Hi! I'm Vanshaj, a software engineer in the usually-sunny San Francisco Bay Area. I grew up in the East Bay and went to university here (UC Berkeley — go bears!). I've always been interested in tech, so this is sort of a dream-come-true outcome for me.

In university, I studied Computer Science and Data Science (go figure). I also spent 7 semesters as a teaching assistant for CS 61A, our introductory CS course (also the largest course on campus, maxing out around 1600 students). I was the course's Head of Grading and Exams for 2 of those semesters, and was the Lead TA for 3. I learned a lot about the course material, pedagogy, and myself. I would love to go back to teaching in some capacity in the future.

The amount of time I put into my hobbies changes randomly, but things I enjoy include:

• Travel: I've explored Mexico, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Monaco, and France. I've visited parts of Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Vatican City.
• Photography: I bring my camera on all my travels and to events. I'll shoot anything, but street and motorsports photography are by far my favorite.
• Formula 1: Hoping that Lando Norris learns how to win championships (and McLaren keeps this up too).
• Aviation: I'm a Private Pilot. I've flown to 23 unique airports in California, and 1 in Nevada. I'm currently working on my Instrument Rating.
• Flight Simulation: This is what led to the above. My favorite route to fly is KLAX-KSFO, a short flight that ends at home.
• Music: Slowly re-learning how to play the guitar after a five-year hiatus. I also love listening to music, including in languages I don't speak.
• Language Learning: I'm fluent in English, Hindi, and French. I'm currently preparing for the DALF C1, which would be a designation of native fluency from the French government. After that, I'd like to learn Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

My lowkey flex is that when I went to Belgium and France, I spoke in French 100% of the time, and everyone responded to me in French. At one point, a hotel receptionist spoke to me in English, and before I could register what they said, they apologized and repeated themselves in French.