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 Analytics, a STEM major which has led me to study aspects of optimization, math, and modern applications of technology. Shortly after, I discovered cybersecurity as my passion and have since dedicated much of my time, likely more than that of my major, to studying cybersecurity practices, policy, and research.

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 2025, I understood where my passions stood and in order to achieve my goals of becoming a cybersecurity expert, I would need to put in the time and effort to make lasting change. The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics is that platform I chose to help make a difference. Through my work with this organization, I am able to reach cybersecurity clinics across the country and internationally in the cause of aiding under-resourced organizations with cybersecurity consulting.