Hi! My name is Gabriela Komives-Prieto, and I’m a Computer Science major and Mathematics minor at UCF. This will be my fourth year at UCF. I graduated from Boone High School in Orlando, Florida, in 2017. One of my favorite classes at UCF is Dr. Rochelle Hurt’s creative writing seminar. Computer science and math courses are fun, and I love what I do, but I also love writing, and getting to tap into my creative side has been so fun. Also, Dr. Adam Parrish for Fundamentals of Technical Presentations is amazing. His course is great preparation for a big portion of software engineering, which is presenting ideas in a concise and engaging way. I decided to get involved with WiSTEM because helping women in STEM establish their networks is very exciting and important to me. As someone who came to UCF after years outside of school and had to start from scratch, I know how scary it is to throw yourself into unfamiliar territory. But it’s also exciting, and that’s what I want to show! I’ve learned a lot in the last few years and I want to share the insights I’ve developed with other women so that we can have more equity in the field of computer science and change our lives for the better. My biggest insight: so much of a career in computer science, outside of school, is knowing how to network and leverage resources – and the earlier one learns and applies this to their college career, the better. This isn’t something that courses will emphasize, but it’s crucial for success. In my free time, I love to watch movies, read, hang out with friends, and explore. I also love traveling and finding new foods to try – I’m a total foodie and if you have any recommendations, tell me!