AI researcher. Two-times ISEF Finalist. Once a student, now a KTBYTE instructor.
Only a junior in high school, Jophy Lin has won numerous accolades for her research on and development of AI models.
But how did she get to where she is now? In this student feature, we will explore how Jophy’s passion for computer science first blossomed at KTByte, and how her experience as a student at KTByte led to her researching and creating AI models to help solve today’s pressing issues.
Beginnings at KTByte
When Jophy’s parents first noticed her interest in computer science, they signed her up for CORE1b, a Beginner Core Java class, at KTBYTE, which they had heard good things about from family friends.
As she made her way through increasingly advanced KTBYTE classes, Jophy became exposed to the many sub-disciplines of computer science and learned about their greater impact on the world. Her favorite course at KTBYTE has been CORE5b, which covers college-level Java. The class was her first experience coding applications, which sparked an interest in online computing tools that were meaningful to her and, later on, her areas of research.
Jophy identifies KTBYTE instructor Andrew T. as someone who has forever impacted her life, saying: “I found him a little intimidating, as he was a little strict with his expectations, but it was ultimately his teaching that has led to my success today”.
USACO, ISEF & More
After taking KTBYTE’s prep courses, Jophy was able to advance to the Gold Divison of the USA Computing Olympiad, our nations qualifier for the International Olympiad of Informatics. In addition to competitive coding, she has also entered her research and projects into other prestigious competitions and won the following accolades:
- Two-times ISEF Finalist (Association for Advancement of AI Special Award Finalist, Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers Special Award Finalist)
- Lifetime Fellowship & Full Honors from AJAS (American Junior Academy of Science)
- National STEM Festival Finalist
- WAICY (World AI Competition for Youth) AI Showcase Track Finalist
For ISEF and the National STEM Festival, Jophy submitted an AI-based research project looking to help doctors diagnose diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of vision loss in adults today, which often goes undetected. Reading through the existing studies on creating an AI-based solution for diagnosis, Jophy came to the conclusion that many of them focused on developing a singular AI model, which is more likely to be flawed in its predictions. Instead, she created an ensemble learning model, combining multiple AI models, which all rely on each other to make the final prediction. This system’s diagnosis is thereby “a lot more reliable and safe”, says Jophy.
For WAICY, one of the largest AI youth competitions in the world, Jophy developed an AI-powered mobile app that allows you to take a picture of the food you have available and generates a recipe, which helps reduce food waste, one of the leading contributors of greenhouse gas emissions.
At the AJAS Conference, Jophy was given the honor of presenting her work to leading scientists, professors from renowned institutions and Nobel laureates. For the achievement, Jophy also received a personally signed and addressed letter from New Jersey Senator Vin Gopal praising her for her research.
What’s Next for Jophy
Jophy has an upcoming research internship funded by MIT that will focus on the applications of AI in finance. She’ll be working with a professor on getting her research published.
Jophy also wants to get her ensemble learning model into actual clinics, where it will hopefully predict more accurate diagnoses, as diabetic retinopathy’s false-negative and under-diagnosis rates remain high.
No matter what she researches now or in the future, Jophy looks to create AI models with the hopes that they will be used for medical use, financial use and other real-world applications.
Looking Back
In today’s digital age, computer technology has become a remarkable tool that grants convenience and support in all fields. Jophy believes that it is crucial to “keep yourself educated about computer science. Whether you’re a high school student or an adult in the real world, having basic computer science skills is crucial to succeed in the workplace and in your day-to-day life.”
KTByte understands this truth well, with its mission statement underlining its instructors’ dedication to “offering an unparalleled level of preteen, tween and teen computer science education”, teaching its students “the fundamental principles that shape modern technology”. KTByte has a diverse and comprehensive computer science curriculum, teaching a variety of coding languages and providing one-on-one homework help hours at no additional cost.
Looking back at her years at KTByte, Jophy appreciates how her instructors broadened her horizons and taught her all that computer science can do for the world. First a student, now an instructor herself, Jophy’s stayed at KTByte all these years because “it offers a lot of support and a good community for learning about computer science”. Jophy says that she appreciates how helpful KTByte’s resources are for budding coders, and their mission to educate the youth is the reason why she has continued to teach at KTByte.
Jophy’s time as a student at KTByte inspired her to create her own projects and to pay it forward to her students, giving them the educational experience she had been given all those years ago. Her passion for computer science has only grown throughout the years, and she will continue to use it to help others, both in and outside the classroom.