Senior Austin Liu sits at his desk, waiting for the results of his code review. After submitting his contribution to the open-source video game he plays, he knows this is a significant moment, as developers may integrate his code into the game. When the notification comes through that he passed their review process, an immediate moment of pride washes over him as he realizes that through his effort, his work has become part of something he loves.

“It was a combination of relief and a burden taken off me,” Austin said. “It was that internal satisfaction when you know you’ve finished, like after finishing an essay. You don’t have to deal with it anymore, but you also pushed out a good product.”

While Austin finds the outcome of gaining recognition for his work rewarding, he views the journey as a more meaningful part of the process. He began exploring his passion for building and designing when he first taught himself how to repair his laptop. That early project sparked a much larger interest.

His innate inclination for this stems from his commitment to authenticity, which he considers a cornerstone of society.

“Truthfulness and honesty are quite important to me,” Austin said. “A lot of modern societal functions break down when you have a lack of trust. That’s also a more prevalent issue today, now more than ever, especially with misinformation on social media and AI chatbots muddling the scene.”

Still, his path wasn’t without obstacles. Despite seeming talented in building computer systems, Austin initially faced challenges in understanding new terminology used in the process.

His enthusiasm for the field, however, led him to spend multiple hours pursuing this hobby, learning from others on the internet to fix and create new systems.

“A lot of the computer word usage makes it difficult for any beginners to get into the field,” Austin said. “Just like acronyms that aren’t necessarily said anywhere like computer jargon, it’s what you’ll get eventually, but no one will ever explain it to you, so you have to get hold of it by yourself.”

In addition to coding and engineering, his extensive time online also sparked an interest in digital art. Over the past year, he began to experiment with various tools and tablet versions, trying to find his style. However, he’s honest about the challenges of staying consistent.

“Motivation is a really tough hurdle,” Austin said. “Writers, artists block — that seems to happen not only for digital art but also for building anything in general, including computer systems. Sometimes you have to get out and force your way to start something. But if you get started, it’s easy to continue.”

His efforts and character haven’t gone unnoticed by those around him. Math teacher Caren Furtado, who taught Austin in his junior year, appreciates his funny, humble and easy-going attitude, all while remaining truthful and transparent. She admires his cleverness, as he demonstrates a deep understanding of concepts like deriving formulas rather than relying on memorization.

“He has a very strong intuition for any kind of logical reasoning,” Furtado said. “The more complicated the topic got, the stronger his intuition and ability to work them out got. The minute he understood, making that leap into something else was just so easy.”

Friends also describe Austin as someone who brings humor and loyalty into every interaction. Close friend senior Savya Agarwal notes his lasting impression of Austin’s humor and how easily others can be themselves around him. He also respects his unique way of thinking and personality, which allows him to connect with a wide range of people.

“He has a very creative mind,” Savya said. “He’s unique in drawing or writing, but also in terms of personality. He will stick by you no matter what. He’s very loyal.”

Close friend senior Aidan Wang describes Austin as self-sustaining, remembering him trading in points from games for gift cards. He also recalls Austin sharing jokes in classes and introducing him to new games.

“He has a very unique sense of humor,” Aidan said. “The way he acts and presents himself throughout the school day makes him interesting.”

Through it all, Austin’s passion for engineering and art helped him learn to manage his time, balancing his academics and personal interests. While he acknowledges that talent can aid the process of gaining a new skill, he emphasizes the importance of effort and dedicating time to grasp the skill, which is reflected by his hobbies of building computer systems and digital art.

“If you’ve been online for any extended period of time, you know that you’ll see people more talented than you naturally,” Austin said. “But you shouldn’t let that discourage you as an artist or designer or engineer at all, because in the end, putting in the time ultimately makes a difference instead of talent.”