Major: Computer Science
Giovanni Zavalza’s interest in engineering, physics and math grew from their application to computer science.
“Computer science allows anyone to make virtually anything they want,” he said. “Without math, the logic applied to computers will be little to none. Without simulations that physics applies, a branch of computer science is gone. Without engineering, the structuring of complicated code architecture is lost and, alongside it, clean innovation. The liberation that comes from computer science is freeing while also being possible for a single person to develop. Passion projects, from video games to educational websites to cool AI products, allow people from all over the world to interact with each other.”
Zavalza saw the value in pursuing computer science at College of DuPage. He was accepted into the Engineering Pathways program, which provides guaranteed admission to the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) upon successful completion of program requirements. He also was named a Presidential Scholar, a full-tuition award, which made COD the best financial option. This allowed him to fully devote his time to his education and career.
What he found were classmates who shared his interests, faculty who focused on students and resources that helped him succeed, such as tutoring services at the Learning Commons. He helped found the Math Club and participated in the Honors Program.
“It was cool watching the Math Club gain traction over the semesters,” he said. “It taught me that I am capable of creating and leading my own clubs, and it opened my eyes to what are obtainable goals for my future. I dedicated most of my time to the Engineering and Technology Club, which taught me how to apply the coding principles I learned in class and imitated an environment reflecting that of industry. It also allowed me to get an internship because I learned crucial skills such as developing on Linux, embedded systems, applying sensors, computer architecture and, most importantly, leading a team to produce a product.
Professors, tutors, counselors and many others prioritize helping students learn.
Giovanni Zavalza
“The Honors Program was cool because it allowed me to research any branch of STEM for a grade. The program’s flexibility let me balance school and research, which I think was a very important experience before I transferred to UIUC.”
He also enjoyed a summer research opportunity through the Promotion of Underrepresented Minorities in Academic STEM (PUMA-STEM) Alliance, which focuses on strengthening underrepresented minority student success in STEM, and a summer internship with Northrop Grumman.
Zavalza was recognized during the annual Celebration of Academic Excellence for Academic Excellence by Discipline for physics. While he is still determining what he wants to do with his bachelor’s degree, he knows how he would like to use it.
“I want to innovate and work on new technology to improve everyone’s lives,” he said. “I don’t want to be a part of something small. I want to be able to say that I worked on the next big technology.”
He is glad that he chose COD to start his academic career and would recommend that students take advantage of the on-campus community.
“Class sizes are small, and the faculty are really helpful in getting you all the help you need,” he said. “Professors, tutors, counselors and many others prioritize helping students learn, and you should definitely leverage that to improve yourself.
“I would like to thank everyone who has set time aside to help me in my endeavors—specifically Alex Pablo, Maxwell Harris, Tom Carter, Jen Hill, Emily Whitis and Carley Bennett, to name just a few. Many of these people are professors who I never even had for class but were willing to take time out of their day to encourage and guide me toward my goals.”
Learn more about the Physics program at College of DuPage
Learn more about the Mathematics program at College of DuPage
Learn more about the Computer and Information Science program at College of DuPage