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Kevin Negy


My name is Kevin Negy. I am a Computer Science major and I am in my senior year at UCF. I graduated from Timber Creek High School, which is in Orlando, Florida. One of my favorite classes at UCF was Discrete Structures taught by Dr. Sean Szumlanski. The class was the most difficult CS class I’ve ever taken, even though it is an introductory class that shocks students with its high learning curve. Nonetheless, it prepares students to overcome logical challenges throughout the rest of their academic careers. It covers logical proofs, combinations/permutations, and number theory. Dr. Szumlanski was an excellent, highly engaging professor whose passion and excitement motivated us to trudge through the course.

I became a STEM ambassador because I saw it as an opportunity to continue participating in teaching/tutoring positions. I have always enjoyed assisting students along their path to learning and overcoming challenging coursework, as Dr. Szumlanski did for us, and my passion for technology and science fits well with the STEM Ambassador program objective of inspiring young students to pursue STEM academic careers. I hope that my own academic shift from social science to STEM and my teaching experience allows me to help achieve this program vision.

If I could relay any words of wisdom to future STEM students, it would be to not let failure stop you. I have heard many students and fellow classmates over the years express a disdain for subjects that are difficult (often math or physics) and many times choose easy courses to avoid any chance of failure. However, the most challenging obstacles are often the most rewarding, especially because one might “fail” multiple times. Failure is a way to learn from mistakes, grow as a person, and improve your attack. STEM is such a rewarding area of study *because of* the fact that it is so challenging and is full of opportunities to fail and then overcome. Learn to embrace challenges and learn to love the process of failing to triumph.

When I’m not at UCF, I enjoy playing and watching basketball. I play electric guitar, mostly trying to play along to technically-difficult songs by my idols. Finally, I love to travel and experience other cities and cultures.