About me
Hello! My name is Carolina, I'm a 6-3 and an 18 sophomore. I have a great passion for Theoretical Computer Science: ever since I'm 11 I like solving problems related to algorithms, data structures and combinatorics in general. I grew up admiring lots of what I call "MIT celebrities", and I still get shocked every time one of them passes me in the hallway. So far, I got the courage to take one picture, but I'm still slowly building the confidence to take pictures with the others so I can make my friends from back home jealous.
Needless to say, I never expected to be studying at MIT. I still can't believe it sometimes. However, I am here, and taking as many course 6 classes that are joint with 18 ("eighteen-point-four-something") possible. Why am I taking 6.1040?, you may ask. Seems like a great skill and a way to challenge myself. Imagine me creating great designs! Crazy.
FAQ
What's my full name?Long answer
My full name is Carolina Moura Valle Costa. Yes, I have three last names, which confuses most people ("Moura" is not a middle name... my mom thought a middle name would leave my name too big). They all come from Western Europe: "Moura" comes from "mouros", which means "moors" in Portuguese; "Valle" isn't pronounced like in Spanish, because it comes from the Italian word for "valley"; and "Costa" is just an Italian name that has become very common in France, Spain and Portugal. For some reason, "Costa" means "rib".Where am I from?
Long answer
I have three citizenships — I was first Mexican, then Brazilian, and then Italian. Two of my grandparents are Italian, one is Portuguese and one is French. But, despite having roots in all of those countries, I consider myself to be entirely Brazilian.Why do I study Computer Science?
Long answer
Ideally, I would study Math. However, I want to see the things I think about actually making a change. Computer Science seems close enough to Mathematics while still making me feel relevant in the world.Will I sell myself to quant?