Computer Science Engineering
Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI)Mar 2016 — Jan 2021
Six-year professional Computer Science Engineering degree at UAI in Santiago, Chile — closer to a combined Bachelor's plus pre-graduate curriculum than a standard 4-year program, paired with UAI's signature professional-formation pillar (leadership, written/oral expression, critical thinking).
Computer Science Engineering (Ingeniería Civil Informática) at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile, ~2016–2021. The degree is a 5-to-6 year professional program — structurally closer to a combined Bachelor's + pre-graduate curriculum than a standard 4-year CS degree — including academic coursework, pre-graduate level courses (equivalent in content to early Master's coursework), and a 6-month professional internship. Final grade: 5.8/7.0 (≈3.4–3.6 GPA on the US 4.0 scale), with specialization years consistently above 6.0 (≈3.7–3.9 GPA, honors-level by US standards).
The path in wasn't a straight line: a strong math background and an engineering household led to a first choice of Chemistry Engineering, then enrollment at UAI in a general engineering program. A required first-year specialization choice — sparked by falling in love with programming through C++ and PHP — made Computer Science the obvious direction. The first couple of years were a genuine shock given the jump in rigor from Chilean high school; once footing was found in the specialization years, performance reflected real engagement.
UAI is known in Chile for producing professionals, not just technicians. Alongside the engineering curriculum, the university runs a structured professional-formation pillar; courses completed included Leadership (multiple), Written Expression, Oral Expression (multiple), Critical Reading, and Argumentation and Critical Thinking — unusual for a CS program, and ultimately the most consequential part of the formation. The most valuable takeaway wasn't technical: it was learning to communicate, express ideas, and lead. Leadership changed the most — across a full semester it dismantled the assumption that clear communication is enough, showing that real leadership requires first understanding what the other person is actually going through, and only then connecting their personal objectives to a shared goal. Communication without empathy is just noise — a quiet foundation for everything that followed.