Louise – Peer Guide
Aspiring Computer Scientist and Stand-Up Comic Gains Place at Imperial College
Louise (18) is making remarkable strides in the field of computer science as she prepares to pursue her dreams at Imperial College London. Louise, who achieved (results) today in her A levels, has demonstrated extraordinary talent and dedication through her academic and extracurricular achievements also venturing into stand-up comedy – a particular achievement as Louise is from China and working in her second language.
“I love making people laugh” said Louise “and I have been fortunate to perform in London at the Cavendish Arms for Open Mic Night which was a real challenge! My Head of Physics here at Cardiff Sixth Form College has been really supportive and it has given me an understanding of British culture and humour that will be invaluable in the future.”
Louise completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) focused on machine learning, specifically exploring predictive models for postpartum depression and addressing biases, including racial bias, in medical research. Her comprehensive study involved analysing ten algorithms to identify the most effective ones for medical predictions, culminating in significant findings on mitigating bias in AI.
Louise has not just confined herself to theoretical knowledge; she actively engages in public discourse on AI ethics. She participated in TedX Cardiff, delivering an insightful talk on whether AI should be assigned gender and the implications such assignments would have on society. She was also part of an international team in the Mathematical Modelling Challenge, tackling real-world problems like the sales of electric bicycles and homelessness solutions and took part in the NASA Space Settlement Design Competition at Imperial College, where her team designed a detailed space station, presenting a comprehensive business bid to the judges after 18 hours of hard work.
From a young age, Louise has been captivated by coding, aspiring to a lifelong career in computer science. Her interests lie in software engineering and machine learning research, driven by the ever-evolving nature of the field. Seeking a STEM-focused education, she researched top schools in the UK, joining Cardiff Sixth Form College for A levels, where she is surrounded by likeminded students all aiming for leading research universities.
Said Cardiff Sixth Form College Principal, Dr Julian Davies: “Louise is an inquisitive and talented student who has thrown herself actively into life here at Cardiff Sixth Form College and has developed herself not just academically but also really engaged with British culture. Stand up is hard, and to do this when English is your second language is really impressive. Her talk at TedX was really insightful and I am confident she will be instrumental in AI research in the future.”
