Enya Chen

Year in School
Sophomore

Major
CS + Linguistics

Research Interests

Research Mentor

Research/Engagement Experience

Interests

Project Title

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
My dad introduced me to competitive programming when I was a freshman in high school. I've programmed before then, made small web apps on Replit and messed around with Arduinos, but competitive programming had really drawn me into CS. What drew me in wasn’t just the problems themselves, but the community and energy around them -- attending contests, exchanging solutions with friends, and pushing each other to learn new topics faster. Since then, I’ve found a deep enjoyment in problem solving and am excited to continue exploring this passion through research.

What social interests matter to me?

Why did you choose Illinois?
I chose Illinois because of the Women in CS admitted students tour. It made me happy knowing there was so many others with similar backgrounds as me studying CS here.

What are your passions outside of computing?
I really enjoy painting, and I've been drawing throughout my entire life. Random story, I had dreams of studying art in college and I had even been planning to attend this art school in my 8th grade summer. It was going to be my biggest art achievement yet -- since it was the first time my work had ever been recognized. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had cancelled the entire program, and I spent the summer being indoors and honestly, not drawing much at all. Looking back, I think that moment nudged me toward exploring new things--eventually leading me to CS. Even though things turned out differently than I expected, I’m glad they did. I still carry that love for art with me.

What has been one of your favorite experiences at Illinois that you would like to share with prospective students? (For Continuing UIUC Students)
My favorite experience has been partaking in ACM's ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest) Special Interest Group. It's really fun and I've made a lot of friends there.

What has been one of your favorite experiences as a CS STAR? (For Returning CS STARS)
My favorite experience as a CS STAR was the study breaks and bonding with other CS STARS!

What is my most impactful college experience?

These are a few of my favorite things!
My mom's red braised pork belly + tomato and eggs. Configuring (ricing) my Linux setup. Playing video games.

Research Description

Biography
Hi! I'm Enya, a sophomore studying Mathematics & Computer Science at UIUC. I was born in Henan, China, but grew up in New York. Currently, I’m working with Professor Lawrence Angrave on a project aimed at improving accessibility in education by using traditional computer vision techniques to generate PDF summaries from lecture videos, including representative frames and captioned content.