import allBlack from "../../img/IMG_3095.webp";
import style from "../../img/2026-04-07-20-45-39-165.webp";
import savvy from "../../img/2026-04-07-20-44-35-818.webp";
import {ReactComponent as Nextcloud} from "../../img/Nextcloud Logo Vector.svg";
import {ReactComponent as K8s} from "../../img/Kubernetes Logo Vector.svg";

# My high school experience

<img className="thumbnail" src={allBlack} width={400} alt="turtleneck thumbnail"/>

My first coding experience was in middle school playing Code Combat.
You could say Python is the first language I learned, not particularly uncommon.
That was probably the most fun I ever had in a middle school classroom.
I was way ahead of class and even played in my free time.

## High School Extracurriculars

The first time I competed in my software engineering skills was FBLA. I did the Computer Programming event, which
required us to setup a spreadsheet app that could record data and export into various formats. Funny thing is that
my dad pulled an all-nighter to finish it. It was written in C# and using Windows Forms for desktop support.

I didn't do well in the event but was inspired to fix it based on the rubric they provided. This is where I learned C#
and also their web support. [GitHub repo here](https://github.com/tymur999/CommunityServiceDBTracker).
After C#, I learned React to grind and spam hackathons with my friends. Our stack included React or Next.js, Firebase, with
Typescript. [My Devpost](https://devpost.com/tymur999) hosts all my hackathon projects, which include:
- [DormUp](https://devpost.com/software/dormup) - roommate finder app
- [ExamIn](https://devpost.com/software/examin) - Quizlet x APClassroom
- [Mura](https://devpost.com/software/mura) - YouTube spin-off for learning
- [RecycleBot](https://devpost.com/software/recyclebot-zmr3tx) - my first solo project

Not to flex, but every submission after my first hackathon has won some award.
Nonetheless, hackathons helped us get comfortable with React in a short time limit.
But of course, I like to be different, so this is my take on an abstract design.
I'm proud of not using Bootstrap, that's so 2015.
## Programming Hobby

<div className="row">
    <Nextcloud/>
    <K8s/>
</div>

I began to experiment with Ubuntu on an old computer, and I enjoyed its ease of use and up-to-date repositories.
I've been daily-driving Linux distros since 5 years ago. I decided to self-host all my applications
through Kubernetes and Docker. I made a goal for myself to remove Big Brother companies from my stack,
so replace Google Drive with Nextcloud, etc. My life goal is to be independent, and that extends to my data.

Additionally, I did a startup in high school with my friends called [Kiwoon Learning](https://kiwoonlearning.web.app/). The goal was to educate
high school students on investing and financial independence. I worked on the backend and a bit of the frontend.
No longer was it a side personal project, [Kiwoon](https://kiwoonlearning.web.app/) taught me how to develop an application for a hundred or so real users.

## The Graduation

<div className="row">
    <img src={style} width={500} alt="style superlative"/>
    <img src={savvy} width={500} alt="tech savvy superlative"/>
</div>

On my graduation, I won the senior superlatives for best style and most tech savvy.
I took the pictures with my friend Rahil who also won most tech savvy.
We decided to duo the tech-savvy, and for best style, he took my picture outside some pines.
In fact, I think the animation on the TV is my old personal website.

I also won the Visionary Scholarship, which boosted my confidence in my creative abilities.
It really taught me to trust my intuition, like nothing else.
While men tend to be logical, I like to feel my way through everything and listen to my gut.

I applied to various schools, around 21+. I had some issues because I maxed out CommonApp, so I applied to some
schools directly on their websites. Unfortunately, I didn't get into University Of Illinois for CS+Math.
That's wild since I got into Georgia Tech out-of-state but the state school denied me.
The Princeton interview stressed me out, but I was deferred and then rejected, which I still treat as an accomplishment.

My top two choices were Michigan State and Georgia Tech, mostly because MSU was so cheap.
I chose Georgia Tech at the end because a Georgia Tech degree just looks too good to pass up.