Dat Nguyen

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a front end developer in Vietnam. I work at home and joined Topcoder full time.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I haven’t found any best part of living through COVID-19. The worst part is having to go outside with the mask.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Most looking forward to the award of TCO finals.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Join a lot of challenges to practice your skills.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I used to not sleep for two days to finish one challenge.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

My hobbies are traveling, watching movies, swimming and listening to music.

Jiang Liwu

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, my name is jiangliwu, this is also my Topcoder handle. I am a full-time developer on Topcoder and I am happy to participate in TCO 2020.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I am in China, I have passed the most difficult period, everything is fine now. The only bad thing is that this prevented in-person TCO 2020.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

That it will be as fair as offline TCO.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Hard work and persistence is the only way.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

My poor English level.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Topcoder helped me to become a freelancer. I can work carefree at home without worrying about pressure from my superiors. This makes my life very easy.

Yue Jiang

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a father of three boys and have been working as a programmer for thirteen years. My English is not good. I am not shy, if I speak my mother tongue.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is I spent about two months, almost full time, competing in TC challenges. The worst part is that I worry that other people will hate the Chinese. I feel guilty, but I can’t help.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I am not a competitive person, I hope to make more friends.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Try to gain extensive knowledge, not limited to programming.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am a lifelong learner.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Currently, my life revolves around my three children, wife and work, and I don’t have much time alone. I love programming. Sometimes I am happy to buy cheap things, although I am not poor.

Alexander Volkov

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a programmer since I was in school. Currently I’m an iOS developer. I like reading books and sports.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I didn’t see my friends for a few months.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

That Dev platform for the finals will work without issues. Virtual Finals is a good chance to prepare it as never before.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Don’t think about a trip. If you are good, it will find you by itself.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m trying to learn Spanish and cannot stop playing Battlefield every autumn.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

To be better than I was yesterday or at least the year before.

Jianchang Shen

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I like to listen to music and drink coffee.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The worst part is that at the start of this year, we had to stay home for more than twenty days, and only one family member could go outside per day.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

See more new members.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Try to do your best.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I ususally run and walk when I am free.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Playing with my kid.

Xxcxy Zhu

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a software engineer.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Worst part is health codes are needed everywhere.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Competition.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Choose small, simple tasks to try.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m a man.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Adventure.

Victor Roberto Gomes da Cunha

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a father and a Control Engineer. I graduated in Brazil and I studied for one year in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as an exchange student. I mainly work on Industrial Automation with emphasis in Process Control and Oil & Gas. I started programming when I was eleven. I don’t remember doing any formal course on programming other than two or three general classes in college. I love math/mechanics/machines but programming is a strong skill to have that many people lack in my area of expertise.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is to be able to do different activities with my free time due to working at home. I usually use this time to exercise myself or to work at TopCoder (as there is nothing to do out there yet, due to the pandemic).

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I’m looking forward to getting to know other Topcoder members, understanding how they use their time during a challenge, and how they work on it. Of course, getting to know sponsors and possible clients is desirable.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Read the challenge specs carefully, learn from the copilot’s comments, and compete frequently.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

My daughter! And I spend quite some time contemplating nature while traveling.

Jerrish Issac Varghese

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve been in Topcoder for fifteen years, I am currently working on TaaS and I still have that love for TC!

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I’ve got a lot of time to learn new things, however, I’m missing my fun trips with family and friends.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

This is the first time I’m going to attend a virtual event. Looking forward to that.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Believe me, its one of the easiest things you can do in your life!

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I was a zonal cricket player.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

There are many things, but I think I am still most passionate about coding. I may do it for 8 - 10 hours to develop something in a single shot.

Harish Chennupati

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a self-taught developer who loves to write code. I love to work for Topcoder because of the freedom I get and I am trying to improve my skills every day by working for Topcoder.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The pandemic has not affected my living. I’m hoping the situation all over the world will be back to normal soon. Anyway, I’m still working remotely for Topcoder, and I have been getting used to it and like the style as always. So it does not make much difference for me even if it is a pandemic.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Actually, I thought I would meet everyone in-person in TCO20 finals. But, due to the pandemic the event is happening virtually so I am looking forward to meeting them next year.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

I think one needs to work hard and smart.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I have not entered into the professional world because I am about to graduate from my school next year. So, I am trying to be more professional in my work and life.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I’m passionate about self-development and self-improvement in my personal life. I’m always looking to challenge myself and learn new things.

