Why UC Merced?
Man, where do I start? I appreciate the slower, more thorough pace the semester system accommodates. I'm the kind of person who has a LOT of questions, so having more time to ask them is always great. I also come from a really small high school, so a smaller UC was familiar and comfortable for me. Not only that, but the smaller classes allow opportunities to talk directly to the teacher, both in and out of lecture. Through this open communication channel I've been able to get to know many of my professors, and that's an experience I don't think you can get at other big schools. Getting to know the faculty opened my eyes to the plethora of professional opportunities on campus, and the research I've done has been a blast! One more thing: 99% of the students I've met are amazing, friendly people that are more than happy to talk. I was worried about having to face the smug or elitist atmosphere I heard about going into college, but most of the people I've run into have been incredibly friendly and down-to-earth. So, "Why UC Merced"? Merced is a smaller but opportunity-rich school dedicated to not only research, but also to the success of its students, and you can feel that dedication in everything the campus has to offer.
Why Your Major?
Being a computer science major was a bit of a wild pick for me. My high school was mainly agricultural, and I didn’t have a lot of technology around me growing up. But the technology that I did experience fascinated me. I play a lot of video games, and I think aspiring to be a videogame designer was a big reason I chose Computer Science and Engineering as my major. I had no idea there was so much to explore in the world of tech - especially now that AI is taking off. I still play video games, but making my way through the world of CompSci has led to a ton of new interests in AI, computer architecture, web development, etc. I have zero regrets. Computer Science and Engineering has been a challenging but exceedingly rewarding major, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking to learn a little (or a lot) more about how computers work.
Inspiration and Mentors:
*crying* I’d like to thank my mom, and my dad, and..Just kidding. But seriously, thank you to my parents for lifting me up when I needed it most. I got diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic during a tough semester, and I wouldn’t have been able to handle everything going on without them. I’d also like to thank my professors. Not only do I credit them with teaching me everything I’ve learned at college, but they’re some of the coolest people I’ve met. They’ve had answers to every question I throw at them and are always happy to help out, even though I know they’re busy with their research. A couple special mentions: Thank you Cerpa for teaching by far the most challenging and rewarding course I’ve done to date (and being an absolutely amazing human). Thank you Prof. Jeon, Dhawal and Kevin for being accommodating, caring, and kind to me throughout my research. Thank you Kyrilov for giving me the best start to coding I could have asked for going into college, and Santosh for being a good professor and for sharing so many opportunities with me. Thank you Castro, Hepworth, and Carpin for being some of the chillest teachers I’ve met, and thank you Petia and Luis for being the best bosses I could ask for. And lastly, thank you to all of my friends. Our study sessions and the laughs and memories we’ve made are the highlights of my experience, and I’ll never forget them.
Memorable Academic Experience:
Hmm.. it’s hard to pick just one, considering how memorable my time at the UC has been, but I think if I were to remember anything 60 years from now, it’d be the project I worked on in CSE160: Computer Networks with Cerpa. To all future CSE majors thinking of taking the class, please read the following. Computer Networks was by far the hardest class I took on campus. But it wasn’t due to unfair exams, excessive workloads, or a lack of assistance. Professor Cerpa is the most caring, understanding, and personable professor I’ve had the pleasure of working with. You can tell he’s on your side, and really wants you to understand the material. But he expects a lot of you, and these expectations are most prevalent in the semester-long project of the course. It is by far the most grueling and complicated web of connections you will have to code yourself, and seeing it functioning at the breakpoints throughout the semester is possibly the best feeling of relief you can get. The late nights I spent with my partner, Ryan Milstrey, are some of the most emotional nights I’ve had on campus - fear of deadlines, joy when the code compiles, despair when it doesn’t. The course is a challenge, but powering through that challenge is an experience unlike any other I’ve had on campus. If you’re looking to learn something - and I mean really learn something - there is no learning experience more memorable than Computer Networks.
What's Next?
As of right now, I’m off to work at Lockheed Martin! I’ll continue working on some personal projects, and CSE will remain a main component of my day-to-day. Lockheed is the kind of company you can build a career with, so I hope to stick around there to keep our country safe.
Anything else?
Uhh, yeah! So much else! But I only have 250 words, so I’ll have to keep it brief. I have a few extra people to thank: Thank you Jadyn, my lovely wife-to-be over at UC Davis, for keeping me in good spirits and being my gaming buddy for the past 6 years; Thank you Richard, my brother-in-arms for our Capstone project, for inspiring me with your work ethic and dedication to everything you set your mind to; Thank you Ryan, Emi, Gabe, Alondra, Luis, Berrydal, Porfi, Erika, Elyas, Michelle, Memo, Carol, Josh, Jet, Tejas, Shri, and so many other people. You all inspire me to be the best friend and student I can be, and I really look up to each and every one of you guys. Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride through college, and let’s stay in touch, yeah? To anyone else still reading this, I hope you found some inspiration with my experiences. I fully believe everyone has the resources and the potential to succeed here at UC Merced, and that includes you. So push forward. Push ahead, through the challenges in your way. You have the potential for greatness. Go out and do something great :D If you need a point of contact in the future, feel free to add me on LinkedIn (/paulstratton56). See you all around. Go UC Merced!!
“It’s hard to believe that it’s over, isn’t it? Funny, how we get attached to the struggle.”
~ Granny, Celeste
