Computer Science: A day in the life

Hi. My name is Nakyah. I'm a senior studying computer science, and this is a day in my life. I wake up around five-ish and go to hot yoga at Imbalanced Studio. It's a time where I get to wake up and just have a moment for myself. I always do it early so I have time before class. I don't like to rush in the mornings—I think slow mornings mean you'll have a really stable day. I usually have class around eleven. Sometimes I'll go to office hours if they're open. The class I went to office hours for was Systems, one of my computer science courses. It's basically about how well you can design algorithms once you understand computer systems and operating systems. I also do my lab work in the REACH Lab in Gilbert. It's one of the human–computer interaction labs on campus that I was able to join, and I'm an undergraduate researcher this semester, which means I help a PhD mentor with their research. This semester, I'm working on a project in the realm of techno-spirituality, which is how technology interacts with religious practices. I work in data analytics, so learning ways to collect data academically helps me in my actual job. After that, I have combinatorics, a math class about probability, statistics, and graphs—how we build algorithms and visualize them in graph formats. When I have breaks, I like to bring my sketchbook and sketch around campus. It's a mindfulness activity for me. I can carry it anywhere and take a moment to breathe and create something fun and colorful whenever I have the chance. ColorStack is a national organization meant for computer science students, and it has been really helpful for me in finding an online community. In February 2024, I found out I could create a chapter at Tech and jumped at the opportunity. The next day, I was already getting emails from students saying they would love to join. My role as president, I lead the club’s strategy and give my board the tools to thrive. We host various events, and in the fall we usually do work prep or job search prep for students actively looking for roles. We had a collaboration with CodePath, which offers free certifications for computer science-related skills for students. All Virginia Tech students have guaranteed admission to any CodePath course and that's really what our event was about-letting students know that this was available to them, explaining how this resource could help them while they are getting their degree. Currently, I'm a sales and marketing engineering intern for ABB, a sustainable electrification company. Freshman year, I really wanted a job or opportunities and was applying for everything under the sun. One day I got an email from Handshake from ABB asking applicants to write 150 words about sustainability for the chance to go on a two‑day, all‑expenses‑paid trip to Portland, Oregon. I wrote it, got selected, and traveled with ABB to see a Formula E race. I learned about the company and got to know different people. I now do data analytics for the U.S. Digital Portfolio team and started in May 2024. When I graduate, I'll be working there full‑time. I really enjoy leading. I've always been a leader, even in elementary school, and I plan to continue that in the future. I'm currently working on launching a nonprofit as a co‑founder and may pursue my MBA so I can take on more managerial roles.