Hello All!
My name is Lisa Maldonado and I am currently a Computer Engineering student. While I was born in the United States I have a surprisingly mixed background. My father is Venezuelan and French and my mother is Indian and Guyanese (and several other things), which makes for a very bizarre mishmash of cultures influencing my life. Many of my friends consider me to be awfully random and an enigma at times and I feel I can attribute that to all the different cultures and ideas I have lived in, experienced and seen.
Though it may sound silly or even cliche, I aspire to be a game developer who creates games that inspire and surprise those who play them. In fact, for the past few months I have been working on a small, “just for fun” video game with a few really wonderful and supportive friends. While our ideas are terribly farfetched and ridiculous, working on this random project has been wonderfully hectic, fascinatingly stressful and all-in-all a really great experience. I have always had very deep and passionate love of computer science. It is a love so deep that I do not even mind loosing sleep working on a program, playing around with the inner bits of computers and laptops, troubleshooting random computer issues (this is always really fun), or reading about botnets, game theory and even cybercrime and its effects on the economy.
Outside of my career aspirations and besides schoolwork I enjoy a wide spectrum of activities. One of my most favorite things to do on my downtime is sewing. No, I am not a grandmother. I cannot help it that I enjoy a hobby that is commonly associated with grandmothers and older generations. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of sewing it is really fun to measure out patterns, pick out materials and just make something new. I also really enjoy painting sceneries that pique my interest, choreographing experimental dances, and exploring cities and other places with friends.
Science and technology has played a very significant role in my life and has shaped much of who I am and what I am trying to accomplish today. I initially began my journey into science with an interest in Biology which makes it amusing that I am coming back to a biological perspective of science and technology with this class. While Biology is not my favorite cup of tea, I am thoroughly excited to learn more about the science and technology that shapes New York City. Some of my favorite scientists and mathematicians include: Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace.
Although I’m not much of a social butterfly I don’t bite, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation!