Fatih Taş

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

After getting my computer engineering degree in 2018, I’ve started competing regularly on Topcoder. I mostly participate in Node.js, React and Python challenges.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Since I can’t travel any more, I have much more time to work, practice and learn.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Experiencing TCO without jet lag.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

After each challenge you participate in, check other submissions and look for what they have done differently. That will help you to learn different approaches to the problem and the best practices to implement the solution. Then use those to make a better submission next time, and the most important part, repeat this as much as you can.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I love peanuts 🥜

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Learning new things.

Qingyuan Chen

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a middle-aged coder, and have had a busy life recently, thouth it’s great to participate in this historic event.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

We have it under control now in our country.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I would like to see all my friends from the community online.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep learning, keep fighting.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I got a new job now and may have not much time to spend with our community.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Coding and online gaming.

Dilip Kumar Thapa

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

No answer.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Best: Spending more time with family, eating healthy food, I changed to a morning person, and I’ve been more productive on work. Worst: Missing outside food and hanging out, some plans failed :-)

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I hope to see the members who were not able to participate in the previous competition due to Visa or other reasons competing in the virtual TCO.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep learning from each challenge out there.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I was good at basketball and chess.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Listening to music, making something (be it furniture, food, growing/planting trees or software) I just love the process of doing these things.

Xxcxy Zhu

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a software engineer.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Worst part is health codes are needed everywhere.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Competition.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Choose small, simple tasks to try.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m a man.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Adventure.

Abelardo Hermann

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a frontend developer, but I like technology. I built a smart home with a home assistant and raspberry pi 4.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

We must keep at home and we are short of masks but my family are all healthy.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

T-shirts!

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

N/A

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am also a newcomer to play fpv which is a quadrotor.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Sky driving from 4000 feet.

Catalin Tiseau

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Catalin Tiseanu, and I’m originally from Romania. I’ve been living in the US since 2017, working in AI. I qualified for the Marathon final three times before, 2015-2017. I’m really excited to be competing again this year, finals are always an intense and memorable event for me!

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I want to first address the unprecedented toll this pandemic had on people all over the world, including my family, so ‘best part’ feels a bit of a misnomer :) I liked the flexibility I had since I started WFH in terms of how I spend my time during the workweek. I also believe remote is here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides. Being socially isolated for so long, as well as the added uncertainty of how the world will deal with this pandemic were some of the low points.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Competing in the Marathon final and trying to become champion, of course! :)

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Pick a track you are passionate about competing in, without regard to whether you qualify for the TCO final or not. This way if you do qualify to the final, it will feel more like a bonus than the main thing! This is how it started out for me with marathon matches, back in 2014. Separately, read as many forum posts as possible to level up - in the Marathon track we have the immensely useful ‘Post your approach’ posts, which helped me a ton when I first started out.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I would love to spend a few months living in a beach house in a windy, tropical place, working remotely and kitesurfing.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I’ve always been passionate about hard, intense experiences which make you feel present in the moment, such as competitive programming or sports like kitesurfing or snowboarding. More recently I’ve been working on bringing that presence and passion to other aspects of my life, such as enjoying time with friends, food, and traveling, to name a few :)

Dmytroo Kozhevin

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Dmytro, I’m a software engineer at Google. This is the second time I’ve gotten to TCO Marathon finals, which I’m pretty happy about. In my spare time I like to solve interesting problems, e.g. Topcoder Marathons :).

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Working from home is both high and low: it’s nice to save time on a commute, but it’s much harder to get into the right state of the mind to be productive.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I’m looking forward to an interesting problem and good competition in solving it.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Just practice and compete, the more, the better.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I can teach you to play about a hundred different board games.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I like learning and experiencing new things.

Hironao Tsutsumida

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I do not know.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I think it’s too early to say anything about COVID-19.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

A good problem.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Participate in the contests on a regular basis.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am wondering when to go to the dentist’s regular checkup.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Don’t be passionate about a particular thing.

