Student Snapshot: Ngan Do '22

Ngan Elly Do

Growing up in Vietnam, Ngan "Elly" Do ’22 already knew she was interested in computer science and math, and after taking a few intro courses during her first year at Dickinson, she knew she’d found the right majors for her. Since then, she says, she's learned the importance of not only studying what you love but also of learning about different disciplines and discovering new interests. She says that this intellectual exploration—and the challenges and joys of attending college in a different country—have allowed her to discover new parts of herself. “Being a Dickinsonian brings me a lot of opportunities to meet new people, get to know more cultures and learn new, interesting things,” she says. “My experience at Dickinson helps me discover the truth that I am able to do much more than I expect.”

Hometown:

Hanoi, Vietnam.

Majors:

Computer science and mathematics.

Clubs and organizations:  

Her Campus Dickinson College and Math & Computer Science Club.

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Dean’s List, Sigma Alpha Pi and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

Favorite book:

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

Favorite movie:

Parasite.

On choosing a major:

Working with numbers and computers has always been my cup of tea. I was quite interested in many mathematics and technology courses that I had back in my high school. After taking a few math and computer science courses at Dickinson, I knew that both of them were the right majors for me.

Favorite place on campus:

The Caf.

Favorite Dining Hall food:

Southern fried chicken.

Favorite class:

Principles of Object-Oriented Design by Assistant Professor of Computer Science Farhan Siddiqui. This is one of the introductory courses for computer science majors, and it’s also the course that made me realize that computer science is the right choice for me. I really like how the professor connects all the information from class, homework and labs. The homework and labs are usually quite challenging, and they give me a chance to apply what I learn in class to hands-on problems. (Interestingly, the more I do homework and labs, the more I am into the application of computer science.) Last but not least, I have met many cool people through this course. Therefore, for me, this is a five-star course at Dickinson.

As I kid, I wanted to be …

… a scientist.

Favorite professor:

Professor Farhan Siddiqui. Prof. Siddiqui is my computer science advisor. She is always willing to help me out, and thanks to her, I was able to do well in the course despite the fact that I was struggling at the beginning. She is also a great advisor who’s given me amazing advice about what computer science courses to take as well as future paths for computer science majors.

Little-known hobby/talent:

I’m into DIY crafts!

The best thing about my Dickinson experience:

I have stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered many hidden selves of me that I never thought of before. Being a Dickinsonian brings me a lot of opportunities to meet new people, get to know more cultures and new and interesting things. Also, I was given chances try and learn new subjects through courses at Dickinson. Even though things can be pretty stressful during the school year, my experience at Dickinson helps me discover the truth that I am able to do much more than I expect. I am very thankful for all the amazing experiences that Dickinson has given to me.

If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …

… Lenore Blum.

Post-Dickinson plans:

I am planning to attend graduate school to pursue a master’s or Ph.D. degree in either mathematics or computer science. Right now, I am still working on finding the specific field that I would like to focus on in the future in order to know which graduate program I would apply for. My current goal is to maintain good grades and hone the necessary skills to prepare the best for my application.

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Published January 21, 2020