Ranya Sharma
I’m a high school senior aspiring to work at the intersection of cybersecurity and public policy, in love with dance, debate and volunteering.
General Info
- Date of Birth2004
- AddressBarrington, IL
- E-mailranya at ranyasharma dot com
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I’m a high school senior aspiring to work at the intersection of cybersecurity and public policy, in love with dance, debate and volunteering.
I worked as a paid Research Assistant for The University of Chicago’s Data and Computing (CDAC) Lab in summer of 2021, mentored by University of Chicago professor, Dr. Nick Feamster. Continuing into fall and winter of 2021 and now into 2022, I am working on two research projects as a paid Intern for CDAC. These internship experiences nurture my ongoing interest in computer science and have served as my first immersive experience in the field of cybersecurity.
I serve on the National Team as a member of the Public Relations Committee of GirlCon, an international tech conference for women. I coordinate GirlCon’s annual conference that aims to empower the next generation of women in STEM.
In the last four years, I have participated as a member of Gir1 C0de, Barrington High School's club promoting women in STEM. I have also served as a Board Member since junior year
The mission of Skulls & Drills (a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization) is to make brain surgeries possible for those who need it but cannot afford it. Many victims are unable to receive timely treatment, due to its high costs. We understand the fatal outcomes that result when one receives inadequate or no treatment, so we work to alleviate this issue.
I have been participating in debate since my freshman year of high school, and attended an intensive debate camp at the Victory Briefs Institute during the summer before my sophomore year, to further and strengthen my skills in debate. The primary reason that I initially started debate was due to my interest in current events and my strong opinions on these various topics. However, I was surprised at the intricacies of debate and how it involves utilizing many more skills. My passion for debate truly stems from how unpredictable it is and how it always remains challenging, because you are always debating people better than you. I can also see how debate has impacted other parts of my life through my heightened abilities to think quickly and generate new arguments.
I have been volunteering at Revere Court Memory Care ever since I was in 8th grade, and it has been a part of my routine ever since. Being able to simply put a smile on a patient’s face or make them laugh gives me an unmatched feeling of joy. I typically entertain them through trivia, playing bingo, making crafts, and painting their nails. What draws me most to continue volunteering is watching my bond strengthen with them.
I learned the Python Programming Language in the summer of 2020 through the "2020 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python" at Udemy. The course covers the basics of Python and introduces advanced topics including web scraping and data structures. It also includes two milestone projects, one capstone project, and mini-projects to accompany the modules. I am using Python in Data Science projects.
I attended an intensive debate camp in Los Angeles for two weeks at the Victory Briefs Institute. Through modules twice a day, private mentor sessions, and daily drills and practice rounds, my debate skills were taken to another level. With this full immersion into the world of debate, I fell more and more in love with debate as each day passed. Further than strengthening my debate skills, though, I garnered skills pertaining to independence, confidence, and being a leader.
Dance is an art form that I hold close to my heart. From the tender age of six, I began Kathak (a North Indian Classical Dance), and it has remained a significant part of my life ever since. As I grew, dance became a sort of meditation and comfort in my weekly routine. It has taught me about strength, discipline, confidence, and much more beyond the realm of dance. During the summer of 2019, I did my Visharad, which is the term for my graduation from Kathak. Refer to my blog post below for more details on the special day!
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1st Place Overall, JV, 1st Place Speaker Award, JV
2nd Place Overall, Novice, 2nd Place Speaker Award, Novice
4th Place Overall, 4th Place Speaker, Varsity