Angie Chen

axc1@rice.edu; Computer Science & Entrepreneurship; Martel College

Bio:

I’m a senior from Martel studying C.S. with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I first got into tech because I’m fascinated by its societal impact and wanted to better understand the thing that impacts every aspect of our lives today. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, I’ll be moving to Seattle (finally, some mountains!) after graduation to be a PM at Microsoft. These days, in my free time I enjoy going for walks/runs in Herman Park, hosting weekly Bachelorette watch parties at Martel, and (trying) to read more books.

L’s Taken

“Thank you for taking the time to apply, but…”

• Google (4 times)
• Airbnb
• Facebook
• Uber
• Lyft
• Tableau

Regrets I have

• Not getting more involved in the entrepreneurship scene at Rice
• Not taking my mental health more seriously earlier in college

Things I swore I’d finish but never did

• Establishing a consistent workout routine
• Pretty much every book I’ve opened the past 3 years
• My bullet journal
• Andrew Ng’s Coursera course on AI/ML

Everyday L’s

• Accidental 5-hr naps
• Having a mental breakdown on the morning of my 21st birthday because of ChatApp
• Basically all of COMP 182 and 382

On the Bright Side

Memories made when I wasn’t studying/working

• Sitting in an H-Mart parking lot eating dumplings with my O-Week kids
• Sleeping on church floors, cooking for ourselves, and meeting some really inspirational people on my freshman year ASB about environmental justice
• The late night weekend Velvet Taco runs
• Traveling to NYC and Austin with friends
• Solo trips to the MFAH for self-care

Things I’ve learned that will still matter in 10 years

• You are capable of doing so much more than you give yourself credit for.
• Getting enough sleep will do wonders for your happiness and productivity.
• It’s important to continually question whether a certain job or field is right for you so that you do what truly fulfills you, and not just what everyone else around you is doing.

Things I’ve done that have pushed me out of my comfort zone

• Leading RemixCS through Covid and completely changing the way the program is structured and run
• Co-advising at Wiess

Leaps of faith

• Switching from SWE to PM so early in my career
• Sticking with CS even though I consider myself more of a social science person
• Living in SF for a whole summer with people I didn’t know super well (it worked out great :))

Obstacles overcome

• Unlearning that self-worth and value comes from accomplishments.
• Dealing with leadership imposter syndrome (tbh, still working on this one)

Life changing advice I’ve received

• The walls around you don’t actually exist. The person who said this meant that the biggest obstacles to our own success and happiness are the perceived constraints that we, and not anyone else, have placed on ourselves.