Organizations on Campus

My name is Annie and I am currently a third-year student majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and a minor in Design for Learning. On campus, I am an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), work on independent research within the education industry as part of the HCII, am a School of Computer Science (SCS) representative on the Undergraduate Student Senate, am the Junior Executive Chair of SCS’s Student Advisory Council, work as a Tartan Ambassador and am a member of a few other organizations including the Asian Students Association (ASA) and User Experience Association (UXA).

Wow, that was a lot! The organizations I am a part of have truly helped shape my college experience and who I am as a person, but if you had listed some of my involvements to me before I started college, I never would have believed you. Before attending an information session with the School of Computer Science, I had never even heard of Human-Computer Interaction, and now I’m extremely involved in almost every aspect and opportunity offered by the HCII. Not to mention, I had no interest in student government or policy in the past, and now I serve on both the Undergraduate Student Senate and on the Student Advisory Council.

So how did I get involved in all of this? There were a few different ways in which I became interested and involved in each activity. For starters, I used all my resources and tried to learn about as much going on around campus as possible, joining what I felt interested in! This included attending the club fair (where I learned about Yarnivores, UXA and ASA), as well as reading my emails for research opportunities within SCS.

Additionally, a great way I was introduced to new organizations and groups was by going to meetings with my friends! Even if I initially only went for some other perk like free food or because their activity sounded interesting, it was a great way for me to be introduced to the organization. This is how I became initially involved in both Senate and the Student Advisory Council.

And of course, there are some organizations that I joined because I knew I would love spending my time working on those tasks, for example, being a Tartan Ambassador! All of this just goes to show that you never know what new opportunities will be presented to you, so be open to trying new things and meeting new people!