I can't think of a better way of describing how I got interested in building software than paraphrasing a hero of mine, the illustrious Lady Gaga:

It all started with a game...

In my senior year of high school, I enrolled in a computer science class where I got to learn Java with my best friend at the time, Jonathan. In our first class, I underwent every novice programmer's rite of passage — the application that spits out one line of code: "Hello, world."

It was love at first byte. I looked forward to seventh period every day, when I could put my obsession with syntax to good use. Even more, I felt a sense of accomplishment for the first time in my entire high school career. No, I can't create a wooden clock in shop class for the life of me. But I can write words and make them come alive on screen! It was powerful stuff to 17-year-old me, and still is.

But I digress. Back to the Lady Gaga reference: what convinced me that technology is my calling was my final project for the class: a game. But not just any game — I decided to recreate a minigame from my favorite series of videogames growing up: Final Fantasy.

If you're curious, click here to see a snippet from the original source code. This originally governed the behavior of each card (the minigame I chose was a card game called "Triple Triad").

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While that may be what inspired me to begin a career in technology, it's not what brought me to Cornell Tech. In fact, for the longest time I hadn't even considered an MBA. My undergraduate major was in journalism, and I started out in digital content writing and editing. After joining J.P. Morgan, however, I found my true passion: project management.

And my definition of project runs the gamut — whether it be building an entire website with my team, or discovering flaws in the way numbers are calculated for fund data, projects energize me. At J.P. Morgan, I've built lasting relationships with managing directors, contractors, user experience designers, and fund managers. It's these two components of project management — the problem solving and the connections — that make digital work (and projects at large) so compelling.

In addition to my full-time position, in May I started my own business — an app called Sprout Investing. My team and I have made great strides — we're developing a prototype, honing our business plan, and courting investors. But there's always more that can be done and more to learn that doesn't come from intuition and experience.

I found that out while helping a friend who directs an English-as-a-second-language school, Global ESL Academy. At first I tried to approach problems unilaterally, but I quickly realized that input from the people I worked with, like at J.P. Morgan and Sprout, was integral to solving the business' problems. Understanding what they deal with on a daily basis and the wants and needs of their students was key to giving them the best service possible. For example, since the business was on a limited budget, instead of building a responsive website from the ground up, I found a service that builds it for you. Adapting to their preferences in this way saved time and money while also attracting more prospective students.

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I see the same kind of emphasis on collaboration and innovation at Cornell Tech, which is my primary reason for applying. I love the program’s studio — there’s nothing like it at other schools, something that throws you into the fray of starting a business and forces you to depend on others’ complementary talents to succeed. 

One aspect of the studio that interested me in particular was Thread, the startup for students who are on the autism spectrum, which arose from the program. After having volunteered extensively for people with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities in college, as well as having friends and family who are on the autism spectrum, I’m interested in using technology to solve social problems in a similar vein.

What I've found, after talking to people who have these conditions, is that finding employment is often tough, and remaining employed even tougher. I plan on harnessing technology to go beyond the traditional behavioral interview, which would help alleviate the disconnect between talent and talent acquisition.

Whether it be the studio, the location (New York is ideal for me, since my significant other is here and my business is in FinTech), or the opportunity to apply my skills abroad with classes like iTrek, Cornell is the ideal pick for me.

Coming from Midwestern, middle class roots and attending college on a scholarship, I connect with President Obama’s controversial statement, “You didn’t build that.” If there’s anything I’ve been taught, it’s that luck plays a small part in success — what matters most is hard work and forging a solid network of mentors and peers.

For the same reason I stayed up night after night to perfect "Triple Triad"; for the same reason I lose sleep working on seed funding proposals for Sprout, I'm applying to Big Red — so that one day, I may look back on everything I've helped build with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude.

Thank you for your consideration.