Meet a Tutor: Natasha Schimka

Meet a Tutor: Natasha Schimka

Natasha Schimka

Computer Science and Linguistics Student at UCLA

Tell us a little about yourself…

I don’t take myself very seriously so whenever I’m expected to answer these types of questions, I’m tempted to say things like “I like training armies of fighter puppies and loitering on tall buildings to get abducted by aliens.” I’ll keep it simple: I’m a senior computer science and linguistics student at UCLA.

When did you first start learning computer science?

Reflecting back on my life, I’ve found that my gender often limited the opportunities that I was exposed to–like how the only careers people attributed to me were teacher or model, and how my older brothers were bought microscopes, legos, and video games while I received stuffed animals and makeup. I had always been in the humanities because I believed I wasn’t good enough to be a scientist (my childhood aspiration). So in college I said screw it, switched it up, got some weird looks for taking calculus-based physics for fun, and settled on computer science (plus linguistics). I consider myself a humble Padawan at coding–not quite a Jedi yet.

Do you have any favorite programs or projects that you’ve built?

I built a roguelike a few months back, with multiple levels of dungeons and “epic” monster fights with vicious snakewomen and far-seeing goblins; to date, it’s my largest and proudest (if imperfect) project. Currently, I’m experimenting with Markhov models and chatbots, as well as implementing some games as example projects for the Girls Who Code club I recently starting working with.

How would you like to use computer science and programming in the future?

I’m really interested in computational linguistics. How amazing would it be to have a Star Trek computer? (Minus the possibility of an AI takeover.)

Fun facts about you?

Writing is a longtime hobby of mine. I’ve published 6 short stories and a poem in various literary journals and (unfortunately) have hundreds of pages of incomplete novels on my computer. I love building new societies, twisting cliches, and imagining how the world would be if pieces of it were altered; and, of course, no world is complete without its own bizarre invented languages.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Cookies & cream. I am pretty boring.

Words of advice for the next generation of coders?

Think bigger.