Reynolds Honors Program

Meet Reynolds Honors

Student Na Le

What brought you to Reynolds?

For the first question, honestly, I did not know which school I was going to before I came to the United States. As an international student, I have limited choice of school that offer an affordable tuition fee. At that time, my sister was taking her Associate in Science at Reynolds and she told me to apply to Reynolds as it was a very good school, so I did apply and go here.

What sparked your interest in your field of study?

I do not know to answer this question briefly, but I will tell my story. My interest in my current majors, Computer Science and Engineering, came from my favorite Japanese manga, Doraemon. I have been a huge fan of Japanese manga and anime since I was little and I first read Doraemon as soon as I knew how to read. The manga is about a robot cat that knows everything and has a magic bag attached in front of his body, which contains unlimited things. I felt fascinated and was wishing if everything in the story was real. My parents and other adults kept telling me that it was just a fiction and nothing was going to be real, but I still believed that science could do that and it would make the fiction to be true. Years later, I have heard that the Japanese engineer did create a robot that looked like human and I knew that my belief was right, so I decided that I wanted to work in the Robotic and AI industry in the future. That's why I chose Computer Science and Engineer when I came to Reynolds.

What is the best part of participating in the Honors Program at Reynolds?

The best part of participating in the Honors Program at Reynolds, in my opinion, is the opportunities to access to the lessons in different aspects and in more interesting ways. I am grateful that the seminar-format of the classes not only made me felt less stressful but also allow me to view the problems in different perspective and think in an innovative way. Besides, I also have chance to participate in academic conferences, and to connect to peers for networks as well as study experience.

What is your greatest struggle as a student?

As a student, my greatest struggle is the language. Because English is not my mother language, I need more time for any reading or preparing for classes. In addition, I have bad memory, so I feel like I am fighting with the words to get them all in my head.

What is the best class you have taken and why?

The best class I have taken at Reynolds is the Discrete Mathematics class. Although it is quite abstract and maybe difficult, it provides me a very strong base for other elements in computer language. Unlike Geometry or Calculus, I find that Discrete Mathematics is much more realistic as I can easily apply it into real world. For instance, the theories of sets and statements do help a lot in programming and in applying to logic in various aspects like Ethics or Business.

Where would you most like to travel?

If I have chance to travel anywhere in the world, I would have two options, which are Japan and Scandinavia. I want to visit the Scandinavia to discover its long and mysterious history as well as to learn more about the Viking tribes. Japan is another choice as it is the hometown of my favorite manga and also because of it mysterious legends in history as well.?

Where do you want to go from here?

I want to get my Bachelor after graduating from Reynolds and train myself in a startup company. After that, I hope to be able to work for Hanson Robotics, one of the leading companies in the Robotics Industry.