General Information

I transferred to U.C. Berkeley in 2023 after getting my Associates Degree in Business Administration from De Anza College. In 2024, my interest in optimziation and fast computing led me to declare ORMS, a STEM major which has led me to study aspects of computer science through a non-traditional route. Shortly after, I declared Statistics as a way to study aspects of artificial intelligence, serving as a launchpad to implementing newer technologies into my projects.

Growing up in Canada from a Russian immigrant family, I learned English and Russian at home and French in school. After moving to the Silicon Valley as a teenager, I've studied computer science and engineering in grade school. In my junior and senior of high school, I did dual enrollment at De Anza College studying business after recognizing its importance in all professional fields. During COVID, I used my spare time to learn Japanese, later getting admitted and almost enrolling at a Japanese university before being accepted to Berkeley.

Many of my personal projects are written in Rust. As a cybersecurity specialist, I appreciate its memory-safety features and the modern approaches it takes when it comes to making a programming language. One of my goals during my time at Berkeley is to run an introductory Rust course. At the beginning of 2024, I began exploring the world of cybersecurity, joining Berke1337 and competing in online competitions. I soon came to realize that this was a career path I wanted to pursue after graduating. This is where I'm at now, learning as much as I can, earning certifications and teaching others along the way.