Alan Xie!

I got into programming because I liked making people laugh.

When I was younger, I loved playing video games. One day, I decided to try making my own. I showed them to friends and family, and discovered that the best part was seeing their eyes light up as they played. That was what drew me in. It felt incredibly fulfilling taking an idea in my head, turning it real, and seeing someone else enjoy it. Computer science became a way to bring joy to others.

As I've grown up, that motivation has stayed with me. My interests have gotten broader, the work I take on has become more ambitious, but it still comes back to the same reason I started: building for people. I care about whether something is actually usable, whether it makes sense to the person interacting with it, and whether it solves a real problem instead of just sounding impressive.

That feels even more important now. AI is making it easier to produce code, but faster code does not automatically mean better software. The essential part is still knowing what is worth building and why. I think good engineering comes from caring about the details, understanding the people affected by your work, and having enough taste to know when a solution still needs to be better.

Outside of coding, I enjoy working out, hiking, and playing saxophone for the Marching Illini. I like having things in my life that are physical, creative, and completely different from staring at a screen. Check out some pictures below!