Hi, my name is
Colin Zhou
I'm a web developer and hobbyist designer based in Issaquah, Washington.
Currently looking for technical work opportunities for Summer 2023...
Designer (Start to Finish)
Visual impact makes a statement. I'll help unite products,
interfaces, users, and experiences. From color to code...
Web Developer
I'll help you develop fast, and fluid applications that make a real world impact.
About me
I am a UIUC CS Masters student. My passion is in web development, using my knowledge of front end technologies to architect websites for various for-good causes. As someone with experience in designing logos and simple designs, I strive to bring some elements of the future into my creations. In addition, I have many years of experience writing online, allowing me to share my ideas and thinking to millions around the world. My dream is to be able to help design and architect platforms that would help problem solvers communicate their solutions to a pressing problem to the world.
Education
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Master of Computer Science
August 2022 - Present
Activities
- CS 411 Database Project Team Lead
Relevant Classes
- User-Interface Design,
- Databases,
- Advanced Data Management
Bellevue College
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
September 2019 - June 2022
Activities
- CS Student Advisory Board Treasurer
Relevant Classes
- Algorithms,
- Cloud Computing,
- Software Engineering,
- Data Structures,
- Computer Networks,
- Operating Systems,
- Linear Algebra,
- Discrete Math
Cupertino High School
High School Diploma
August 2015 - June 2019
Activities
- Speech and Debate Club Member,
- Sophomore English Tutor
Relevant Classes
- AP Computer Science A,
- AP Statistics,
- AP Physics C: Mechanics,
- AP Chemistry,
- AP United States History
Skills
Technologies:
- React
- HTML
- CSS
- TypeScript
- JavaScript(ES6)
- SQL
- Node.js
- REST API's
- Redux
- AWS
- Webpack
- Java / Android Development
- MongoDB
Tools:
- Googling
- VSCode
- Markdown
- Jira
- Git
- Scrum
- Agile
- Speaking
- Writing
- Wireframes
Currently Learning:
- Containerization
- CI/CD pipeline
- Optimizing Performance
- Next.js
- Prototyping
- Unit Testing
- Responsive Design
Experience
Developed a 5 page application dashboard that displays networking analytics from company's wireless devices worldwide.
Used Chakra UI, React for frontend and Express.js and MySQL for the backend.
Developed a serverless web app for New York school teachers to track the academic progress of at-risk students.
Made final design choices for UI components.
Used React to implement UI components on the frontend and AWS for storing media on the backend.
Promoted company products through emails, and by giving presentations at events.
Secured sponsorships with multiple hackathon events at high schools throughout the Bay Area.
Designed company websites and page layouts for products.
Met with 3 members of faculty to discuss how to grow Bellevue College CS (currently at 150 students).
Helped facilitate constructive communication between faculty and students with regards to curriculum.
Planned out $1000 budget for CS department use in 2023. Tracked all expenses using Microsoft Excel.
Created websites / designs using technologies like React, UI frameworks like Semantic UI, and Typescript.
Used the Google Chrome API to create a Google Chrome extension to block YouTube recommendations.
Developed a replica of the popular Microsoft Wordament game using Typescript, and React.
Writing about history, and other topics, with over 25 million answer views since 2017.
Managing own blog about futuristic technology, over 30k followers.
Admin and moderator of multiple blogs about finance and interesting information.
Assisted clients with publishing articles on Quora.
Utilized communication skills to deliver clients work on time.
Used outreach abilities on Quora to drive traffic to client's websites.
Helped tutor Cupertino High School sophomores with improving their writing.
Coordinated with high school/college teachers with tutoring progress.
My Projects
StreetFoodLove Capstone Project
I helped create an educational web app that helps at risk high school students track their future career goals. I utilized various front end technologies like React.js along with backend tools like AWS for hosting. After the internship was completed, this app is now in beta testing in a high school of a couple hundred students in New York City.- HTML/CSS Modules
- TypeScript
- React.js
- Semantic UI
- AWS
- Redux
React Backend-Benchmarks
A web application with a React frontend and three backends written in different languages that are all connected to a common MySQL database. Users will be able to send repetitive queries to any backend that they choose and see how fast the server responds after the completed operation.- TypeScript
- React.js
- Node.js
- MySQL
- Python / Flask
- Golang
Wordament / Wordle
I created my own version of the popular Microsoft game Wordament. Users are to swipe with a mouse to create words using the provided alphabet letters, and are awarded a specific amount of points depending on whether a guess results in a word.- HTML/CSS Modules
- TypeScript
- React.js
- Express
- MySQL
DistanceCalc
Using the React.js framework, I created a distance tracker that uses an external API to take two cities in the United States, and calculate their distance and the travel time in minutes. After each request, the data will be logged in an external form, which I took from Material UI.- HTML/CSS
- JavaScript
- React.js
- Material UI
- React Router
- Firebase
YouTube Blocker
A web application with a React frontend and three backends written in different languages that are all connected to a common MySQL database. Users will be able to send repetitive queries to any backend that they choose and see how fast the server responds after the completed operation.- Google Chrome API
- CSS
Noteworthy Projects
Morsecode Binary Tree
Decoding morse code using binary trees, written in Java. This was for a class project.
Personal Website V1
This is the very first version of my personal website, using basic front end technologies.
Doctors Orders
An Android app to help doctors and family track the medicine schedules of elderly patients.
Country Database
A web app that allows for querying various data about all the countries of the world.
Classwork
Web Programming (Winter 2022)
Work that I did for Bellevue College's Web Programming class
Data Structures / Databases (Fall 2020)
Data Structures and databases work from Bellevue College
Programming Languages (Winter 2021)
Work from mainly my Programming Languages class at Bellevue College
My Designs
The main page of the street food app that I am currently developing for my senior capstone project. Users will be able to select from a display of vendors on a map overlay.
This is the vendor page of a certain vendor that will be on the site, complete with contact information, reviews, comments, and photos.
The mockup for the trends and progress monitor form that teachers can use to track student progress in the Project Elpis App
The mockup for a profile card of the specific student that will display on the home dashboard of the teacher. The teacher will be able to filter and assign students to particular advisors.
A futuristic heating console that can be used to control the temperature level in your house
A futuristic transportation dashboard that can help you find a seat on a train and show travel times.
A revamped design of my college's online registration system that was made before the college decided to replace their antiquarted system.
A new format that showcases the instructions of the registration page in a much more concise and neat manner.