About Me
HI! My name is Brandon Chong.
I am a senior in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying Computer Science. Many ask me “Why Computer Science?”. Computer Science is not like the other sciences in the sense that one does not sit in a lab, mix chemicals, and take measurements. In fact, if I told a “scientist” that the fundamental laws of nature do not directly affect the outcome of my “experiments”, then they would say that what I do is not even a science. But before I even took a physics, chemistry or biology course, there was me sitting in my math class solving quadratic formulas. I saw a friend of mine punching numbers into his ti-84 and finish his problem set before I solved my first problem. I asked him how his calculator was able to solve quadratic formulas. He said “I taught it.” and showed me how to program the quadratic formula into the calculator. It was at this moment that I knew Computer Science could make people’s lives better and that is why I pursue this field of knowledge.
Resume
Interests
Powerlifting
For my entire life, I have and still do struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. At some point I decided I need to get more physically active and got a gym membership and went several times a week with the initial goal of bodybuilding. I then tirelessly spent hundreds of hours researching the science behind fitness and nutrition. While surfing the many videos on youtube about fitness, I stumbled across a man named Elliot Hulse. Elliot goes on and on about “becoming the strongest version of yourself”
League of Legends
League of Legends is a massive online battle arena (MOBA), where users coordinate with other players to defeat the enemy team is a capture the base style setting. This is accomplished by selecting a character, which has a unique set of skills and mechanics that let you express yourself. I am neither good nor talented at the game, but I simply like playing on my free time. My summoner name is bchong95.
Visual Arts
Excerpt from Artist’s Statement
One aspect about me that most people do not know about is that I have a passion for Art. If you were to ask someone “who is Brandon Chong” they might say things like “oh, he’s a funny guy” or “he is a complete nerd that talks more about math and computers than his social life”. It is true that I love math and I have always perceived the subject to be one where I can prove to my peers that I am intelligent in my own way, but art does something more than just that. To me art is not merely “objects made with great skill and imagination” or “the process of giving a physical form to one’s own creativity”, but rather a way for me to expresses my emotions in ways no other language can. When I make art, I am effectively showing others exactly what I feel; rather than letting others interpret my emotions, I show them.
Contact Me
Email: bschong2@illinois.edu