�鶹��ý

Vivian Ng �鶹��ý�20 is a computer science major on the NYC Campus. She�鶹��ý�s worked as a student assistant for Seidenberg for more than two years, was an intern at the New York Road Runners nonprofit, and even received a grant for her research into augmented reality and its positive uses for high school students with autism. With all the incredible work that she�鶹��ý�s doing at Pace, choosing a college must have been a walk in the park.

Not exactly.

�鶹��ý�After multiple unsuccessful open houses and campus tours, Pace was actually my last stop,�鶹��ý� Ng explained to us. �鶹��ý�Right away, I could tell that Seidenberg was different than the other schools. It was much smaller and the community was tight knit, just the way I liked it.�鶹��ý� There, she got the chance to meet Dean Jonathan Hill, DPS, and Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Retention Stephanie Elson.

�鶹��ý�I was so nervous that I couldn�鶹��ý�t even make my way over to some of the faculty lingering around, but Dean Hill walked right up to me with a warm smile and introduced himself. He handed me one of his business cards and the nervousness I was feeling dissipated.�鶹��ý� She took that opportunity to ask questions about Seidenberg; what on-campus jobs they offered, the student-teacher ratio, and more. �鶹��ý�He personally took the time to answer them all. Everything about Pace was screaming out to me and I knew I had to attend the school.�鶹��ý�

So what convinced her to pursue a major in computer science? Social media, of course!

�鶹��ý�Funnily enough, Tumblr brought me into the world of computer science and web development, which is what I would like to pursue as a career after I graduate,�鶹��ý� Ng said. �鶹��ý�When the social media platform was still at its peak [in] popularity, I experimented with editing theme codes and found that a few lines of code easily changed what I was looking at.�鶹��ý� And when she showed up to take her first class in computer science, it became clear pretty quickly that she�鶹��ý�d made the right choice.

That class was called �鶹��ý�Mathematical Structures for Computer Science�鶹��ý� taught by Francis Parisi, PhD, and it left a profound impact on Ng. �鶹��ý�A big part of why it left such a large impact on me was because Dr. Parisi went above and beyond to help my peers and I understand a subject that at times was difficult to grasp.�鶹��ý� She explained that taking advantage of a professor�鶹��ý�s office hours was also key in understanding of the course material.

�鶹��ý�I think of Seidenberg as a second home because everyone is like family,�鶹��ý� Ng went on. She has attributed her work as a Seidenberg student assistant as the most rewarding experience she�鶹��ý�s had at Pace thanks to those strong relationships. But it wasn�鶹��ý�t always this easy. �鶹��ý�One of the biggest challenges that I had to overcome when I first started was working in such a fast-paced environment. I remember being so overwhelmed with the tasks that were assigned to me, but everyone was very welcoming and helped me adjust quickly.�鶹��ý�

Just recently, Ng took on the impressive task of applying for�鶹��ý�and ultimately being awarded�鶹��ý�funding for the esteemed Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research Program, along with Professor Jim Lawler, DPS. �鶹��ý�Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would get the opportunity to conduct research with a professor during my time here as a student,�鶹��ý� she said. The two worked closely with a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing advanced technological resources to students with learning differences.

�鶹��ý�Virtual reality has yet to make its mark on education, especially for students with learning differences. It hasn�鶹��ý�t even scratched the surface yet.�鶹��ý� This often made gathering evidence very difficult, Ng explained. �鶹��ý�After I completed my research, I realized that there were people out there who did what I had to do for an entire year, on a day-to-day basis as a career. It was one of the most educational and humbling experiences that I got to be a part of.�鶹��ý�

With all her accomplishments here at Pace, Ng had very straightforward advice for anyone looking to do the same: �鶹��ý�Take risks, be proactive, and don�鶹��ý�t be afraid of what may lie ahead.�鶹��ý