A note from Matthew Ferry - 2007 Scholarship Recipient from WWU
My name is Matthew Ferry. Ever since I was a young lad, I have had an attachment to technology. I wrote my first program in the 8th grade. I loved the idea of being able to create something useful using the resources that were available to me. Since middle school, my excitement for technology has only grown.
I have spent most of my life living in Washington State. I grew up in Issaquah, right next to the mountains. The mountains themselves had nothing to do with my interests in computer science, but they were still there. I took my first computer science class at Issaquah High School. This class brought me closer to understanding what it was like to work in a computer science related field. I later received credit for this course at Western.
Some of my hobbies include athletics, video games, and reading. I believe health and fitness is important to succeed in everyone's life. I like to play games such as Tetris Attack and I enjoy reading non-fiction books that are mostly related to science topics.
I have always liked building things and computer science has offered me an opportunity to explore this interest. I believe construction work and computer science are very similar things. When you construct a building or a road, you are building something using materials. You are building something that people will use. In the same way, when you construct programs in computer science you are building something, but what you are building does not come from material things. Instead, it comes from knowledge and creativity. It was this that inspired me at a young age.
I chose to attend Western Washington University because I found they have a good Computer Science department. My goal at WWU is to obtain a Bachelors degree in Computer Science. I am scheduled to graduate with honors at the end of my fourth year attending Western. I am still undecided if I will stay for a fifth year and obtain my masters, but by currently taking graduate level courses, I am leaving that option open.
I must thank TAG for the award that I have received. The generosity of TAG will help me obtain my goal of earning a Bachelors degree in Computer Science.
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