#SoCaltech: Sydney Richardson

“SURF has given me a variety of skills that will (no lie) look pretty nice on my resume, including learning to code in Matlab. In high school, I was very behind when it came to coding. I never had much experience with computers let alone coding in Java. I used to come in before and after school trying to learn it, and, honestly, it wasn’t clicking. I took the end-of-the-year [AP] exam and got a 2. You need a 3 to pass. I swore I’d stay as far away from coding as possible, but when I got to Caltech, CS 1 (Intro to Python) was a requirement. I begrudgingly got through it, and, in sophomore year, I had to use Mathematica to make some plots (grades are quite motivating) and Arduino to code electronics. It turns out coding isn’t that bad. I can code robots now, which is pretty neat. Now, my summer revolves around Matlab. I’m coding all day every day. It’s weird to say, but I actually enjoy it. If only I could tell my 11th-grade self that I would grow to not only be comfortable with coding but enjoy it.”

Sydney Richardson is a rising junior and mechanical engineering major. This summer, she is participating in Caltech’s SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships) program, which, for the first time, is being held remotely. She is working with Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics Beverley McKeon on a project to track meandering streaks in wall-bounded turbulence. Richardson is the Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Loschke SURF Fellow for 2020. 

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.