- Rowans’s CS Portfolio Page
Rowans’s CS Portfolio Page
🚀 THE FUTURE
Looking Ahead: My Journey Toward a Career in Architecture + Technology
As I wrap up high school and prepare for college, I’m incredibly excited about what’s ahead. My passion for architecture, technology, and social impact continues to grow—and I’m ready to combine those interests in innovative ways as I move into higher education and beyond.
🎓 My Intended Path
I plan to pursue Architecture with a strong emphasis on technology-driven design, especially areas like:
- Parametric modeling and generative design
- Sustainable urban development with data-driven planning
- CAD software development and automation
- AI-assisted space planning and optimization
I’m fascinated by how computational thinking and tools like AutoCAD, JavaScript, and Python can reshape how we build, plan, and interact with spaces.
🛠️ Key Projects & Technical Work
🎨 Mini CAD Drawing App
One of my proudest accomplishments is a rudimentary CAD platform I built with a custom backend and canvas-based frontend:
- Created with Node.js, Express, HTML5 Canvas, JavaScript, and RESTful APIs
- Features include:
- Drawing tools (shapes, line, color picker, eraser)
- Undo/redo functionality with action stacks
- Clear board and export-to-image features
- 🖱️ Try the App
This hands-on experience sharpened my skills in full-stack development and gave me deeper insight into the challenges of building creative tools used by architects and designers.
🎵 Melody Mates – Accessible Music Coding Project
For my AP CSP Create Task, I coded Melody Mates, an interactive social tool:
- Built using Python and a simple UI framework
- Helps users discover new genres and connect with people who have music tastes in common
- Aimed at making music exploration accessible and visual
- Incorporated algorithmic sound generation and condition-based playback
🧬 Engineering Career Matching Platform
Collaborated with a team to develop a student-focused engineering career discovery site:
- Users explore different engineering types based on personal interests
- Frontend built with HTML/CSS/JavaScript; backend supported dynamic content
- Worked closely with John Mortenson to build UI and interactive filters
- Focus on accessibility and ease of navigation for high school users
🧪 Technical Growth: From Confusion to Confidence
Challenges I Faced
- CRUD Operations: Initially struggled to link frontend forms with backend routes for creating, updating, and deleting data.
- Git & GitHub: Concepts like pull requests, branching, and resolving merge conflicts were confusing at first.
- Motivation and Passion: I started the course with an easy teacher, meaning that I was coasting through. This resulted in a rough start to my next trimester, and a lengthy adjustment period.
How I Grew
- Gained fluency in Git commands, VS Code extensions, and debugging tools
- Built muscle memory for CLI workflows and learned how to collaborate on repos
- Developed the confidence to ask for help, read documentation, and lead sections of group work
These skills now power many of the projects I’m pursuing in architecture and coding.
💡 Impact Projects
💗 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Student Visionaries of the Year
- Co-led a team that raised over $130,000 in two years
- Designed campaign visuals, websites, and digital outreach content
- Managed communications and led a team of students to runner-up status
👩👧 National Charity League Leadership
- Held multiple leadership roles: President, VP of Communications, and VP of Philanthropy
- Contributed 300+ hours of service to San Diego nonprofits
- Led digital transformation efforts including online event tracking and community reporting
👨🍳 Server at La Vida Del Mar
- Served senior residents with professionalism and empathy
- Learned multitasking, team coordination, and how to handle fast-paced service work
- Built people skills that translate directly into collaborative tech and design work
🧠 MENSA & NHS
- Member of both organizations
- Demonstrated academic excellence while pursuing creative and technical interests
- Used problem-solving and reasoning skills from MENSA puzzles to inform debugging and systems thinking
🧭 What’s Next?
I’m eager to continue developing both my design sensibility and technical fluency in college. I plan to:
- Major in Architecture while minoring or double-majoring in Computer Science
- Intern with firms focusing on sustainable design or urban informatics
- Build software tools that help architects, city planners, and communities design better futures
- Join the Air Force through ROTC at Syracuse University, and give back to my country through service.
I’ve seen firsthand how code and creativity go hand in hand—and I’m committed to building solutions that serve others.