Savannah Punak

I was born in Costa Rica and grew up in San Clemente, California. From a young age, I have been captivated by science and mathematics. I find joy in how math provides structured solutions to problems, while science encourages exploration through experimentation, trial and error, and the observation of patterns. When I realized that computer science combined both of these disciplines while writing my first program in high school, I knew instantly that this was the field I wanted to pursue.

In high school, I balanced a rigorous academic schedule, taking twelve AP courses while competing as a four-time varsity athlete in cross country, water polo, swim, and track. Despite starting my computer science journey later than most, I am committed to pursuing this field in the long term.

While I am in my second year at CBU, I am a junior academically. I aim to earn my bachelor's degree in the spring of 2026, followed by a master's degree. My current coursework includes database systems, data structures, web development, and statistics using R. I am actively developing a web application for game reviews, with HTML, CSS, and JS for the front end and Flask and MySQL for the back end to enhance user engagement and data management.

In the upcoming semester, I will focus on courses in AI and Machine Learning. I am extremely fascinated by AI’s current capabilities and future potential. Ultimately, I aspire to apply my knowledge to create innovative solutions that could positively impact people worldwide. This goal drives me to challenge myself every day.