July 29, 2024
SCI is committed to providing prospective students with the guidance they need to embark on their academic journey. Student ambassadors provide prospective students with information on the endless opportunities they will have as SCI students, such as in academics, career growth, and extra-curriculars. Michelle Hong, a sophomore at SCI majoring in computer science with a minor in linguistics, is dedicated to being a knowledgeable source that prospective students and their families can go to.
“As a SCI undergraduate ambassador, it is my job to effectively communicate and answer prospective students’ and families’ questions about SCI or Pitt. I also participate in recruitment events, such as Admitted Students Day,” said Hong. “I became an ambassador after receiving an email from undergraduate recruitment specialist Noel Antalek after I had been recommended by a professor while working as an undergraduate teaching assistant. I was super excited to have an opportunity to talk to admitted students about coming to Pitt and share my experiences being a student here.”
One of the aspects of SCI that has made Hong’s experience so unique is the interdisciplinary fields and courses students can explore.
“While you can be a computer or data science major, you can also be a computational biologist or even a quantum physicist. Yet, even if the interdisciplinary majors at SCI aren’t what you’re going for, we have the opportunity to explore our interests through a secondary field of study,” stated Hong. “I’m currently minoring in linguistics and exploring the intersection between linguistics and computer science. Last semester I took a super engaging and fascinating course, LING 1330 – Introduction to Computational Linguistics, taught by Professor Narae Han. That taught me a lot about natural language processing (NLP) and doing lots of hands-on work with the Natural Language Tool Kit (NLTK) on Python, which was super amazing.”
Hong is also closely involved in the Pitt community. She is an undergraduate teaching assistant for CS 0007 – Introduction to Computer Programming, a member of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) and played for the intramural volleyball league last semester.
Three fun facts about Hong are that she is an intense puzzler, enjoys making charcuterie boards (she is trying to master the salami rose), and loves chai lattes!