If one were asked to describe the character of Rassan Walker, the word “diverse” would likely be included in his assessment. Rassan, of Louisville, Kentucky, is the type of person who can immerse himself in nearly anything and develop a passion for it. Whether it be having a two-hour long discussion about the properties of infinity or lamenting about the loss of his hometown sports team, Rassan considers himself to be an open person with a willingness to delve into many seemingly unrelated topics.This same kind of willingness exists when it comes to Rassan’s desire to affect those with whom he comes into contact. In his attempt to positively influence others in some way, there is not one singular change he hopes to bring about. For instance, he has grown tremendously close to Jesus Christ, and would love for others to do the same; he has survived the struggles accompanying a single parent household, and would like to mentor younger people who still have to climb that very same mountain; he seeks to reduce the educational gap between African-American communities and larger groups in this country. Although Rassan realizes there is always improvement that can be made in the world, he hopes that he has at least made a small impact. He has spent time tutoring young kids who were struggling in math and reading; went on a two-week mission trip to Zambia, Africa; and has talked to numerous friends and church members about how to react to single parenthood.
Naturally, Rassan also has multiple interests in the academic realm, and almost any subject would invoke some form of mental satisfaction and stimulation. However, Rassan has been able to focus the majority of his academic-related time and enjoyment on computer science. Since sophomore year, after taking his first programming course, Rassan has been convinced that delving deeper into the field of computer science and learning its intricacies will lead to high levels of success and satisfaction for an extended period of time. Now, he hopes to follow in the footsteps of legends such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and develop something so revolutionary that the state of technology, and the world, would be changed forever. However, if that doesn’t work out, he would love to work in the business realm, to some degree, whether advising organizations on how to spend their money or evaluating the computer systems they have in place.
Rassan will be attending Stanford University and would like to have opportunities to create networks with other people who have similar visions as he. It would be Rassan’s dream to be able to utilize something he loves, computer science, in his goal to educate African-American youth. He understands that as he grows and matures both socially and intellectually, a global and humanitarian mindset is of paramount importance.
