CS467- Capstone Project Journey

What do you hope to learn from the course?

The capstone project is unique in that it will allow me to finally put toegether the knowledge I’ve learned in all my courses into one project. I hope to take advantage of the resources provided by the instructor and course to guide my learning, even if the tools brought up are not specific to the project I am working on for the course. I believe that the course is meant as a gateway to prepare one for the “real-world”, meaning working on a large scale project using agile principles. I’m hoping to feel a sense of confidence in my abilities, such that when the time comes to showcase my skills to prospective employers, I am well versed in a variety of tools and have something to show for.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GO INTO COMPUTER SCIENCE?

My answer to this question, oddly, has more to do with my dissatisfaction for my prior career path. In 2018, I graduated high school and decided to attend the University of Portland for a major in Biology, with the intent of applying to medical school after my Bachelor degree. After completing my degree a year early, and in the midst of the pandemic, I struggled to find a job that suited me well. I worked as a phlebotomist at a plasma center, manufactured bath bombs and other cosmetic products, as well as working at a chain pizza store. I decided my last term to take Intro to CS rather than the art class I signed up for during registration. The class, I found to be exciting! Amongst the work I tried to teach myself programming through Youtube and other sites, but felt lost and unable to proceed on my own. The following fall, I started the online post-bacc program here at OSU and things fell into place. Since, I have had the ability to explore CS further through working as a softare engineer intern for a Portland-based startup, as well as a teaching assistant for a few terms for the Web Development course.

WHAT TYPE OF PERSON ARE YOU, IN TERMS OF A GROUP DYNAMIC?

For me, this all depends on the group dynamic. I am naturally not the most assertive, and am happy to follow lead and complete tasks, so long as thing are completed aheaf of deadlines. However, if I find that the group lacks clear direction, I tend to step up and assume leadership, setting deadlines and checking in with members in case they are stuck or changes need to be made to our projected timeline. I crave understanding the ins and outs of the project, meaning that I will want to understand parts of the code base that I have not worked on. I try to go above and beyond by adding things to assingments that I think will improve the overall product. Above all else, I believe it is important that the group balance working on their own (and having the space to learn on their own accord) with feeling open to communicate with the team about their struggles (so that we may suggest other options or troubleshoot together). I am happy to take on any role, and find it easy for me to do so, as long as I feel a sense of security that the team is completing the tasks that will set them up for success.

Thought I’d add a photo to spice things up and show something I am passionate about. I made these crocheted animals for a recent crafting fair. They include a bee, bat, raven, puffer fish, chicken and amoeba.