The Honors College prides itself on fostering a culture where individual growth supports the success of the entire community. But it is HC students like Adrian Baker who make that culture a reality.
Adrian is a third-year student pursuing an H.B.S. in computer science with a concentration in simulation and game programming. Raised in Beaverton, Oregon, he discovered his passion for computers through coding with friends and writing custom code for games like Minecraft. His proclivity for programming led him to success in computer science courses, breezing through topics he both excels at and enjoys.
Recently, Adrian began turning class assignments into a race against the clock. “Gameifying difficult assignments is a fun source of motivation,” says Adrian. By completing his assignments quickly, Adrian committed more time towards his other passion—helping those around him. He joined study sessions and held de factooffice hours for Operating Systems II, a class known for its difficulty, to offer guidance and feedback to students struggling with their assignments. His willingness to lend a helping hand is appreciated by those around him. “Adrian is a happy, friendly face at almost any event on campus,” remarks one of his CS peers. Another classmate adds, “he never makes assumptions about what people know or don’t know.”
To Adrian, debugging other’s work is a fun way to advance his own learning. He believes it “leads to the sharing of ideas,” which may offer multiple avenues for tackling a problem; “it’s like a puzzle where people see how the pieces fit on the board differently.”
Adrian has an extensive background in computer science and all things code. In the past, he has created video games from scratch, dabbled in 3D fractal rendering and he currently works as a back-end administrator for the HC Connector App, which he developed with another honors student, Oliver Elliott. Adrian is also involved in the Game Development Club, Linux Users Group and Music Production Club at OSU, where he enjoys meeting other people passionate about technology.
Adrian says that the Honors College has supported him to “weigh different opportunities to pursue his interests.” He credits the honors sections and colloquia with allowing him to “develop closer relationships with his instructors, due to smaller class sizes.” He adds that the honors degree program lends itself well to his interest in an accelerated master’s program by providing an avenue to gain research experience as an undergraduate. “The honors thesis seemed like a good excuse to turn what I was already interested in into an official, published paper,” he explains. Adrian is currently investigating low-level programming and designing programming languages, two topics he is considering incorporating into his undergraduate thesis.
Adrian’s best advice for students who are enrolled in difficult classes is to reach out for help. “Some people, especially in computer science, are sort of shy when it comes to talking to other students,” he notes. To get through tough courses, he recommends organizing study sessions and “joining communities like Discord to find people who know what they’re doing.” He adds that students should take opportunities to help others when they can. “You might notice they accomplished something in a way you’ve never considered.”
By Shion Britten, Honors College student writer
CATEGORIES: HC Student Spotlights Homestories
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Dear Adrian,
Congratulations on your work. So proud of you. Helping others really helps improve yourself . All the best for a brighter future.
Love, Avva / Grandma