What is your full name, and what name do you prefer to go by? How do pronounce it phonetically?
My name is Eric Zhou
Which pronouns to do you prefer? (e.g. she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/their)
He/him/his
What is your birthday? Are you OK with having your birthday publicly acknowledged/celebrated?
My birthday is August 15th. And yes, I'm okay with having my birthday celebrated!
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the Greater Boston Area (Lexington, Massachusetts).
Did you have any fun nicknames while growing up? Do you have any now? What is the origin (if you feel comfortable sharing)?
I've been nicknamed Arnold and Rick. The first was because I don't have middle name and people thought Arnold was funny. People just call me Rick as well because Eric is too long to pronounce.
What holidays do you celebrate (if any)?
I celebrate Christmas, Chinese New Year, New Year, and Thanksgiving.
Academics
What is your academic life like?
What year in school are you?
I am a sophomore.
When do you expect to graduate?
Spring 2023
What is your major? How did you choose that?
I am a Computer Science major. The quick answer to why I chose Computer Science is that I really enjoyed building programs and seeing them be used by other people over time! The long answer is too long.
Do you know what you'd like to do after you graduate?
I have no idea what I'll do to be honest, hopefully have a job and maybe apply to graduate school?
Interests
What do you like to do when you're not in class/working for STS?
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy playing video games, running, hanging out with friends, and much more!
Do you have any hobbies or groups that you participate in?
I enjoy taking part in clubs like AASU (Asian American Student Union), KHK (Kappa Eta Kappa), and Coding For Good! My hobbies include building projects with people, working out at the NAT, or going on walks around campus.
Do you have any other jobs or internships?
Aside from STS, I've worked as a camp counselor back in Boston, Massachusetts. Other than that, I haven't worked anywhere else.
Any exciting plans for summer/winter break?
I plan on getting an internship this next summer and hopefully working in Boston. I also plan on going up to Vermont/Maine with friends in the summer.
Neat Facts
What are some interesting, unexpected, or surprising facts about yourself?
What is something that might surprise someone who just met you?
I love heirloom tomatoes (Google it!)
Where is somewhere you have always wanted to travel?
Spain!
Have you ever met anyone famous?
Not as far as I know.
Life at STS
Talk a little bit about your time with STS
What is your favorite topic to teach?
I really enjoy teaching any coding language!
What is something you are interested in learning?
I am interested in learning how to teach and make my "lectures" more effective.
What has been the most challenging part of working at STS?
Learning how to balance real life and work.
Miscellaneous
Other potentially interesting bits of information about yourself
