TL;DR: I am Jacob Van Slyke and my interest in software and computers, which started with the prominence of Apple Inc., has led me to become a computer science major at Allegheny College.
My name is Jacob Van Slyke and I am a freshman at Allegheny College. I am on the track to becoming a computer science major, and am currently in a course titled “Software Everywhere.” I have always been interested in software and how people are able to interact with technology to make their lives easier. In today’s world this is extremely important because it is what has allowed mobile technology to become so big. I am particularly interested in the design aspect of software and I hope to get into this field someday.
I first became exposed to, and later obsessed with, the world of software and technology when Apple first started gaining notoriety for their world-changing devices. I was immediately drawn towards Steve Jobs and his company because they were creating this connection between hardware and software that had never been seen before. I still remember a line I read back then that said: “He knew what we wanted before we did,” and how true that is. I have loved Apple products ever since, and continue to be interested in the evolution of software and its affect on the world.
When I started to look into post high school plans, I started with software and programming and knew that that’s where I wanted to focus. I came for a visit to Allegheny and liked it immediately and especially liked Professor Kapfhammer who is the head of the computer science department. It has been a great decision thus far and I am continuing to get better and more experienced with the world of computers each day. One day I hope to work in this field, most likely working for a larger company but also possibly developing my own programs and software. I know that my Allegheny education will help me toward this goal and I am looking forward to improving each day.