About Me
a little bit about me...
I began my academic journey in the life sciences, but over time I discovered a deep passion for software engineering. Drawn to the logic, creativity, and impact of programming, I transitioned into CS with a strong interest in backend development, systems programming, and building tools that solve real problems. I'm currently majoring in Computer Science, Linguistics, and Cognitive Science at UCLA, where I've been building skills in both technical problem-solving and cross-disciplinary thinking. I bring curiosity, adaptability, and persistence to every project I take on.
I've worked on projects that range from full-stack development to natural language processing and game design. Some highlights include:
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Foodie Fam — a food-sharing web app built with the MERN stack, featuring real-time feed updates, searchable restaurant indexing, and fast performance through optimized MongoDB queries.
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Slice — a web-based video cropping tool using FFmpeg.js, with secure authentication, instant preview, and client-side exporting.
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Marble Madness — a 2D maze game in C++ with dynamic maze generation and collision detection using OOP principles.
Alongside engineering, I designed, built, and continue to maintain this personal portfolio website using Next.js, React (JavaScript/JSX, TypeScript), Tailwind CSS, and Vercel, as well as a custom WordPress website for a pre-medical organization. In both, I applied responsive design, accessibility, and front-end best practices. Through these experiences, I've become comfortable working across the stack, collaborating in version-controlled environments, and building tools that solve real problems.
I have a strong foundation in algorithms and data structures, and am currently expanding my knowledge of AI technologies. Beyond code, I bring strong communication skills developed through my experience as an interpreter at K-pop concerts and international business conventions. Working under pressure taught me how to stay clear, fast, and reliable — strengths I know carry into engineering teamwork and problem-solving.
Looking ahead, I'm eager to contribute as a software engineering intern and grow into a developer who builds reliable, impactful solutions that make technology simpler and more accessible!
FoodieFam
FoodieFam is a web app built atop a MERN stack that aims to connect people to share a meal with. Have you ever wanted to try multiple dishes from a restaurant while on a solo mission? Use Foodie Fam to find others to share a meal family style!
Marble Madness
Marble Madness is a 2-dimensional maze-based video game where you battle enemies and collect power-ups along your journey in guarding crystals to the finish line within the shortest amount of time. This C++ game implements inheritance, polymorphism, and memory management to optimize performance and enhance system architecture with object-oriented programming.
Slice
Slice is a browser-based video editing tool built to efficiently crop and organize sports footage with precision and speed. Slice allows users to extract specific highlights from multi-hour tennis matches and group them by shot type for AI-driven analysis.
Uclaphichi.com
UclaPhiChi.com is a digital home base for UCLA's pre-med students seeking mentorship, leadership, and community. When the Phi Chi Professional Pre-Medical Society first launched its chapter, there was no digital infrastructure - no online presence, no member system, no place for students to find support. I took initiative to build the organization's website from the ground up, transforming a blank canvas into a responsive, content-rich hub that continues to grow with the chapter.
Personal Portfolio
Joycejeoung.com is a personal portfolio website that I built and deployed to showcase my projects, experiences, and technical skills. The site serves as an evolving hub for my software engineering journey and reflects my growth as a developer.
