At Cal, I’m a director with Hackathons @ Berkeley 🚀. We host Cal Hacks, the world’s largest collegiate hackathon, with over 1,600 participants annually. I’ve been in charge of coordinating our many mentors and volunteers, directing some of our meals, managing our massive budget, and much more. I’m passionate about using my leadership and management skills to make a lasting impact on others and our community.
I’ve also been involved in a few research groups on campus, all applying technology toward finding ways to protect people and our environment.
Impacting thousands of people through high-profile events has been one of my biggest contributions to the communities I have been a part of. In high school, I was the President and Founder of our Circuitry Club and official Robotics program. I grew each organization through large workshops and STEM camps that reinforced their reputations in our community. At Cal, I've found my home with H@B, continuing to build upon my leadership and management skills through ever-bigger events.
Having 8 people stand in a line and each draw a letter using their flashlights, over 20 seconds, we spell Cal Hacks!
As a Research Assistant studying High Frequency Monitoring in the DRC as part of the Energy and Resources Group, I studied hospital electrification data in a hospital in Africa, using data cleaning and analysis techniques to study how grid quality can influence hospital energy sourcing choices and electrification struggles. The poster below summarizes my first semester's findings.
I love traveling ✈️, skiing ⛷️, hiking 🥾, camping 🏕️, and videography 📸. I have a YouTube channel, Char 787. I love exploring the natural world and seeing what it has to offer—and gaining insights on how it, with all its beauties and issues, affects our society. I also have a peculiar interest in history. You can count on me to have explored every hidden corner of campus and know every piece of tradition and lore there is to Cal.
I love catching sunsets and sunrises. Below is one of the best sunrises I've experienced, taken at Death Valley National Park. The sand blowing in the air (and my face) made the vast golden landscape feel truly unworldly.
One of the reasons I chose to come to Berkeley is becuase of the amazing hiking trails right next to campus. Here are some of the sunsets I've captured during my many trips up the Clark Kerr Fire Trails.
Check out my YouTube channel, where I film and edit travel videos during my free time:
Even though I've aged out, I’m still deeply involved in Scouts. Each summer, I serve on waterfront staff at Camp Marin-Sierra, a summer residential Scouts camp in the Sierras ⛰️, where I teach kayaking 🛶 and swimming 🏊 classes to adventure-seeking youth. I’m also a founding board member of my community’s new Venturing crew, Crew 511, where I’ve planned and led a 10-mile kayaking expedition at Point Reyes. The Scouting program has deeply shaped who I am today, and my plan is to become an adult volunteer in the near future, hopefully inspiring the next generation to become responsible citizens.
I have been a passionate member of Scouts since I was 8. I deeply believe in the lessons taught by the Scouting movement: active citizenship, environmental conservation, community service, and leadership. I have made the Scout Oath, Law, and Motto a part of my daily life. I love the outdoor adventures youth embark on in the program but also the many life lessons learned along the way.
I made the following video as a season recap during my time as a waterfront lifeguard at Camp Marin-Sierra:
My Eagle Scout Project was my school's first ever STEM Fair. I brought together 190 students and parents from our community for a bustling evening of STEM exploration. The effort involved months of planning, nearly fifty volunteers, and dozens of activity booths for attendees to learn from. Seeing the impact my event made on both the attendees and staff was truly motivational.
Oftentimes when camping, being minimalistic is more enjoyable than bringing a tent.
Check out the link below to the Scouting page of my website, which showcases more of my Scouting experiences:
Fun Facts About Me
Favorite Color: Yellow
Hometown: Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦
Dream Vacation: Road trip across Alaska and Northern Canada, and see the northern lights!
Favorite Book Genre: Dystopian fiction
Favorite Movie: Cry Me a Sad River (2018); it's a beautiful story about bullying and its life-changing effects.
Craziest Bucket List Item Completed: 24 hour challenge at Moffitt Library
Next Bucket List Item: Camping on the Clark Kerr Fire Trails
I’m always looking for opportunities to leverage my skills to make an impact on our communities. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Go Bears!