Aleksandr Milanin

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in USA and work at Microsoft.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I wasn’t able to visit my hometown this year.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

One-week marathon competition.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Wait until when pandemic is over.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I have had a real Christmas tree in my room since 2018.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Playing soccer with friends.

Nicholas Jimsheleishvili

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve been a competitive programmer since 2002, discovered Topcoder in 2005 and have attended lots of TCO finals since.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The worst part is not being able to attend the international events I had planned this year.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I’d at least like the competition itself to be better than it was last year.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Just keep doing what you love doing and sooner or later you will win the trip.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’ve been teaching algorithms courses to high school and university students. I quit this year to spend some time traveling but then the travel became impossible.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Currently I’m passionate about our football team finally reaching major competition.

Przemyslaw Debiak

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Psyho and it’s currently very late here. I’m just trying to quickly finish this questionnaire as fast as possible so I can go to sleep.¯\(°_o)/¯

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I’ve got a ton of free time to create cool things and no motivation to do so.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Not being stuck for two hours at US customs.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Git Gud ¯\(°_o)/¯

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m a nice person.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Right now it’s losing all of the kilograms that I have gained during quarantine :(

Benjamin Butin

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

When I am not competing for Topcoder or working (I am a roboticist working for Nvidia, which I also enjoy quite a bit), I like practicing any kind of sport (but mostly tennis and basketball ;))

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

It has been tough: - limited sport activity (just when I was getting my tennis game back!), cancellation of all my trips (Europe / Taiwan), wedding canceled for friends/family, working space at home definitely not as comfortable as my office space, and now TCO is announced to be virtual…

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Honestly? Not much anymore. I was very thrilled to qualify a second time to the finals and meet again some of the finalists from last year. Now it will be virtual (which was totally predictable and was the right decision from TC given the situation), there is no real difference between the final and any other of the qualification events. So I will be happy to participate because I usually enjoy most of the problems, but I would be lying to say I am not disappointed at the situation. Once again, it was the only possible decision, but still very disappointed. Hopefully I can qualify for TCO 21, but so far it’s not looking great =)

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

I would recommend them to pick a year which does not include a global pandemic, they might be disappointed…

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I have completed an Ironman! It was back in 2017. I, for sure, would not be able to do it again right now, especially with Covid19. I lost all my training in running/biking/swimming… But it was a pretty nice challenge I gave to myself that I am proud of, so why not brag about it here?

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Tough question, I prefer to keep that for myself (like that if I qualify again in the future I will have another answer to: “Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you” ;)

Nobuaki Tanaka

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a software engineer who is good at keeping on doing something.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

All of the marathon races I planned to participate in have been cancelled.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

More chances to watch the competitions of other tracks.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Make sure you have plenty of time to participate in competitions.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m extremely bad at any exercise other than long-distance running.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Competitive programming.

Gennady Korotkevich

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A happy dual Algorithm & Marathon TCO finalist for the third time!

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is how the online world is developing (big events like TCO going online, university classes going online, etc.) – which also means that after the pandemic, we’ll have better online coverage of our lives as well.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

The atmosphere and excitement of competition, and meeting all the great folks out there – even though virtually!

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Even though it might seem so, Topcoders are not gods – don’t be afraid! :)

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’ve been to twenty-seven different countries.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Coding, competitions, and coding competitions.

David Vago

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

On weekdays I’m just a software engineer working at a large company famous for their search engine. On weekends I enjoy being outdoors, hiking or skiing depending on the season, with my family and kids. Luckily Switzerland is country suited for all of this.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Stuck at home working with two kids (while they were also stuck at home due to school closures). Actually it’s both a “best” as in spending more time with them, being more part of their daily routine and it’s also a “worst” as focusing on work is much harder with them being around.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Of course the marathon match in which I’ll be competing.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Never give up! I started competing on Topcoder fifteen years ago. I was there at the very first marathon match and this is the first time I managed to get to the finals.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I can whistle pretty loud by holding a piece of grass between my thumbs and blowing through it.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Being outdoors in nice weather. I really hate when it’s warm and sunny outside and I need to sit at my desk and work. No surprise that I qualified in the Oct - Dec stage.

Wladimir Leite

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a long time Topcoder member who loves to compete.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Spending more time with my wife and kids was definitely the best part.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Competing! And virtually meeting other TC members.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Participate in different types of contests organized by Topcoder, and then pick the ones you liked most. Keep practicing, learning and competing.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

Once I drove the Popemobile.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

My wife and kids!

