Year-in-Review
The most defining year yet — first internship at Phillips Edison, top-25 at EFest, podium presentation at AMIA, 2nd place at CMU's VC competition, and promoted to General Partner at Bearcat Ventures.
Looking back, 2024 was the most defining year of my life so far. Everything I cared about — technology, research, startups, AI — started coming together in ways I hadn't expected. It didn't just help me grow; it changed how I think about my future.
The year started with my first internship as a software engineer at Phillips Edison, a real estate investment trust. Walking into a corporate office and working on real production systems for the first time was equal parts intimidating and exciting. I spent the semester deep in backend engineering, learning how data actually moves through complex systems: data pipelines, clean architecture, and why code that scales and lasts matters. But more than the tech, I figured out what kind of environment I do my best work in. That internship set up everything that came after.
In the spring, I got to represent my startup at the EFest Startup Competition, where we were named one of the top 25 student-led startups in the country. We placed in the top 20 and won a cash prize, but the real value was being around so many creative, driven student founders. Traveling to Minneapolis, pitching to judges, and meeting other teams was surreal. It was one of the first times I thought, "I can actually do this."
Another highlight was presenting my research at the AMIA Clinical Informatics Conference. I gave a full podium talk on agile, user-centered design in healthcare, and it pushed me well outside my comfort zone. Preparing for it taught me how to explain complicated ideas clearly to a room full of professionals. It also made me realize how much I like working where healthcare and technology meet — on things that don't just work, but actually help people.
Then came the Venture Capital Investment Competition at Carnegie Mellon, where our team represented the University of Cincinnati and placed 2nd in a brutally competitive national round. Months of preparation and late nights all paid off at once. I learned to evaluate startups the way an investor does, think clearly under pressure, and work with genuinely brilliant teammates.
In the middle of all this, I was promoted to General Partner at Bearcat Ventures. The role let me lead investments, mentor new analysts, and back some great early-stage startups. Building technology is one thing, but learning to evaluate it as an investor gave me a new appreciation for the ecosystem I want to be part of long-term.
Coming out of the year, one thing was clearer than ever: I want to work at the front edge of AI, especially where it has real impact, like healthcare. I've cared about AI since long before it became a buzzword, and this year confirmed how much I want to contribute to the field instead of just following it. Whether through research, building tools, or backing founders through VC, I want to be someone who helps shape where the technology goes.
Heading into 2025, I've got some big goals. I'm spending the summer interning at Kinetic Vision as a machine learning intern, hoping to learn as much as I can. And of course, I want to keep growing with Bearcat Ventures and stay involved in the startup ecosystem.
If 2024 was the year I built the foundation, 2025 is going to be about expanding on it.