System.out.println("Hello, World!") was the first line of code I ever wrote. It was my sophomore year, and I was playing around on a Java tutorial in my Computer Science Honors class. I could barely control my excitement when I clicked on the “run” button. But when I did, all that popped up was an error message. After spending two days scrutinizing over what was wrong, I learned the importance of a semicolon in Java. Since then, my interest in computer science has only grown. Thinking creatively to solve (and debug) problems has propelled me to think in more conscientious, more systematic, more innovative ways. Carnegie Mellon University’s impressive curriculum will continue to foster that passion I have for computer science. As one of the most respected computer science departments in the nation, its high reputation and rigor will allow me to learn and apply the concepts of the field in unthinkable ways. The wide range of courses offered by the department, from Cloud Computing to Introduction to Computer Music, will help me select the areas of interest I would be most interested in studying. However, I also want to attend Carnegie Mellon for more than what its classrooms have to offer. I want to explore and immerse myself with peers who share my …show more content…
Since computer science, and STEM fields in general, are the major driving forces behind the growth of our century, I hope to continue my efforts to spread computer science to as many as I can, as much as I can. This past fall, I organized and led an event at a public library where I exposed elementary and middle- school kids to computer science through both plugged and unplugged activities, and I am currently planning another similar coding event this spring at a library in North Chicago, where not many students have the opportunity to experience the joy of coding and building on a