Nuwan Gunarathne

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My Name is Nuwan. The main track I am competing on is ‘QA’ (Quality assurance). This is the second TCO for me, I participated in TCO19 in Houston, TX. I was thrilled when I heard that I got selected to compete on the QA Track. I am still new to this track, but I’m looking forward to it. Also, I am very excited to see all the members, especially the members of the QA track that I have competed with.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is all my family members are now at home so we have more family time. The worst part is we can’t travel.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Last year there was a very good and challenging competition and I am looking forward to doing better this time.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Don’t give up. Focus, learn and compete.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I love traveling.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I am passionate about software, computers, and technology. I have been fascinated by these technologies from a young age, and that’s one of the reasons I pursued a career in the software engineering field.

Shreeya Sean

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Shreeya, passionate about traveling and visiting places. I am a social person with good PR with everyone around. I am emotional and culturally rich. I believe in things and get carried away easily.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Change in lifestyle, adoption of the new normal and having family time are some good aspects. The worst part is the increasing count of infected people and how they are faring is making me crazy.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Well this is my first time in TCO, so I’m just hoping it will be a fulfilling one and I am excited that I am going to be part of this big community.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Give 100%, and keep on trying, you will be there one day.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

Well, I am a mother of two kids.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Traveling and exploring places.

Abhinav Koppula

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

IT Professional with experience in working at many startups. Easy going person. A foodie. Love traveling and going on treks.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Best part - No longer face the horrible traffic of my city, Bangalore. Worst part - Half of my day is spent in dishwashing nowadays.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Virtual Games.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

As long as you are having fun competing at Topcoder, all the good things will follow - prizes, recognition and a trip to TCO.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Squash right now. Love playing this game.

Payal Gupta

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a communication teacher and work part time in Topcoder.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best is winning TCO 20 and worst is not being able to go to US.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Meeting other participants and learning from them.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

To give it your best and grab this wonderful opportunity in Topcoder challenges.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I love traveling.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Giving back to society.

Satish Kanteti

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a SAP technical consultant and work for QA tracks at Topcoder.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

COVID-19 pandemic has its impact on my life too. I never dreamt of days like these. In the beginning of April, I was a bit hesitant to even go out and get groceries. I lost the opportunity to meet people, but on the other hand, it has given me opportunity to stay with family a lot.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Meeting the QA team members and being part of the exciting QA finals at Topcoder.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Participate in the challenges more often and win the TCO points. Every contribution helps.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

No answer.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

No answer.

Sharathkumar Anbu

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I hail from India. I would like to tag myself as a travel freak. I love to travel and work together.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I love to travel very often but due to COVID-19 we were locked up in home for long time. I hate that.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Virtual events are not as exciting as physical events but I am waiting to connect with members all over the world.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep trying, you will reach the target soon.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am a credit card freak. I love getting credit cards from all banks. I have fourteen credit cards from different banks in India.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I am passionate about social service, teaching, travel and minting rewards from credit cards.

Subham Bhatta

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

No answer.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Worst part: It’s a long break and just the same news everyday, new cases detected and the number of lives lost. Very chaotic and unsecured. Best part for me is- I’m back in my hometown with my family where I grew up.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Parade of Finalists.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Miss nothing in forums and try avoiding duplication.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

No answer.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Going for a long bike ride alone.

Varun Aggarwal

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a QA professional, I love playing table tennis and Snooker, I like to socialize and travel as much as I can and I love exploring different types of food.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I am a social guy so there was nothing good for me in this pandemic. It was so boring staying at home all the time.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Waiting to see how the whole program will go for one week virtually.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Just participate in all the competitions related to your skills and do your best.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I love to cook and learn something new every day.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Starting my own restaurant chain.

Muhammad Arifin Siregar

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Management. I had worked in several fields and positions, from lecturer assistant to development instructor, to programmer, to accessor, to product designer. I decided to step out of my comfort zone about three years ago. I’m now a full-time design competitor. I have been involved in some of the freelancing models at Topcoder, from the competition track, to direct task, to the legacy TaaS model. I’m eager to try the new one, Gig Work.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Instead of elaborating on the worst part, I prefer to share the bright side. I have more time with my family, more time to introspect, more time to learn, approach faith, and more time to compete :). I’m glad to feel and see less pollution, more blue skies, and clearly visible mountains. There will certainly be wisdom behind all this.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Connecting with the TCO finalists (virtually) and experiencing the new (virtual) format and atmosphere and getting a (real) trophy!

