My name is Hollywood Banayad and I am from San Francisco, CA. I returned back to postsecondary education in Fall 2019 and wanted to pursue a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science. Because of the global pandemic, I transferred to SFSU and decided to switch my major to Physics. I am set to graduate in Spring 2022 with a BS in Physics. I joined Cal-bridge because I wanted to contribute in helping increase the number of underrepresented minority groups in the Physics & Astronomy department.
Cal-bridge has given me a community and a sense of belonging. My next plan is to attend graduate school for a pHD in Biophysics.
Hello! My name is Laura. I am a fourth-year computer science major at Cal Poly, SLO, but I am from the Bay Area. I have been interested in STEM for a long time. I was lucky enough to be introduced to LEGO Mindstorm robots in middle school and have been hooked ever since. In high school, I devoted much of my time to our FIRST robotics team, continuing with a variety of engineering club projects in college.
I joined Cal-Bridge because I knew I wanted to pursue graduate school but was not entirely sure in what respect. Cal-Bridge has helped me weigh master’s vs Ph.D. programs and ultimately decide to go for a Ph.D., a prospect about which I am very excited. My mentors have been instrumental in this process. Their perspectives have shaped my decisions, and their connections have led to some of my own. As a result of the past year in the Cal-Bridge program, I am now applying to a variety of computer science and robotics Ph.D. programs around the country, aiming to do research in smart prosthetics and exoskeletons.