Chahak Gupta

Year in School
Sophomore

Major

Research Interests

Research Mentor

Research/Engagement Experience

Interests

Project Title

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
"The first time I wrote a program, it was meant to shoot boba. I had coded Boba-Blaster--2000 — my version of Space Invaders— which during my AP-CS class, wasn't cooperating, with bullets overlapping the falling boba rather than colliding. I was frustrated—eyebrows furrowed, jaw clenched, scrolling through hours of code with no solution in sight. But then after finally resorting to Stack Overflow, I found someone with a similar problem. I followed their advice, rewrote part of my code, and ran the game again. Holding my breath, I hit the spacebar. A bullet launched—and the boba vanished. It was such a small moment, but I felt such a rush of excitement and pride. I realized I had spent hours trying to solve this, not out of obligation, but because I truly enjoyed the challenge. That was the moment I gained a deeper interest in computer science."

What social interests matter to me?

Why did you choose Illinois?
I chose Illinois because when I visited, it was the only campus that had perfect weather. All the other schools I visited had stormed and rained while I toured, and visiting this campus while it was at its best (clear blue skies, warm weather, green grass, and a bustling quad) felt like a sign. Additionally, I loved that their CS program had so many different research opportunities and was so well taught.

What are your passions outside of computing?
Some of my passions include: teaching and coaching elementary kids in both tennis and math, playing tennis tournaments, reading psychological thrillers, Bollywood dancing, and writing poetry--both in Hindi and English.

What has been one of your favorite experiences at Illinois that you would like to share with prospective students? (For Continuing UIUC Students)
One of my favorite experiences at Illinois has been sitting on the Quad with my best friends. I loved going to the movie nights on the quad with my two friends, when we would sit on the quad. After 4pm, when our classes were over, we would lay on our blanket in the grass, letting the sun warm our faces until it set. We then got ourselves QDOBA and chatted while the movie night started on the quad. It just felt like the perfect college experience.

What has been one of your favorite experiences as a CS STAR? (For Returning CS STARS)

What is my most impactful college experience?

These are a few of my favorite things!
Some of my favorite things include a hot cup of chai, my gold hoop earrings, my wooden pencils, my strawberry squishmallow, dancing, and my doodle notebook.

Research Description

Biography
I'm Chahak Gupta, a Computer Science student at UIUC. I was born in India and moved to the U.S. at age 3, learning English from Arthur and Curious George. I spent my childhood reading, playing outside, and swimming competitively for eight years. In high school, I joined FBLA, did humorous interpretation in Speech & Debate, and founded our Cultural Dance Club. I love traveling—last summer I went to Paris, Switzerland, and India. At UIUC, I’ve found I enjoy hanging out with my friends, whether we’re studying in Grainger or relaxing on the Quad.