Jessica

My Background

It took a while for me to shift careers. When I was an undergrad at San Jose State I distinctly recall wanting to major in computer science, but being scared off by the program’s lack of women and people of color. I switched to a political science major and considered becoming a lawyer before being admitted to law school, but I wasn’t giving it my all.

I traveled to Thailand in the summer of 2018 to attend a friend’s wedding. I had just received my political science degree from San Jose State University but I wasn’t enjoying my job as a legal secretary. I detested every second of it. I had a moment of clarity while sitting on a beach and decided to leave my work as a legal secretary to pursue a career in computer science.

Computer science has always piqued my interest. My earliest interest in computer science stems from my youth as a PC player. I enjoyed hacking the WiFi signal of my neighbor while playing vintage games like Fiesta Online and Aion. So after returning from Thailand, I enrolled in a community college nearby and spent a year taking computer science classes there while looking for the best graduate school. I immediately felt at home during my first semester at Northeastern’s San Francisco campus in 2019.

Bridge

Due to the fact that I had not taken a math course since my second year of college, I had trouble in my discrete mathematics class. I was able to keep up and catch up by working extensively with my professors and teaching assistants. The campus in San Francisco has such a supportive and cooperative atmosphere which contributed to my success. I visited the TAs daily and spoke with my lecturers frequently. I could not have progressed without their assistance. I learned while taking my first cybersecurity class that my expertise in political science would help more than I previously thought. This discovery helped me come to terms with what initially felt like a major career transition. When I started studying topics like genetic testing, data privacy, and predictive AI, I saw how important it was to also talk about the moral and legal ramifications of emerging technology.

The program hits you really quickly, but it is incredibly satisfying to overcome the challenges. Throughout the program, I have always felt that if I needed support it would be provided.

My Future

I was accepted into the computer science PhD program at Northeastern/Khoury College for the fall 2021 semester with three classes remaining in my Align degree. I will be starting my PhD program at the same time as I finish my Master’s degree. I have just moved to Boston, and have begun working with Professor Christo Wilson to further my understanding of computer science. I am eager to get back into CS research as a Husky.