Neha Kaki

Neha Kaki – Computer Science
  1. About Me
    1. Age: Class of ‘22
    2. Hometown: Naperville, IL
    3. Hobbies: Rock climbing, playing with her cat, and AI & computer machine learning
  2. Major & Why
    1. Neha is a Junior currently studying Computer Science Engineering. She sees herself more as a problem solver rather than an engineer. She really enjoys linguistics more than maths and sciences, which is why she discovered that computer science allows her to communicate and solve problems in unique ways. 
  3. Life at UIUC
    1. Favorites: Neha’s favorite thing about UIUC is the fact that it is a huge university, while also allowing her to discover her close friend group with ease. She loves that there is so much to explore and she can do this exploration with her new friends. 
    2. Why Choose UIUC: Neha decided to come to UIUC because of the endless opportunities to explore CS as well as other fields. Other schools did not allow for this flexibility to explore other majors and combine them together. Neha is also studying Pre-Med alongside her CS degree. She says that UIUC is very helpful in allowing her to balance both of these passions with ease. 
  4. RSOs
    1. WIE – Core Coordinator
    2. Women in Computer Science
    3. ACM
  5. Extracurriculars 
    1. Jobs:
      1. Beckman Institute
        1. Neha conducts research in Computational Biology, focusing on FMRI research and using machine learning to categorize data. She enjoys being in a group with Biology and Psychology majors, allowing her to branch out from her major.
      2. Clerical Internship
        1. Neha currently completes data analysis for PCP in Chicago. This job is acting as a shadowing position where she is allowed to work in person, and complete her classes for UIUC remotely. 
      3. Volunteer at Carle Hospital
  6. After Graduation
    1. At this point in time, Neha would like to attend medical school and begin her career as a doctor. She loves the idea of interacting with people and would likely use her engineering background to grow and innovate within the healthcare field. She believes it would be beneficial to invent new software within this field, and can’t wait to get started.
  7. Being a Woman in STEM
    1. Growing up Neha had many female family role models in the STEM field. This has allowed her to be confident in her purpose to be an engineer and to earn her place in the STEM field. Being a woman in engineering can prove to have many obstacles, so believing in yourself is the first step to following your goals. 
  8. Advice to Freshmen
    1. Neha’s advice to incoming freshmen is to not be afraid to try new things. It can be intimidating, but that is the only way to figure out your true passion. Engineering has a stigma that it can be hard to stay afloat, but it is very doable and rewarding.

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