Nathan's Notes

Beyond everything software, machine learning, and applied math that I do in research, hackathons, or personal projects, I also enjoy playing Scrabble (it’s really a strategy game if you think about it), solving puzzles, and analyzing contemporary music, literature, and film.

I have a few poetry publications, material science research I presented at the American Physics Society, and semifinalist/finalist placings in competitive olympiads for chemistry, biology, math, and programming.

I’ve just created this blog and don’t have much to put here yet, so enjoy a few responses to these application questions. The best way to learn about me though, I think, is to look at my musings and talk to me (reach out over email)

What’s the nerdiest thing about you?

I’ve got two choices: A) In middle school, I used Selenium to script my way to victory for a Spanish class competition. I still did my homework after. B) For my girlfriend’s birthday, I gave her a 3D puppy I modeled in Blender with Three.js.

What non-traditional things were you doing growing up?

In elementary school, I learned how to code in Java and created games and animations using Khan Academy’s Java interface. For my mom’s birthday, I even made her a digital animated card. By middle school, I began creating Unity games in C#, developing a full 3D platformer game with unique mechanics like building temporary platforms. I even ended up placing first place in a TSA competition!

I also used to play video games a lot. However, I think I played so much that I eventually got tired. I found playing video games unfulfilling and instead focused on things that were intellectually stimulating to me. I studied math for fun, solved competitive programming problems, practiced chess, and picked up piano (after having quit). I still watched a lot of YouTube, but instead focused on videos that provided something genuinely interesting. With this commitment to working towards fulfillment, I even read chemistry and biology textbooks out of curiosity (and of course a little spite against those who said I couldn’t 😊). Through these constructive hobbies, I could actually feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose, building towards meaningful goals.

Have you ever started a business, or dedicated yourself to a major project? Standout achievements? If yes, please describe the organization or project you started, your reason for starting it, and your role.

I founded CharterHacks, a hackathon at my school in Delaware, to address educational gaps I observed. Passion wasn’t met with resources. During COVID, I noticed many students eager to work on innovative projects, so I created the hackathon to help them explore their interests and develop new skills.

As Director, I assembled an organizing team of passionate students, developed a plan, built a website, secured sponsors, and marketed to parent-teacher groups. Our goal was to make CharterHacks accessible to students across Delaware, many of whom were new to hackathons.

The event had 100+ students. Despite a few unexpected challenges with running such a large operation, I consider CharterHacks a standout achievement because of its lasting effect on participants. Throughout every interaction with participants, I made sure that we emphasized the importance and beauty of a maker mentality, creating projects, working on something you are truly interested in. Since the event, I’ve kept in touch and informally mentored several students who have now done amazing things including but not limited to competing in FIRST Robotics at Worlds, conducting foundational research, and being accepted into top universities such as MIT, Yale and so on. Who knows what more will happen down the line. Ultimately, I believe that providing resources and personalized guidance to passionate students—emphasizing a maker mentality—is how to make the greatest impact on the world with minimal resources.

We’ve noticed legendary builders to not just bring a bright mind and grit to the table. Since childhood we watched them facing adversity, either acute or omni-present for long stretches of time. We are curious to know how you think, being you, dealing with adversity shaped you. This question is required.

Ever since I was young, I was quiet and observant rather than vocal. This often led to situations where I struggled to stand up for myself, resulting in being put down or dismissed. I was expected to listen, yet rarely listened to in return. In middle school and at home, I was frequently told I was wrong or misremembering things, simply because I wasn’t vocal enough to justify my thoughts. These experiences allowed me time to develop my own opinions and learn how to disagree, even if everyone else insisted I was wrong.

There were moments when the work I had done was credited to others or I was punished for things I hadn’t done simply because my shyness somehow meant guilt. I’ve endured slurs for being Asian and faced ridicule and harassment with a stoic face. Over time, I learned to vocalize my thoughts and convictions, knowing when to fight back or succeed in silence, uncredited. These cumulative experiences gave me a kind of absurdist outlook on life: I began to construct my own view of how the world is, how it should be, why things happen, and why I do things.

Adversity has shaped me by teaching me to construct my own worldview, stand firm in my beliefs, and relentlessly pursue my ideal of the human function—including but not limited to personality, integrity, and measured effort. It has honed my ability to live with purpose and act with intention, guided by a philosophy rooted in conviction and growth, ensuring that I live according to a Sartrian idea of good faith.