Student Profile: Callie Sardina
Callie Sardina is a senior majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. She’s from Carlsbad, California. A fun fact about Callie is that she loves to paint.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about CS because of this immense range of its applications and its potential to be used to help better people’s lives. I am fascinated by the study of distributed systems, the intersection of computer science theory and theoretical mathematics, and machine learning. I find CS directly applicable to my paramount goal of helping others – from implementing efficient software solutions, to optimizing algorithms, to applying machine learning frameworks to areas such as computational medicine and the healthcare industry.
I am currently enthralled by my research in distributed systems because I enjoy the challenge of developing new algorithms in search of novel solutions for reduced time and space complexity, and love the logical process behind developing elegant and simplistic, yet robust proofs to theoretically ground concepts.
In addition to my passion for theory, I love to code. This semester I have developed a strong interest in machine learning and the ability of such technologies to make an even more profound impact on data-intensive problems such as detecting patterns in medical images, analyzing medical data in an efficient and reliable manner, or even blockchain applications for secure storage of medical information.
What do you do on campus?
Since my Sophomore year, I have been a TA for several CS classes. I love being a TA because it enables me to contribute to the CS community here at BC. I greatly enjoy helping my fellow students work logic through their questions and am grateful to be able to help foster welcoming and productive learning environments. Additionally, I am currently working with three other students in an independent study with the company GiveCard to help employ our CS knowledge for social justice by help those facing homelessness gain access to debit cards. I am also a member of the Machine Intelligence Group here at BC.
What has been your favorite class so far?
My favorite class so far has been Logic and Computation with Professor McTague. This was my explicit introduction to the theoretical side of CS, and to writing proofs. I am a very logical person, and contrary to most people’s opinions, find the intellectual challenge of writing proofs to be fun. I am also currently loving Machine Learning with Professor Alvarez because it is opening up my eyes to the vast realm of ML and its applications, while also providing the theoretical background for the concepts we study.
Who has been your favorite professor so far?
I have greatly appreciated all of my CS professors, however in my first course Freshman year, CS 1 Honors, Professor Muller truly sparked my passion for the subject. Professor Muller taught me how to logically approach problems to find solutions, was always available and willing to help, and the problem sets we did for this class were very interesting and rewarding.
What advice do you have for someone considering Computer Science?
My advice for anyone considering Computer Science is to certainly try it out! Hopefully you’ll love it as I do, but even if you end up deciding another area that interests you more, basic programming/ CS knowledge will definitely be helpful in all areas, especially in our society which is becoming increasingly technological. CS is fun, rewarding, intellectually stimulating, and there is no bound on the range of applications for which it can be used.