ZHIYUAN GUO

Zhiyuan Guo is a student who utilizes the various branches of computer science to build unique experiences by which to unify and enhance disjointed communities. Within his school, he has contributed to significant polymathic systems that strongly tie the school body.

Growing up, Zhiyuan had always been an introverted kid. During an Uber internship in the summer of 2022, Zhiyuan and a small group of teens were tasked to research, design, and ultimately build a teen branch of the Uber app. Initially, his group communicated well, split the work into individuals, and met regularly. Yet, after some time, there was a shift in the mood of our meetings. Sometimes, members would abstain from meetings without reasoning, sound tired, and fail to meet deadlines. Zhiyuan identified that many of our members had actually lost interest in the project, and this was reflected in the quality of the work they were producing. Despite not having significant experience leading, Zhiyuan knew that the only chance of succeeding in this project was to step up, meet privately with each member to establish and reorganize the distribution of work, and make sure to offer support all the way until the end of the project, where they were nominated by Uber executives as one the best groups in the program. This experience reminded Zhiyuan of his favorite quote, which posits that “you are exactly where you deserve to be” (Anonymous).

Zhiyuan’s life is interwoven with Computer Science and chess. He regularly attends their respective school clubs and is heavily involved in both communities. Currently, Zhiyuan is committed to building a non-profit coding academy that introduces computer science to high school students for free. He spends most of his free time either grinding away at competitive programming, beating his friends in Blitz, or socializing with his friends. Zhiyuan’s parents are both Chinese, but he was born in Chile and lived there until 10-years-old, when he then moved to Canada. As a result, Zhiyuan can speak Spanish, English, and a little bit of Mandarin.

Looking ahead, Zhiyuan plans on majoring in Computer Science with a focus on Data Science. By attending a great university, Zhiyuan would surround himself with capable and driven individuals, allowing him to complete his dreams of helping torn communities.