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep trying, keep learning, and keep competing. Did you notice how many attempts were performed by Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb? 1K attempts. Have you reached that number? If no, keep trying!

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I learned to code in Junior High School using WordStar platform and I have been learning design since Photoshop launched its version 6.0/7.0.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Anything related to design.

Teeraporn Sriponpak

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a UI/UX designer, a father of two girls and I’ve been with Topcoder for ten years.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

It’s actually the same for the way I work, but I’ve been closer to and had more time with the family.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Well, If I say something else but winning the tournament, that would be a lie.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep submitting and learning.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m good at cooking.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

At this point I would say competitive activities, Topcodering & gaming.

Mohammad Iqbal

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was a mobile developer before knowing about Topcoder. I participated in the Topcoder design bootcamp last year, where I received education on how to become a UI / UX Designer. At this time I finally decided to change my profession to become a UI / UX Designer.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

This pandemic happened when I was newly married. Besides having to live a new life with my wife, I also have to experience a new normal in my activities. There are so many adaptations that I have to do this year :D.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

The opportunity to meet and compete with the world’s best digital talents.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Get to know your skills and focus on the contest that matches the skills you have.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am an archery athlete and cat lover.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Seeing an idea turned from a concept/design into a product that can be used by many people.

Satya Gumilang

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Just an ordinary guy.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Losing a job.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Prizes.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Try harder.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

N/A.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

N/A.

Panji Kharisma

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I am kharm. (Just a little innit?)

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Lower traffic in the early days.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

The results announcement.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Focus on one challenge at a time. If you can’t beat them with your sole focus, imagine trying to beat them with unfocused effort.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I passed my driving test on the eighth attempt.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Heaven… Crafting heaven on earth.

Loizing Singha

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi, I am a designer by heart and by profession. I like solving problems through creativity and design. I have been competing on Topcoder for more than a year and I consider myself lucky to be qualifying for the TCO finals again for the second time.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is I have learned what matters the most in life, and the worst part is of course the TCO being virtual and all my plans of exploring the world going to trash.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Meeting the pro designers and seeing what they are up to. Also hopefully beating them and winning the cup :P (a herculean task no doubt).

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Never go for the shortcut.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am a very slow learner.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

To be a driving force in the advancement of the human civilisation in whatever way possible.

Rajesh Rathod

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Iam Rajesh Rathod from Bangalore, India. I work as a product designer at an enterprise company. I started off my career as a developer but due to Topcoder I learned design and made a career transition. I am married and settled with my wife at our beautiful home in Bangalore. I am a big fan of Prem Rawat, who is an international ambassador of peace. I enjoy competing at Topcoder and enjoy watching football, especially when Ronaldo is playing. I recently enjoyed the champions league matches. I am a huge Breaking Bad fan and enjoy comedy, drama, action in television, photography, music and nature documentaries.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Well, I could compete more often in TC as I save a lot of time in my commute 😉 But it’s sad to see so many people dying 😢 I hope we all can learn from this and bring some humanity back in ourselves. We need to help each other in this tough time. A little love and respect is all we need.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Interacting with other designers, admins and the challenge itself.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep pushing ;)

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I have watched the television series Breaking Bad 6 times already ;)

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Prem Rawat and his message of peace.

Ravi Kumar

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I design, travel and make beautiful memories. And I try my very best to live slow.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is that I got a chance to spend more time with my family. But I also miss traveling so much.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

To meet Topcoder friends virtually!

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Take it easy. Imagine that it’s just another challenge that you’ve been competing on Topcoder till date. The more pressure you put on yourself, the harder it gets when you compete live.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am directionally challenged. I get lost in every single city/country that I visit. Including my own city!

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Health, fitness and travel.

Surya Prakash

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m starck, a Computer Science Engineer by profession and UX Designer by passion based in North India.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Best Part : I can work from home 24x7. Worst Part : I’ve got to work from home 24x7 :P

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

The intense competition between the best twelve designers of 2020.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Always focus on learning from mistakes, and keep submitting.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m super introverted, lol.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Exploring and learning/trying new technology.

