Transcript (AI used to edit for clarity):
Mahi: Hello, and welcome to Episode 1 of Solving for Why: The Math and Science Academy podcast of Ocean Lakes High School. I’m your host, Mahi Sakharpe, and today, we’re talking to Canon Robins, Ocean Lakes Class of 2024. Let’s dive in!
[Start of interview]
Mahi: Thank you so much for joining me today. I would really love to start off with… if you could just introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background from, like the start to the end of high school?
Canon: Yeah, for sure. Before high school, I attended Plaza Middle School for the pre-IB program. I eventually decided to go to Ocean Lakes instead of continuing with IB because I was more interested in the math and science side of things. I’d always said I wanted to be an engineer, but I was pretty unsure of exactly what that meant; I just knew those had always been my stronger subjects. That was my mindset going into ninth grade. Ninth grade was the “big COVID year,” so my introduction to Ocean Lakes was a bit different, with a lot of virtual classes. I was starting to get introduced to more advanced math, but I still didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. If someone asked me, I probably would have just said “engineer,” which I realize now is such a broad term. It wasn’t until eleventh grade that I took Computer Science Principles. It was the most introductory computer science class available. I had done some “Hour of Code” activities before, but I was generally unfamiliar with the field. Taking that class gave me a great introduction to the foundational skills and fundamentals. I wanted to learn more, so I took AP Computer Science A my senior year. I really enjoyed that because I got into actual coding using Java. Between those two classes and my overall interest in math, I realized computer science was something I wanted to pursue. By the end of high school, I was applying to most colleges as a computer science major. I just ran with what I learned in those classes. For my senior project, I did something computer science-related—specifically data science. I worked with RStudio to create a linear regression predictive model. I was just really interested in learning more about computer science and how I could apply it to different things.
Mahi: Wow. That’s awesome. So I was just curious…in terms of the MSA projects, you know, like the APA paper and I-Search, did those end up preparing you for your senior project or were they kind of just random topics that you then solidified in junior year?
Canon: My first major paper, the APA paper, was actually quite different; I wrote about solar energy. Sustainability was always a big focus in my family, so I decided to combine that interest with my goal of becoming an engineer. I figured solar panels and renewable energy were cool topics to explore, so I just ran with that. However, my “I-Search” paper was much more closely related to my eventual senior project. For that paper, I looked into the various applications of data and deep learning across different fields. I remember focusing heavily on self-driving cars as a primary example. That research definitely laid the groundwork for my senior project, where I ended up applying data analytics in a more practical way.
Mahi: Yeah, that makes sense. It’s pretty cool to see the progression. Currently, you said you’re a sophomore at MIT, which is pretty cool. So how do you see yourself applying what you learned or got introduced to in high school? In college, what are you majoring in and how are you kind of getting more real world experience in this area?
Canon: It all ended up being a lot more relevant than I expected. I’m planning to major in computer science, and I actually spent this past summer doing something that built directly on what I started in high school. Through an MIT program, I worked in an AI research lab in Chile. I was looking at the inner workings of different Large Language Models (LLMs) and assisting with that type of research. It feels like a natural progression. My high school “I-Search” paper was very high-level, mostly exploring how we can use data in the real world. My senior project took that a step further, though it was still relatively broad—I hadn’t dived deep into artificial intelligence yet. Transitioning from those projects to actually working with AI models alongside professional researchers was a great experience. I’m definitely looking forward to expanding on that in the future and am happy to talk more about those plans.
Mahi: For sure. So before we go to future plans, I did want to ask. I know you mentioned this a little bit earlier, but what specific skills — and this could be technical or non-technical — are you using every day as a college student that you developed or kind of got introduced to through the MSA?
Canon: Looking back, the first major skill would have to be coding. Before joining the Academy, I had only done basic “Hour of Code” activities in middle school. I really didn’t know much about it until I took Computer Science in eleventh and twelfth grade. Now, I use it on a daily basis, as almost all of my current classes are coding-related. Beyond that, the advanced math curriculum was incredibly helpful. During my first semester at MIT, I took Multivariable Calculus, which is a requirement for everyone here. Having that background from senior year at the Academy made a huge difference, especially as I’ve moved into computer science theory courses that are heavily math-based. In terms of non-technical skills, work ethic is the big one. It’s definitely a “grind” here, and I don’t think I would have been as prepared if I hadn’t attended a program where the classes were genuinely challenging. Finally—and this might sound basic—but leadership and presentation skills were key. For example, I gave a presentation to my undergraduate research team a couple of weeks ago. Having the experience of presenting my senior project to a hundred people in person gave me a level of comfort with public speaking that was super useful, even in a smaller research setting.
Mahi: So could you go deeper into that? I’m really curious about what you’re currently working on. Do you have any research projects or past passion projects that are pretty cool?
