Christian Aggari
Christian Aggari
Class Year
’21
Hometown
Chicago, Illinois
Major(s)
Computer Science, Japanese
Minor(s)
Asian Studies
Career goal
“I hope to utilize my unique skill set of both coding and language to find work programming abroad.”
How have Carthage faculty had an impact on your life or Carthage career?
“When I was applying for the Modern Languages Scholarship, Professor Yang Wang made me feel welcome to the Carthage community. In addition to showing the job opportunities Carthage alumni found after graduation, she showed me just how dedicated she is to helping me improve my fluency in Japanese. She is patient and concise when explaining concepts. She always expects students to try our best but is forgiving when we make mistakes.
When it comes to teaching Computer Science, there’s no professor quite like Professor Perry Kivolowitz. In a field that’s always evolving and changing, Prof. Kivolowitz manages to keep up and understand everything from back end to front end. He not only teaches the core concepts behind computer science, but he also teaches how to learn independently, which is essential for the field.”
Favorite class
“I had a blast taking the letterpress J-Term course my freshmen year. It was a fun change of pace compared to my usual workload and just goes to show the benefits of trying courses outside of your major. Exploring your creative side is just as important as your technical skills!”
Toughest class
“I definitely had a tough time adjusting to the Web Development J-Term course. I underestimated the material and how I should pace myself when doing projects. Though I did not get as high of a grade as I’d like, I learned a valuable lesson in discipline and communication.”
Scholarships
“Winning the Japanese Modern Language Scholarship is the main reason I chose to go to Carthage. I knew I was going to have to commit myself to the major, and as a result, I’ve become an active member of the department, joining the Japanese Club eBoard, participating in the Culture Festival, and going to tutoring regularly. It seems like fate brought me to the right place!”
Favorite moments and memories at Carthage
“Helping make onigiri to sell at Homecoming was incredible. The rice balls are always a popular item, and making them during club is always a good way to start off the year!”
Favorite spot on campus
“The Tower lounges are always a great place to study and play Smash Bros. with friends (usually the latter).”
Biggest surprise so far
“A big surprise is how quickly my schedule fills up. If I didn’t have my daily planner, I’d be a total mess.”
What would your 8-year-old self think of you now?
“At age eight, I was obsessed with building Legos and watching anime, so continuing to think technically through CS and exploring the other aspects of Japanese culture would definitely impress me as a child.”
Why should other students consider your major? What advice do you have for them?
“Start planning early, and balance yourself responsibly.”
Why Carthage?
“The closely knit atmosphere and rigorous courses offered in both the Japanese and Computer Science Departments were appealing, and after I won the Modern Language Scholarship, I was determined to come here.”