ABOUT ME | joygu

An Ongoing Biography

My name is Joy, and I currently an Engineering Mathematics and Statistics major, EECS minor, at the University of California, Berkeley. However, I have had quite an interesting journey...

Midwestern Beginnings

Three Schools, Three States

I grew up and lived in the humble town of Highland, IL for almost 15 years. With a population of around 10 thousand people, it was a small town and community; this strong sense of community is something I deeply value and continue to carry with me.

Although my first 15 years were spent in one place, due to my dad's job, I found myself attending 3 different high schools. I moved to Florida at the start of freshman year, then to Kentucky for 1 and 1/2 years, and finally moved to California after transferring halfway through junior year. High school was a time of difficult transitions, but I learned a lot about myself, and I worked hard to push through all the social and academic challenges to graduate 2nd in my class.

UC Berkeley Engineering

At my time so far at UC Berkeley, I can say it has been one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, experiences I have encountered. The wonderful part about being a part of this community is the opportunity to engage in all parts of the campus, in class and out. I have a strong passion for encouraging more girls to study engineering, and served as Vice President of the Society of Women Engineers and will be the Senior Adviser my last year. I also love of sharing the wonders of Berkeley as a Campus Ambassador, giving tours to hundreds of visitors every year. Academically I have been able to learn and engage with my coursework as TA, and I look forward to other opportunities to develop as a leader, student, and engineer.

My Studies Abroad

In summer 2016, I was accepted to study abroad at the University of Cambridge in England. I spent 8 weeks abroad, and took 3 different classes: Lego Robotics Workshop, Materials Science, and Literature course on history of London. Studying and living in a different country and adapting to the culture and academics was an incredible experience. and I hope to explore other new cities and places.