opened my eyes to many of the issues that will likely affect me and all of us in the workforce and in life. 

The small classroom size has allowed me to learn how to advocate for myself and for education and has allowed me to experience extremely enriching opportunities that I would very likely not have been given had I gone to a larger school. These roles have further allowed me to become a proactive and detail oriented individual and have expanded my knowledge and outlook on life.

 I have held an executive position on The Dickinsonian since my freshman year as I enjoy writing and am interested in social issues, currently I am The Web Editor and have been able to apply the frontend development skills that I have learned as a Computer Science Major. As a Helpdesk Technician at The User Services Office, I have been able to fix small scale software issues and have become accustomed to a variety of Interfaces, additionally I learnt how to use tools such as Kace and Active Directory. My experience working for CCLA as a Dialogue Facilitator has been one of the most profound experiences as we aim to incorporate dialogue and encourage individuals to listen to each other, I have been given many opportunities to apply the dialogue skills that I was taught by planning, facilitating and evaluating dialogues as well as the opportunity to meet influential figures in intimate settings such as our breakfast with Rami Khoury. Next week, I will be visiting The United Nations Headquarters in New York to attend a conference regarding The Abraham Accords. Additionally, I am the Treasurer of The Asian and Asian American Collective (AAAC) and have worked as a Community Service Aid. 

All of these experiences have shaped me both as an individual and as a student. I appreciate that I have always been given choices and have been encouraged to take courses that interest me as opposed to having a rigid set of general education requirements and having to take courses that are neither relevant to my major nor interest me. This has really been the most beneficial aspect of attending a liberal arts institution. Additionally, I have greatly appreciated the wisdom that our professors have provided us based on their own experiences and opinions.