Raymar Lobaton

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi all, I’m a freelance designer and full time Topcoder since 2015. I have not had a day job for ten years, no one want’s to employ me, I’m starting to think i’m unemployable.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Best part: family members are working at home. Worst part: PSEi is down 20%.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

My slow internet connection. 60kbps down speed, lucky me.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

The hard part in Topcoder design track is arranging your files. Once you know how to place those files, attributions, etc., any designer who is decent in photoshop/sketch/figma etc. with UI design can win a trip to TCO. TTS is one of the best tools around.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m a former alcoholic. Five years sober and my longest client at the present is a brewing company. Yep Yep.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.

Yoki Tyas Riesmana

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hmm… I’m a designer who wants to solve the problem.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I can’t meet my friends and family in person.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Becoming a TCO Champion.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep trying.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m forty years old.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Designing a product or solution that makes the world become a better place.

Fajar Maulana Harahap

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Fajar Maulana Harahap and I live in Medan. I am currently working as a freelance UI/UX Designer, Topcoder Design Copilot, and also a Creative Director for a local 2D animation studio. I love to cook and learn new things.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part: none. The worst part: losing a job.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Watching The UI and Code track final.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Keep trying and don’t stop, you will get there eventually!

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I become a TedX Speaker and also won two dancing competitions.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Learning and seeing new things.

Viktoria Pere

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a passionate designer and a design copilot at Topcoder. I am a lifelong learner and most importantly the mother of a teenager.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The worst part was/is to deal with uncertainty and the grief for our lost “normal” life. I am extremely thankful to the community for helping me keep my sanity during this period. The best part was that my daughter could really benefit from online schooling by learning about the tools, time management and discipline. She really nailed it!

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

This year I am not competing, so I am looking forward to joining the Hopin sessions and distracting the ones who do :-) Just joking. Even though these online events are not the same as getting together in person and having fun, they are pretty enjoyable. Do not miss adroc’s competing playlist with songs that put extra pressure on those poor members :-)

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

My best - but not necessarily health conscious - advice is to work on as many challenges as they can, as even if they are not beginners in design (or coding) they have to get used to the dynamics on Topcoder, for instance how to read checkpoint feedback or how to prevent failing screening.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I like music, and I like to listen to music - pretty loud - while driving or walking down the street. In the car it is not that crazy if you also sing along, but when you walk… so probably I am the only person who enjoys wearing that mask due to COVID, so I can sing and no one can see :-)

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Learning, problem solving, optimising, perfection (that doesn’t exist)… things along this line.

Honghao Wang

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Honghao Wang, known as billsedison at Topcoder. I’m from China. I’m a full-time game developer, and I’m also active and experiencing different roles such as working as a competitor, reviewer, copilot and MVP at Topcoder.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is we have been back to normal in China. I hope the entire world will be back to normal soon as well. The worst part was the experience of forced quarantine for four weeks. At that time it felt like I was in jail and I was so longing for freedom. But I totally understood this was a must to stop the spreading of the pandemic.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

This is unprecedented - a virtual TCO. I’m really curious about how it will go. I’m a copilot trip winner, I cannot attend any final competitions. But I’m looking forward to witnessing the first-ever TCO finals. And I assume we will have the most attendees ever as everyone can join without the limits of physical distance. It will also be exciting that we will have a totally new experience at the virtual TCO. But I’m still missing the onsite TCO, visiting the USA and meeting everyone in person.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Work hard and be dedicated on all the TCO-eligible challenges at a specific stage. Even if you don’t win, you will definitely learn a lot from the responses of the reviewers and the winning submission. Then, the next time you will have a higher probability of winning and finally you will have a chance to win a trip to TCO.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

A baby billsedison photograph will be posted on Topcoder nation. :)

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Learning new technical skills! Computer science is amazing, there are endless technical skills to learn. I can build interesting stuff with the skills I’m learning. For example, I have set up the IoT system at my new apartment and I can control the lights, TVs, Air conditioners, and many other household appliances by voice, mobile apps, or even gestures. I can even control my air conditioner when I’m at my office. I have a smart home and it’s not expensive. It’s thanks to the Raspberry pi, Home Assistant and Tmall genie.

