About Me
Yuan Jia
I grew up in Beijing, China, and spent my first 15 years there. During my 8th-grade summer break, I visited the US for the first time on a school trip. While there, I explored the beautiful West Coast and had the opportunity to attend a middle school for a couple of days. I found the experience very different from my school in China, as it offered a variety of subjects and was less focused on tests. After that, I decided to pursue my further education here.
I came to the US in 2016 after graduating from middle school. My parents sent me to stay with a family friend whose family lives in Lexington, Kentucky, while I attended high school. Initially, it was a definite culture change for me, but through learning new things and engaging in conversations with my classmates, I was able to adapt to the new environment fairly well.
I will start my graduate studies in Computer Science & Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, where I completed my undergraduate degree. I'm thrilled to be back in California, which was the first place I visited during a school trip. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to further my education in graduate school.
When I'm not writing code, I love exploring Santa Cruz with my camera. You can spot me wandering around, capturing moments that catch my eye. Check out some of my photos on the Photos page.