Name: Joyce Van Drost
Year: Junior
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
Has her own Youtube channel, joyofmylife. Director of Marketing for HackRu, Secretary of WIC (Women In Computer Science), Member of RUPA.
What made you want to start your own Youtube Channel?
I went on a vacation last winter. I was vlogging throughout the vacation. My cousin suggested I start vlogging. Then, I edited my vacation video and realized I had a passion for vlogging. I started my own YouTube Channel and shared my adventures during my internship in NYC (post vacation) and that’s how it all began!
Can you talk about something ifun that happened during your internship?
I interned for About.com. I got to go to a Yankee game with all my coworkers. They had their own suite, unlimited food, their own booth! It was a great networking experience and I hadn’t been to a Yankee game in a LONG time.
What would you say was the most impactful experience of your internship?
My most impactful experience was when I assigned to a team to work on a project (like a branch off website). I got to interact with different members of the team. I did lots of hands on computer science related work like related to user interface and Java. It was also a very educational networking experience; I even got to meet the CEO of the company!
What is the quirkiest thing about you?
I am a very picky eater. I don’t like chocolate at all and people have mixed emotions about that. I don’t eat a lot of things that most people eat. For example, I don’t like cereal, milk, grilled cheese, PopTarts, protein bars. I don’t eat raw tomatoes, but I can have tomato based products (like pasta sauce.)
What’s your favorite quote?
“Use your smile to change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.”