Regina’s interest in computer science began in high school, when she joined Girls Who Code, a program that aims to close the gender gap in technology fields. She’s also a painter and enjoys finding ways to merge technology and fine art. At Penn, Regina majors in computer science with a minor in fine arts, which gives her flexibility to explore all her interests. She’s also part of a Rewriting the Code fellowship sponsored by a national nonprofit that conducts research in the field of computer science to better understand what keeps women in technology careers, and why some choose to leave.

In the classroom, Regina and a small team have recently started working on a food truck app. With streets around campus dotted with various food trucks, an app to facilitate food ordering and pick up is an exciting new idea for busy students. During her software design and engineering class (CIS350), Regina and a small team were tasked with writing a program, which would become a software product. They were introduced to various topics that are studied professionally in the field, including software development lifecycles, software architectures, and design patterns. At the conclusion of the class, Regina and her team launched their food truck app.

Outside of classes, Regina found other ways to contribute and expand on her academic journey. She has been a part of the organizing committees for the bi-annual PennApps hackathon and for Femmehacks, Penn’s all-female annual hackathon.

Regina is a great role model for young women who want to study in the STEM fields. And, she completed a month-long trip in an RV that proves it. Regina was chosen as one of three college students to be part of Roadtrip Nation, a documentary series about meeting people from all walks of life, learning more about why they do what they do. Over the summer, Regina and two other students interviewed more than 20 women in a variety of STEM fields to learn more about their career paths and challenges. Working on the video A Balanced Equation offered Regina the opportunity to meet women who work at Pixar and NASA as well as renowned sculptor and Harvard professor, Janet Echelman. Meeting professional women in STEM fields solidified Regina’s interest in computer science and gave new life to her desire to pursue a fine arts minor.

Throughout her time on campus, Regina has been part of the Promoting Enriching Experiences and Relationships (PEER) Mentoring Program that matches Asian American upperclassmen with first-year mentees. As a part of that program, Regina helped create a video entitled, An Intimate Conversation on Asian American Feminism. For the video, the team interviewed Asian American students to hear their thoughts about issues concerning gender roles within the community.

Regina also participated in the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI), a semester-long Asian American discussion group that explores issues concerning the community, facilitated by students who are APALI alumni. Additionally, Regina is a member of Sigma Psi Zeta, a multicultural, Asian-interest social organization, where she has held a board position and served as philanthropy chair.