Justin Gasper

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Long-term member, currently copiloting from my house in Australia.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is already being prepared to work from home so there was no struggle to transition. Worst part is not being able to leave Australia and visit my nieces and nephews in the US this year.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I’m interested to see how things go and potentially getting an even wider audience since it will be virtual.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Work hard and often.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

The last few years I’ve been training for and running marathons. I’m currently training for the Cadbury marathon in Tasmania in January, if it’s allowed to go ahead.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

No one thing - just trying to live life to its fullest.

Sergey Pogoodin

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have been an active Topcoder member for the last four years, presumably quite known to the community already because of being TCO17 Dev Champ, a member of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) group, and a happy participant of any interesting gig I am invited to. I grew up in Russia, got my formal education in Theoretical Physics, then moved to Spain and got a PhD in Chemical Engineering. I spent four years working in academic research, doing mathematical modelling and computer simulations of chemical reactions. I dreamed about landing a higher paying job in the R&D industry, potentially in Software Engineering, because the public research system is underpaid and quite broken. It did not work out for me due to the lack of communication skills and basic software engineering experience. The best I did was an on-site interview with Google, who rejected me, but also told me about Topcoder in their interview-preparation materials. Luckily, there is no entry interview at Topcoder, thus I could go straight to delivering on the promise of high self-motivation and readiness to explore and learn the new stuff. After a rapid self-educational crash-dive into web development, in a few months I was winning enough development challenges to quit my job in academia and become a full-time Topcoder competitor. Later I started getting, and accepting whenever I was interested and available, offers to act in a copilot (technical manager) role. Today, I am pretty happy how the last four years played out for me, and excited to win a chance to compete in the Topcoder Open Development finals again.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The COVID experience for me was solitary confinement without a crime committed. To be honest, it did not have any really bad material impact on me, nor my relatives or friends. But, as Spain decided to introduce a general population lockdown (which, personally, I don’t consider a good idea), I had to spend a few months in complete isolation because I live alone, without even the chance to see a few friends I have in the town I live in. Still to the present day it is a pretty lonesome experience, as with the social distancing rules it is quite impossible to meet new people. Especially since I am an outsider in a country with no relatives or friends able to visit me, nor can I go anywhere, nor are there any cultural or other activities I usually enjoy. COVID totally broke my way of life, except for remote working which was a regular normal for me. Thus, I filled all my time with work, and that is how, in addition to copiloting, I managed to win a place in the TCO20 Development finals.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I am really curious to see how it plays out. On one hand, it is difficult to be excited about virtual TCO finals. I have visited the last four TCOs and I know how fun and interesting the on-site events are, even when you are just a trip winner and don’t have a chance to compete yourself. On the other hand, I know it is the sad reality for everybody, including the Topcoder team. In the end, as an open community event, 2020 Topcoder Open will be the best it can be considering the current situation. Thus, I really hope it will be a special, fun, and interesting experience for everybody.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

If winning a trip to TCO is your dream, you should pick a single track you are best at and compete in every challenge you have time for. Disclaimer, it might be boring. Lately I find it more fun to do different things in different tracks and roles, but then you have the problem that you did a lot of great stuff but you didn’t sum up enough scores in any particular category to win a placement in the final, nor to win a trip. Luckily, the Topcoder team is aware of that and usually comes up with special opportunities which may give every passionate and active community member a good chance for a trip to the finals.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am still not that comfortable with “core computer science” fundamental skills. If out of nowhere you ask me to implement QuickSort, or invert a binary tree, I probably won’t be able to do it fast without having a look at hints from the internet. Luckily, you can live and do fine with it, and still be an award winning software engineer, even though many will consider you poorly qualified.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I am a person who regularly gets bored with stuff which I felt passionate about yesterday. For the last year and half I was passionate about mastering windsufing, but it feels now I am reaching the ceiling of what can be learned and practiced in the place I live. Maybe the after-COVID boredom also contributes, and it feels like a moment to find a new hobby or make some other change in life. Though, as of now, I have no idea what the next thing to be passionate about in my life will be, and I am curious to figure it out.

