Capstone Chronicles: My Senior Year Journey

My Introduction

My name is Hriday Ampavatina, but you can call me Friday. I’m 20 years old and originally from India, but I currently live in Sunnyvale, California. I have a wide range of hobbies:

• Graphic Design
• Video Editing
• Photography and Photo Editing
• Web App Development
• Cooking
• Video Games (Brawlhalla, GTA V, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Clash of Clans, Chess)
• Watching TV, Movies, and Anime
• Sports: Swimming, Running, Billiards, Table Tennis, Ice Skating, and Basketball (although I’m not very good at it)

I have always been interested in computers, robots, and all kinds of tech. In my elementary school years (when I lived in Finland), I was part of the EV3 Mindstorms club and loved to take apart different gadgets around the house to either try to fix them or learn how they worked. In high school, I built my own gaming PC from scratch and became an instructor in my school’s coding club. A notable story was when I learned to make my own router using a Raspberry Pi. I made my own router because my father changed the router password in the hopes of cutting me off from the internet, but his plan was ruined. He has never tried to restrict my internet access ever since then. My passion for software really took off when I realized the creative possibilities behind coding. It felt like magic being able to build something from scratch that could actually solve problems or entertain people.

My journey through OSU has been a relatively memorable one, with all the summer classes and moving from one continent to another. I learned about a lot of new technologies and met a lot of wonderful people, but I also learned a lot of valuable life lessons. My OSU experiences have shaped the way I think about technology, adaptability, and global perspectives. Being a part of the OSU Computer Science program has allowed me to dive deep into subjects like Algorithms, Web Development, Software Engineering, Calculus, Statistics, Networking, etc… I’m certain all these subjects will help me in my pursuit of becoming a tech entrepreneur, software engineer, and an AI/ML engineer.

I’m currently not doing any jobs or internships. But if you have any secret tips or hacks to be more successful in landing jobs and internships, please feel free to contact me at ampavath@oregonstate.edu.

My Favorite Technologies and Languages:

• JavaScript
• Python
• Adobe Suite – Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro
• Web App Development – VS Code, React, HTML, Node, EJS, CSS, Bootstrap, Express, SQL
• Mobile App Development – Android Studio, Flutter, Dart
• 3D Design – Blender, Coohom, SketchUp
• AI – ChatGPT, DALL-E, Runway, Midjourney

My Favorite Listed Projects in this Course:

1. Create and Play Board Games – I enjoy creative projects, and designing a board game would allow me to explore game logic and interactive user experience in a digital environment. My web development background and passion for creating engaging user interfaces make me a good fit for this project.
2. Crowd-sourced Fitness Challenge App – I have a strong interest in web app development, and this project aligns perfectly with my experience in building web apps. Additionally, I’ve been running regularly, so I’m naturally motivated by fitness challenges. This project combines my passion for technology and fitness, making it an ideal choice where I can leverage my skills and personal interests and further my knowledge in different front-end and back-end technologies.
3. Cross-platform Personal Trainer App – I’m highly motivated to work on a project that helps people improve their physical well-being. With experience in web development, I can contribute to creating a cross-platform app that’s user-friendly and efficient.
4. OSU Orientation Gamification – I don’t have much experience with gamification techniques, but I do have some interest in interactive systems, which makes this project intriguing. I’m passionate about improving user engagement and creating enjoyable digital experiences.
5. Citizen Science App for Kids – I wouldn’t mind working on this because it involves education and community engagement, two things that are important to me. I also see this project as a way to challenge my skills in making tech accessible to younger audiences.
6. Cloud-Based Algorithmic Trading Strategies for Individual Investors – I have been meaning to get into investing and this seems like a cool project that can help me learn more about investing strategies and cloud technologies.