Technology, meet people

Every spring and fall, we profile just a few of our amazing graduates in our convocation handout. We proudly feature these stories here on Dal News. Congrats to all our new graduates!

Sara Maldonado believes that “the degree and title that you graduate with doesn’t necessarily have to define you.” Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Maldonado spent her four years in Dalhousie’s informatics program exploring a variety of paths and innovative projects in order to graduate with a wide breadth of knowledge and skills.

Maldonado is responsible for the Dalhousie Faculty of Computer Science Free School initiative, where students can volunteer to teach classes so that other students or community members can learn about non-curriculum computer science subjects. “There have even been some professors that come to listen to the students teach,” she says.

She has also been an active member of the Dalhousie Women in Technology Society (WiTS) since 2008. She feels it is important not only to support women enrolled in computer science programs, but to encourage young women in high school to consider computer science and informatics as degree options.

In addition to her volunteer work, Maldonado was a participant in the Faculty of Computer Science App Challenge in 2012 and 2013. Her team’s submission at this year’s challenge was an interactive app that allows users to show their opinions graphically and create an artistic visualization of people’s thoughts and opinions. She hopes this app is a starting point for her pursuits in artistic technology.

After graduation, Maldonado plans to pursue a career in an emerging computer science niche, where the theories and practicalities of arts and technology are merged. “You can use technology for capturing people’s reactions and emotions. It’s a way to express things through a different medium,” she says.

Maldonado, who plans to stay in Halifax, says her time at Dalhousie has helped her realize her passions. “I feel I have grown to the point where I am comfortable with where I want to go.”