Personal Statement
I am an intuition-driven person who is able to quickly bring ideas and concepts together to create a web of connections that make sense of a whole. I can easily read between lines to make an inference of a subject at hand. My intuition also comes with great curiosity as well. As I grew up, I would often question what it means to be a thinking being, why we do the things we do, and what the relationship between mind and body is. I've always thought and still believe that every "thing", a thing as in every mass, every existence and every thought, are connected in a complex web of connections and are in perpetual movement like a magnet that always pushes or pulls. Sometimes those connections surfaces into our visible field and sometimes they are hidden.
With these thoughts in mind, I naturally gravitated towards fine art and design as my undergraduate study where I could explore and express my thoughts and perspective of the world. Specifically, I often worked on design and art projects regarding a sense of self, self-awareness, and perception of reality. During this time, I also found my passion in scientific research where I could explore human-computer interaction (HCI) using an empirical and data-driven method to understand how humans interact with objects and technology in everyday life. It was fascinating to learn how small everyday interactions could have a long-term impact on the individual, society, and the environment as a whole. I was specifically interested in the influence of technology in our habit, behavior and (both physical and mental) health, and vise versa. To study these topics, I again, naturally gravitated towards pursuing a graduate study in HCI.
As a student learning more about behavioral psychology and how it intertwines with human-computer interaction and design research, I became increasingly more interested in designing technology that changes human behavior for wellness. At this stage of my life, I aim to study and design the connection of everyday habits, motivation, mental and physical health, environment, and technology.