Nina Pelli

Tell us about you and your experience at Parkside.  

I'm a Computer Science major graduating in May. I chose my major because I had taken some programming classes in high school and really enjoyed the logical processes behind it and wanted to continue in that path. I am currently the president of Computer Club and have worked on the literary magazine (Straylight Literary Arts Magazine) my entire tenure here at Parkside. I am currently the managing editor and lead fiction editor for the magazine. I chose Parkside mainly because it was close to home and I could commute but also partially because of the cross-disciplinary opportunities that it offers. For example, I was still able to work on the literary magazine (and even lead it now) as a CS student; all of the organizations here are very accepting to students that may not be directly in their major. 

Some of my life goals related to my career are to upgrade my current internship into a full-time position as a software developer at a healthy startup, to become well-versed in UX/UI design choices and how they are implemented in code, and to potentially be able to do freelance editing on the side. 

My life goals outside of work include (at some point) having a small hobby farm, continue creating and gifting crochet pieces to my friends and family for memorable milestones in their lives, and hopefully one day starting a family. 

What impact has your scholarship had on you?

My scholarship has allowed me to better focus on my studies. Seeing as it covered a significant amount of my tuition, I didn't have to work as much during the school year to afford my education, and therefore I could dedicate more of my time to school itself. 

What is a specific goal that felt "out of reach" last year but feels achievable today because of the scholarship you received?

A specific goal that this scholarship helped to feel achievable was graduating. I was struggling last year a bit with my work/school balance, and with this scholarship, I was able to devote more time to school and make sure that I passed my classes and got all of my graduation requirements done. 

Thank you to the donors who make these scholarships possible through the UW-Parkside Foundation. Your support helps our students focus on their studies and reach their full potential. To learn more about how you can make a difference, visit uwp.edu/giving.