The User and I by Anh

The User and I by Anh - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

Prototyping BRIDGEGOOD's donation site opened my second pair of consumer eyes. Using particular shades of blue on donation buttons brought in hundreds of more website visits. Yet, including one too many words in the "learn more" section could cost the non-profit thousands. The limitless possibilities taunted my indecisive nature yet enticed me.

BRIDGEGOOD's CEO left me with the parting words: keep designing for social good. The only lingering question left was "how?" Circling back to my safety net, I continued researching the algorithms and psychology behind user experience design. My introductory computer science course on python and immersion program in HTML opened my doors to user interface. The concept of indirectly interacting with users through nothing but blocks of code sparked my creative high. Growing up, I was perceived as a semi-reserved girl who observed more than she spoke. I communicate through silent empathy, oftentimes choosing actions to convey my thoughts. Back-end and front-end design foster my strong suits by allowing me to twist the negative narrative of my timid tendencies into a strength.

Programming websites satisfy the part of me that enjoys analytical problems but I've realized what truly drove me was the hope of making an emotional impact on the people who make up the digital world. I deal with users on a daily basis as the customer representative for my Mom's business as well as my own. Once realizing that technology is the core of what bridges the bond between users, I started there: diving straight into wireframing, coding, and running my portfolio site. Before I could begin connecting other users together, I needed to feel like I was connected, myself.

My 6-week internship morphed into a bridge, reeling me into the world of web development and giving me the tools to jumpstart my passion project. Looking into the future, I see myself continuing to devote time to helping small businesses connect themselves with a new pool of online consumers. The choice of implementing a digital platform for a business has changed my family's life. Similarly, I know it has the potential to change thousands of others.

I was accepted into the University of California Berkeley as a Computer Science major where I hope to spend the next four years diving deeper into the technology industry and implementing inclusive and equitable innovations. I hope to get involved with nonprofit tech organizations that focus on helping minority high school students enter the technology world. There are so many opportunities to build their skill sets and break the cycle of poverty and lack of education simply because they weren’t given the financial aid to seize the opportunity. I’m grateful for the experiences that have led me here and hope to pay it forward.