Your Average College Geek – An Interview With a Software Engineer in The Making – by Halleluia
Thank you to our GeekGirlCon intern, high school student Halleluia for the following blog post:
We always hear stories about the athlete or the musician highlighting the defining moments in their lives that shaped their journeys and who they are. Today I will be interviewing someone who proudly identifies as a geek: my cousin, Helina Yohannes. We will be learning more about her geeky interests, what makes her consider herself a geek, what she thinks of the word geek, how it has changed over the years, some advice she has for today’s geeks and her younger self, and how embracing her geeky passions has influenced her life for the better.
What do You Geek Out About?
“Cars. I have always liked how they looked and have been interested in how they are built and how they work and how they are each programmed differently,” Helina says. “It was the one thing that brought me and my dad together when I was a kid. Something we could bond over. He actually taught me everything I knew about cars, which led to a deep love for them and how they are programmed,” She continues with a smile on her face. “I also geek out about music. I always found it to be interesting how different melodies, chord progressions, and production can make you feel a plethora of emotions. It is just so interesting how much of a moving experience it is.” Helina enjoys a lot of different genres of music and can tell you who produced a song based off of the melody alone. “I think it is so amazing how music can bring so many different people together and connect with one another. I love how you can always feel seen and understood and it is such a great tool to express yourself.”
This is a Porsche 911, one of Helina’s favorite cars. She says if she could she would definitely want this car to be her first one she buys by herself.
In What Ways Do You Consider Yourself a Geek?
“I tend to take interest in the randomest things. For example, music! I have a different attachment to it, like I internalize it a lot more than other people do and I tend to dive into the production and the lyrics. I feel like I get more excited about these things more than a regular music listener would.” Her love of music and music production led her to spend a lot of her free time producing music. She gets inspiration from artists like Adele and Charlie Puth.
This is the Weeknd, Helina’s favorite artist. He is also another artist she gets inspiration from all the time.
How Do You Define “Geek”?
“To me, I would define a ‘geek’ as someone who is very passionate about a certain topic or subject. Someone who could completely dive into a topic, try to collect all the knowledge they can, and be able to talk about it for hours. We are enthusiasts about our certain area of focus,” Helina explains.
How Do You Think The Term “Geek” Has Changed Over the Years?
“ I feel like at some point as the internet and social media grew and became more and more of a thing, the word geek was used as a more derogatory term against people that were interested in some things that not many people were into,” Yohannes thinks. “And, since it was the norm to be the same as everyone else, everyone that was different was made fun of for being that way. So, the word geek, instead of just describing people who have particular interests and are very passionate about them, was used to alienate those same people who are eager to talk about their interests. But, now as we evolve and grow into a more conscious society, the word geek is slowly finding its way back to the meaning it was meant to have and has become more of a compliment than an insult like it was before,” Helina says she is proud to be considered a geek though and is glad that the word has been brought back to its original meaning.
Do You Have Any Advice For Today’s Geeks?
“I think my only advice for today’s geeks would be there is nothing to be ashamed about when being called a geek, or geeking out about certain interests of yours like cars, music, art history etc. Be who you are because it’ll also help others be who they really are too,” Helina advises.
If You Could Give Your Younger Self Any Advice, What Would It Be?
“I think I would say the same thing I said for today’s geeks, to own it and own who you are. Growing up I felt like I was ashamed of my interests and would hide it from others for the longest time because I just didn’t think they were cool. So, I would tell my younger self to just own it. Believe it or not those interests make you more interesting than everyone else and that ended up being the reason a lot of people wanted to be your friend.”
How Has Embracing Your Geeky Passions Influenced You and Your Major?
“Being able to embrace my passions for cars and how they work and music and how it is produced led me to want to major in computer science in college,” Helina gushes about what she chose as her major. “ Once I was able to finally be true to myself and attend clubs like Robotics, I felt like I was closer to finding what I truly wanted to do in college. Taking my first computer engineering class made me realize I found something that I would truly enjoy doing for the rest of my career.”
Robotics is a club that Helina joined later on in high school. Her robotics club was one of the reasons she realized she enjoyed computer science.
Overall
Helina had a lot to say when it came to being a geek, her opinions on the word, and how being a geek helped shape who she has become. But, overall we really got to hear how proud she is to be considered a geek and how grateful she is to finally be true to herself and her geeky passions. Without those passions and without her confidence in those passions, she wouldn’t have met and bonded with the people she knows today and she wouldn’t have found her true passion that she will be pursuing for the rest of her life. Thank you Helina!
