There is a lot that happened in 2023. Too much to put into a LinkedIn post.
January 2023
Kicked off 2023 with a spontaneous road trip around Lake Michigan on Jan 6 with some friends. Upon returning, I dove into my junior spring semester courses.
On paper, this was the hardest semester yet with these courses:
- CMSE 202 - Computational Modeling Tools and Techniques
- CSE 812 - Distributed Systems
- CSE 830 - Design and Theory of Algorithms
- CSE 860 - Foundations of Computing
- MTH 320 - Analysis I
A highlight of the month was participating in SpartaHacks 8, where my team and I developed 'Best Friend'. This project aims to help people waiting in crisis hotlines, by providing immediate GPT text-based support option.
February 2023
Finally went skiing again! Only fell like 10ish times. An exciting part of the month was joining the Dr.Banzhaf Lab at Michigan State University, where we are working on projects related to applying evolutionary algorithms in software.
The month was also marked by the creation of 'Quick Action' during a hackathon. Inspired by a tragic incident at MSU, our team focused on developing a system to help people, especially those with disabilities, safely evacuate during emergencies. It's a project that I believe can make a real difference in critical situations.
March 2023
March was a bit of an adventure! We road-tripped to Houston, while pit stoping by Nashville for the hot chicken. We also unexpectedly met some people from MSU in New Orleans. The journey had its ups and downs - like when our tire blew out in the middle of nowhere - but it was all part of the adventure.
April 2023
April was intense, with preparations for the Burgess New Venture Challenge taking a sizable chunk of my time. This month was quite the balancing act, juggling a heavy academic workload, my teaching assistant role, and a newly formed venture was quite the challenge. A significant milestone of the month was our placement in Burgess's New Venture Challenge. April was particularly challenging as I was enrolled in graduate-level classes. These courses were wrapping up their projects and assignments, which meant the workload was at its peak. This necessitated copious amounts of coffee.
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May 2023
May marked the end of a challenging Spring semester. It was the end of a chapter(ish) in many other ways. I visited the Apple Detroit Developer Academy as a TA and watched students present their final projects. I said goodbye to a bunch of graduating friends.
I had the opportunity to visit Northern Michigan Startup Week and connect with ambitious MSU alumni. Their journeys motivated me to keep pushing my entrepreneurial dreams. I also started my first professional internship with Auto-Owners Insurance. Finally, I participated in a crypto hackathon in Toronto, Canada. This was an amazing experience, challenging my skills and allowing me to meet and collaborate with many talented people.
June 2023
June breezed through with the thrill of acquiring my first motorcycle. I also dedicated some time to working on Odin Classroom. A little bit of research reading. Learnt and played a lot of euchre with friends.
July 2023
July was a cinematic retreat, I got a movie pass and watched a lot of movies. I bought a movie pass and made the most of it, watching at least one movie a week. Some of my favorites were 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse', 'Oppenheimer', and 'Barbie'. I also rode about a 1000 miles by the end of the month on my motorcycle. As July came to a close, it was time for a semi-significant change. I packed up my things and moved out of my residence in East Lansing.
August 2023
Shortly after wrapping up my Auto Owners internship, I drove my younger brother to his first day in high school. I then settled into my new apartment. Unfortunately, before school started I burnt my clutch 🤦 which left my motorcycle out for a few weeks. Still, I kicked off my senior year of university as summer faded.
Septemeber 2023
Septemeber was kind of crazy, The month kicked off with a hackathon in Florida, where I worked on a project called SurgeSOS. The inspiration behind SurgeSOS came from the critical need to improve emergency response times, particularly highlighted by the residents of Oakland, California, who faced long wait times when calling 911. SurgeSOS is designed to assist overloaded 911 centers by quickly engaging with callers and ensuring that they receive timely help. It's about saving those crucial minutes that could potentially save lives.
Shortly thereafter, I flew coast-to-coast to San Francisco for TechCrunch Disrupt, thanks to the Burgess Institute. This event was an incredible opportunity to meet new entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
While in San Francisco, I had the chance to reconnect with a friend I hadn't seen in 10 years. We spent some great times catching up and playing a lot of foosball. The month closed with a special celebration for my best friend Rajmeet's birthday and eventually catching up to a lot of work.
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October 2023
The month began with a scenic motorcycle ride from East Lansing to Ann Arbor, taking the backroads. The ride was really fun as the leaves just started changing colors. I met up with a couple of my high school friends in Ann Arbor, and we went vinegar tasting.
I applied to a bunch of pitch competitions, looking to get more funding for pre-seed. We had an opportunity to pitch at MCSC.
Additionally, I began mentoring a First Robotics team.
November 2023
November disappeared rapidly. Early in the month, I celebrated my best friend Pranav's birthday.
The majority of the month was dedicated to working on my final projects and last-minute essays. Additionally, I spent a significant amount of time working on final bug fixes for Odin Classroom.
December 2023
For my 21st birthday, I celebrated with a bunch of friends. We also celebrated other friends' birthdays during the week.
Shifting gears a bit on the academic front, I presented my final computer science capstone project on Genetic Programming. Meanwhile, reviewing research papers and proctoring finals consumed most of my time. A highlight was having the opportunity to present at Lansing New Tech. The semester concluded with a math exam early at 7:45 am on the last day of school. After the exam, I had breakfast with my math professor and classmates.
We also launched the beta version of Odin Classroom, a computer science course management platform. It's now available for early use and feedback, marking a big step forward.
In my math research, I hit some frustrating roadblocks that I plan on taking a closer look at next semester.
I'm closing out December and 2023 enjoying calm time with family, celebrating the season, and recharging for whatever exciting challenges
As the year winds down, I find myself reflecting on the experiences that have shaped these past twelve months. It's clear it has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding years yet. It's been a journey of growth and challenges. I ventured into the deep end, taking on difficult graduate courses and pushing my limits academically. This year was one of the most professionally and academically challenging years to date, has taught me resilience and perseverance. Despite the unforeseen hurdle of not passing a class, I embarked on the exciting journey of starting my own company, worked on research in computer science and math and served as a teaching assistant in five different courses, while balancing my educational pursuits and responsibilities.
Sure, there are things I haven't done yet, but I've done so much that the younger me would never have imagined. I've been brave, tried new things, and got better in so many ways. I'm proud of how far I've come.
With 2024, the stakes feel high. Running a startup, securing an internship in this economy, and obtaining funding to keep my company afloat to name a few.
Thank you for everyone who has been a part of my journey this year.
I'm excited to see what the new year brings.