2021 Kathleen Mito Scholarship Recipient

Annie Phan

Hi, my name is Annie Phan. I am currently a 1st year computer science student at UCSD. I hope to work in the tech industry, especially in cybersecurity. I am excited to start my educational journey as well as lay the foundation for my career!

Beginning of high school, I knew that I wanted to pursue further education. However, I was unsure of where to begin because of the high costs of college. At 15, I started working at my local ice rink to save up for college. Multiple times a week, I devoted time after school to head to the rink and teach the ice skating basics. While I had gained more financial independence, I had to learn how to manage time between figure skating, schoolwork, and especially family life.  

Throughout my life, my father has been collecting electronics. With broken computers stacked to the ceiling, my home was constantly cluttered and at one point, my desk was covered, leaving no place to study.

As the years passed, the defunct electronics piled into a suffocating hoard. The solution was eBay. Utilizing this platform, my father and I began repairing these computers. One sale at a time, I transformed my surroundings into a learning opportunity. By refurbishing and reselling electronics, I decluttered my home and regained my personal space. At the same time, I turned my father’s clutter into profit and helped him adopt a new lifestyle. This sparked my interest in computers and the tech field. This experience taught me how to maximize my resources and create new opportunities.  

By the end of high school, I saved enough to cover a considerable portion of college but still needed to figure out how to cover the rest. After the college application process, I searched for scholarships and came across EVOTEK’s scholarship opportunity. I am extremely grateful to be EVOTEK’s 2021 scholarship recipient because it opens up the possibility of attending college. 

This brings me to where I am now. So far, UCSD has been amazing. I am especially excited about meeting new people from various backgrounds and learning more about the world around me. I am curious about what the next four years have in store for me and I hope to push my intellectual limits. My short term goals are to adjust to college life, stay on top of my work, and make new friends. My long term goals are to earn a degree in computer science and eventually work in the tech industry.  

In my free time, I enjoy figure skating and playing violin. I have been a figure skater for over 7 years and skating has been one of my sources of motivation. Besides being a great stress reliever, skating allows me to freely express myself and push my limits. The ice rink community is supportive of my goals and I am sure that I will be involved within a similar community at UCSD.  When I am not skating, I practice violin. From the start, my parents have had a hands-off approach and I independently seek out opportunities to improve my playing. In the past, I have accomplished musical achievements such as playing in a chamber ensemble and performing at Carnegie Hall. Music is an integral part of my life and you can sometimes find me at the Symphony watching performances. I plan to play violin for the rest of my life and I am curious to see the extent of my improvement. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends. We often have picnics, beach days, and movie nights. While my planner is constantly booked with plans, I cherish every moment spent doing what I love.  

As my educational journey progresses, I am curious to see how much I grow intellectually and personally. I hope to look back one day and be fulfilled knowing that I accomplished my goals. Above all, I want to stay curious as a lifelong learner. 

 The Journey