Canon: Undergraduate research is very popular at MIT; we call it UROP, which stands for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. During the spring of my freshman year, I started “cold emailing” a bunch of professors and researchers to get involved. I ended up hearing back from someone in the cybersecurity department, and it was actually really interesting—he mentioned that one of the reasons he was interested in my application was because I already had a background in linear regression from my high school senior project. It was cool to see that work pay off so directly. Now, I’m working with a few other undergrads in the cybersecurity department. At a high level, the project uses graph theory and Monte Carlo simulations to analyze software dependency graphs. We look at the “weights” of the edges within those graphs to identify which “nodes” within a software system are the most vulnerable. The goal is to create something that will be highly valuable for companies looking to secure their systems.
Mahi: Wow, that’s super interesting. That’s amazing. So I know you’re only just a sophomore at MIT, but have you started thinking about future plans, like in terms of maybe higher education or jobs or internships?
Canon: I’ve been thinking about my next steps, and while a lot of people here stay for a one-year Master’s in Engineering, I’m leaning more toward going straight into the industry after graduation. It’s definitely something I’ll consider, but I’m eager to get started in the field. My primary goal is software engineering. I know that’s a broad target, so I haven’t narrowed down exactly what kind of company I want to join yet. Over the next couple of summers, I’m hoping to experiment with different environments—maybe a smaller startup and then a larger, more established corporation—to see the difference and figure out which culture fits me best. For now, software engineering is definitely the role I’m targeting.
Mahi: And then I just had a question that I know is specific to you. I remember that you’re a student athlete, so how do you balance that with college? And, you know, all the undergraduate research and stuff that you’re doing, how do you plan and balance that properly to still get the best out of both?
Canon: One of the best things about MIT is the “Pass/No Record” policy for the first semester of freshman year. Since that’s also when soccer season happens, it was incredibly helpful for settling in and finding a balance. Basically, you don’t receive traditional letter grades; you either pass, or if you don’t, the class is simply wiped from your external transcript. Managing the workload comes down to being extremely proactive. During the season, we often travel several hours for away games on weekdays, so I have to be very structured. Since the soccer schedule is rigid but assignments usually give you a week of lead time, I have to plan exactly when each task will get done around my practices and games. It also helps that there is such a large, supportive community of student-athletes. You get to know them immediately, and being able to get advice from upperclassmen who have already balanced the same rigors is a huge advantage.
Mahi: That’s awesome. I think it is crucial for some MSA students to hear that they can balance sports and MSA or like sports and college if they just plan it correctly. So just a couple more questions…kind of going back to the MSA in particular, what would you say was your favorite experience or maybe class, apart from the computer science ones that you already mentioned that you took at the MSA?
Canon: Yeah that’s an interesting question. I’m trying to think back to classes. Would you like specifically one of the magnet classes or just like any class I took through Ocean Lakes?
Mahi: Well, any class that you think definitely helped you on your journey or something that you just found interesting. It doesn’t have to be STEM or magnet.
Canon: Looking back at my time at Ocean Lakes, a few classes really stood out as being instrumental to my journey. I’ve already mentioned how helpful Multivariable Calculus was, but beyond the math, one of my favorite experiences was taking AP Physics 1 with Mr. G. That class was my first real introduction to physics, and I truly enjoyed it. It changed the way I think about the world and how I approach problem-solving in general. It also turned out to be incredibly practical for college; at MIT, every student is required to take both Physics 1 (Mechanics) and Physics 2 (Electricity and Magnetism). Having that solid foundation from the Academy made the transition into those core requirements much smoother.
Mahi: Awesome. So to end this podcast off, what advice would you give to current MSA students, especially the seniors who are about to enter college and the juniors who are working on their senior project proposals?
Canon: If I were giving advice to the juniors, I’d say that the Senior Project is a fantastic opportunity to test-drive something you think you might want to do in the future. You’re going to spend over a hundred hours on this project, so it’s essential to choose a topic you actually enjoy. If you don’t, it will just feel like a chore and you won’t get nearly as much out of it. Even if you finish the project and realize you didn’t love the work, that’s still a success—you’ve learned that maybe that specific path isn’t for you. For the seniors heading off to college, my biggest advice is to keep an open mind. During my first semester, I had so much information and advice thrown at me by upperclassmen, and it could have been overwhelming. I was really glad I remained flexible and willing to try different things. Don’t be afraid to explore, not just academically, but socially as well. I’ve found that joining clubs is one of the most effective ways to build a community. Whether it’s in the classroom or your social life, just keep an open mind.
Mahi: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. I really think this podcast will be helpful for current MSA students to hear from alumni. So I really appreciated it, thank you.
Canon: Yeah, of course. It was nice to meet you, and let me know if you have any more questions.
Mahi: Awesome. Will do. Thank you!
Canon: Have a good day!
[End of interview]