Peter Novotny

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a university teacher with three kids.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Best: Home office. Worst: Home office with three kids.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

The gear.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Do not try. Just do your regular TC job.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I can rotate my tongue by 360 degrees.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Competitions.

Jingbo Shang

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

All my T-shirts are in a queue and they come out FIFO every day :)

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Topcoder is always remote :)

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Fun!

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Just enjoy yourself.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I’m good at cooking.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

CS

Deepak Thapa

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a software engineer by profession. I come from Nepal, the country of mesmerizing Himalayas and birthplace of Lord Buddha. My hobby is to inspire young people on the journey from being a student to a professional. I get utmost satisfaction from finding a bug in an application more than any other thing.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The pandemic has given me a chance to look back at life and realize my purpose. I also got to spend more time with my newborn son and my family as well. Luckily, my work was not affected by the pandemic since I am a remote worker. The only thing I miss is not being able to catch up and socialize with my friends and share moments with them.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I think whatever happens, happens for good. So, the online event has its pros. The event this year is going to be virtual so I am very excited and looking forward to the new experience. Moreover, the good thing about this year’s event is that everyone is going to be able to participate and nobody will be left out due to visa issues or any other problem.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Winning a trip to TCO is not rocket science. At the same time, it is not a piece of cake either. I would suggest they focus on the work they are doing and not give up on the dream of winning the trip. Anything is possible at Topcoder.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I was brought up in a family of teachers so I am very passionate about teaching. I do not miss a chance to tutor students whenever I find time. In the future I see myself indulging in teaching students about topics I have knowledge about. Also, I enjoy counseling young people about the career they want to pursue or the degree they want to conquer.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I am extremely passionate about reaching new heights in my line of work. I aspire to be the best in what I do, so that the young people who choose the career that I have chosen look up to me as an inspiration.

Manoj Mandal

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I graduated in computer science engineering, am a software technology specialist, quality assurance in software development and testing.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

It is important to live in the moment without thinking of the past or the future.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Collaboration with all participants, as the timeline is crucial to link worldwide participants at same time.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Consistent participation.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I am a passionate football player.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Self development and self improvement in my personal life.

Zhengbin Dong

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a tester from Guangzhou. I’ve competed a lot in the QA track, but this time I’m a QA copilot trip winner. This will be my sixth TCO trip.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The best part is that I have improved some cooking skills.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Watching algorithm and QA finals.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Compete as much as possible.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I was once a Java developer.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Running and reading.

Alexander Georgiev

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey all! I’m Alex, more commonly known as “espr1t” in the TC community. I was until recently working in a company in the travel sector, and believe me, COVID does not bode well for it! Let’s hope that TCO21 will at least be onsite. On the upside, I know how to pick locks and also how to juggle, so there’s that - I have other options in case things go too bad.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

Having to work from home isn’t the best and not being able to see my colleagues and friends is hard! Also, low morale due to lay-offs in the travel sector :(

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Gennady winning few more first places I guess :)

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Either be very, very good at some of the tracks, or give problems in Algorithm, I guess :D

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

Well, now that you know I can pick locks and juggle, it makes it harder! But let’s say I’ve given the only SRM in which Petr submitted – and failed – all three problems.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Programming, computer games, and as a close third - gold kiwifruit. And, in case my wife is reading, her of course!

Jatin Yadav

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a competitive programmer. I like elegant ideas that are easy to explain but hard to come up with.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

The worst part is not being able to go out.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

Writing some interesting problems for the algorithms finals

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

The easiest way is to prepare problems for SRMs.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

N/A.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

Algorithms.

Lewin Gan

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m currently working as a software engineer in the bay area. In my free time I enjoy playing video games, going on runs, and competitive programming.

What has been the best and/or worst part of living through this COVID-19 pandemic so far?

I like having some more time at home and being more mindful of mental health. I am fortunate that I haven’t had adverse effects.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the virtual TCO Finals?

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone compete and do their best.

What is your best advice for a new Topcoder member trying to win a trip to TCO?

Focus more on enjoying the competition for the sake of competition and solving cool problems.

Tell us one thing we probably don’t know about you.

I really enjoy reading, and have been getting more into sci-fi and fantasy. I’m looking forward for the next book in The Stormlight Archives to come out.

Share what you are most passionate about in life.

I really value my connection with friends, and hope to meet more.