Meet a Tutor: Michael Goheen
Michael Goheen
Virginia Tech Computer Science grad
Tell us a little about yourself…
My name is Michael. I like to think of myself as a programmer, educator, musician, and all-around artist. I play the saxophone and more recently have begun playing on the piano. I recently graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. I currently still live close to my college campus while the rest of my family resides up in the northern Virginia area about a forty minute drive from the capital.
When did you first start learning computer science?
When I was a young lad, I started out making simple webpages in HTML. I also tinkered with the QBasic language and made some simple calculator programs and some simple games. In High School, I enrolled in an AP Java course as an elective. I have always been passionate about computers, programming, and technology in general.
Do you have any favorite programs or projects that you’ve built?
A few years ago, I built my own custom desktop computer on a budget of around $800. It was a fun learning experience, and I ended up saving a little bit of money. I personally feel that the average person is perfectly capable of building their own desktop. You do not need a degree in Computer Science! The hardest part of building a desktop is researching and buying all the individual components and making sure that they are compatible with one another. After all of this is done, you simply pop each of the components into their correct spots as if they were expensive, technologically advanced Lego.
Fun facts about you?
I absolutely love music. I love listening to it, studying it, and creating it. I started out playing the saxophone when I joined my middle school’s band. I learned how to read and write music and became familiar with the fundamentals of music theory. I soon figured out a way to combine one of my passions in life, music, with another major passion of mine, computers, by delving deeper and deeper into electronic music production. That is, I enjoy making music using computer software and digital hardware. After all, producing electronic music shares many similarities to programming and coding in general.
Favorite ice cream flavor?
I enjoy a variety of different ice cream flavors equally. Some of my personal favorites include anything with chocolate — dark chocolate, mint chocolate, double chocolate, etc. I also enjoy strawberry and peanut butter. I don’t think I could pick just one!
Words of advice for the next generation of coders?
We are in the midst of great worldwide change. Computers and the transferal of information currently dominate our every way of life. It is hard to fathom how we ever once lived without high speed internet, high speed computers, smartphones, social media, and other modern digital conveniences that are so prevalent today.
As coders, we are living in an age exploding with infinite opportunities. Nothing is impossible in the digital age. This is our time! This is our time to create, to be inventive, and to unleash our passions into the world. The digital revolution has put the power into our hands.
