A Peek IntoMy World.

It usually started with a simple question: why?

Long before I knew what engineering was, I was the kind of kid who would spend hours exploring software, clicking through menus, testing features, and figuring out what was possible. I remember sitting in front of my mother's computer, opening Microsoft Word and experimenting with every option I could find, not because I needed to, but because I wanted to understand how it all worked. That curiosity never really left. It simply grew from software to systems, electronics, and the technology I study today.

Giving back stayed part of the story.

Volunteering never felt separate from the rest of what I was building. At a charity club, I learned that small, consistent efforts can reach people who never see the technical work behind the scenes. At the University of Ottawa Sustainability Office, working at the Free Store, that lesson grew sharper: reuse, access, and care in a very practical daily form. Whether it was organizing donations or helping students find what they needed, it reminded me that engineering should stay connected to real communities, not only products and code.

I learned what a team can build.

At my first hackathon, organized with Orange, my team and I competed against 135 other teams to solve a real challenge. We spent days brainstorming, building, testing ideas, and refining our presentation. When we were announced as the winning team, the achievement felt bigger than the trophy itself. It showed me that innovation is rarely a solo effort. The best ideas emerge when different people bring their skills together around a shared goal.

First place team award