CICS Information Sessions for Prospective Undergraduates

Foram Patel

Hometown: Chelmsford, MA
Major/Minor: Computer Science
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: COMPSCI 220 Programming Methodology
Internships/Research: Machine Learning Intern at Seceon Inc., incoming TechStart Intern at Liberty Mutual
Co-curricular activities: UMass Jazba member, HackUMass organizing team
Something I love about CICS/UMass Amherst: UMass and CICS offer a wide variety of opportunities for every student! Whether it be career-building workshops and resources, extracurriculars, or student support groups, I have always been able to find something I am interested in.

aarti arasada

Major/Minor: Double major in Computer Science and Economics
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: MATH 132 Calculus II and COMPSCI 187 Programming with Data Structures
Internships/Research: Worked with a PhD student through the Undergraduate Research Volunteers program assisting on a project involving differential privacy and confidence variables
Interests: Bollywood dancing, taking pictures, going on walks
Something I love about CICS/UMass Amherst: I believe that UMass offers so many opportunities in all aspects. I love meeting new people and I am always fascinated by the diversity of knowledge that people bring to the table!

meghana vadassery

Hometown: Westford, MA
Major/Minor: Double major in Computer Science and English
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: COMPSCI 230 Computer Systems Principles, COMPLIT 131H Brave New World (Honors), ECON 104 Intro to Macroeconomics, ART-HIST 110 Survey: Renaissance - Modern Art, COMPSCI 240 Reasoning Under Uncertainty
Co-curricular activities/hobbies: Treasurer of UMass Theater Guild, member of The Scribe (literary magazine in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts), music
Something I love about CICS/UMass Amherst: UMass is such a large school with so many opportunities, be it academically or socially. I enjoy attending different clubs, exploring my different interests, and meeting new people constantly.

BRADY CALLAHAN

Hometown: Danbury, CT
Majors: Double Major in Computer Science and Physics
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: COMPSCI 326 Web Programming, and COMPSCI 220 Programming Methodology
Internships/Research: Incoming AI and Machine Learning Intern at Sonalysts, Inc., working in a physics lab programming simulations involving coupled oscillators.
Co-curricular activities/interests: Playing the tuba and guitar, and golfing
Something I love about CICS and/or UMass Amherst: I love the sense of community and friendship that I have found in my CICS classes and UMass as a whole. All of my CICS courses have been both enjoyable and been excellent in progressing my skills and creating opportunities for me!

CYRIL BOU-HARB

Majors: Double major in Computer Science and Mathematics (Member of Commonwealth Honors College)
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: COMPSCI 250, COMPSCI 187, COMPSCI 383, MATH132, MATH235
Interests: Soccer, Music, Podcasts, F1 racing, Reading.
Something I love about CICS/UMass Amherst: At UMass, you have access to all the resources essential to your success, including UCA's and TA's, SI Leaders, one-on-one tutoring, and office hours. In addition, the university offers a wide range of CS groups, such as ACM and Cybersecurity Club, that foster learning and community. Personally, I've benefited from one-on-one tutoring, which helped me improve my programming skills and grades. These resources have allowed me to explore different areas of CS and find my passion and have allowed me to make friends with similar interests. UMass truly provides everything you need to succeed in CS.

KARISHMA MANCHANDA

Hometown: Manchester, NH
Major/Minor: Computer Science major, Mathematics minor
Favorite Course(s) at UMass: COMPSCI 230, COMPSCI 311, COMPSCI 377
Internships/Research: TechStart Intern at Liberty Mutual, researched Alzheimer's disease brain degradation in the Early Research Scholars Program 
Co-curricular activities/interests: SASA, SASE, WiCS, dancing, hiking, working out
Something I love about CICS and/or UMass Amherst: UMass Amherst is my home away from home, and I love meeting new people and learning both inside and outside the classroom. Between academics, clubs, the beautiful campus and the surrounding area, there is something for everyone to enjoy.