About me
If you’ve reached this page, I guess you must be interested in getting to know me a little bit more. And I promise I’m not using GPT for this, I’m writing it by hand, straight from the heart, to give you a better picture of who I am.
My name is Hongda, but if you’re unsure how to pronounce it, just think of “Honda.”
Yeah, like the car.
I’m currently pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering. During my studies, I found out I have a little bit of talent in data science and software development. I’ve consistently scored A+ in these courses, even when the class average was around a C+. I guess I just love solving complex problems, building innovative solutions, and, to be honest, hearing compliments when I solve something challenging.
People say I’m funny, and I like to think they’re right! Outside of work, I enjoy creating a light-hearted atmosphere for those around me. Even at work, I believe in balancing professionalism with positivity—avoiding unnecessary pressure while still ensuring the job gets done well.
At York, I maintained a GPA of 7.6/9.0 and received the 2023–2024 Provost Scholarship. My first co-op was as an Application Programmer at the Ontario Ministry of Health. There, I focused on data migration using Python and AWS, as well as report generation with IBM Cognos. I also did some data testing, though it wasn’t very technical, so I won’t elaborate much on that.
My current role is as a Data Analyst at Geotab, and honestly, I’m enjoying it even more. I’m surrounded by hardworking, smart people, and I’ve learned a lot—like building DAGs with Airflow and deploying them to production in Google BigQuery. I’m still in this role, so I’ll update this section as I learn more!
I spent my formative years in Singapore, where I completed my secondary and high school education. I was part of my high school badminton team and often performed at school events. I play a traditional Chinese instrument called the sanxian, which was quite a hit because many people had never seen it before. I’ve included a photo and a video of me playing below—so if you’ve read this far and you’re curious, feel free to scroll down and check it out!
"Cultivate discipline in your strategy, patience in your approach, and resilience in adversity. In the volatile world of trading, it's not just about making the right moves, but weathering the storms with unwavering confidence. Remember, success isn't just about the wins; it's about how you bounce back from the losses. Stay focused, stay sharp, and let your strategy speak volumes."
David Williams
The Video of Me and my friends hangout and play sanxian
My project manager, Azfar (center in the first picture)
is going on vacation, and today is the last day I’ll see him. I wanted to take a photo as a keepsake because he has been incredibly knowledgeable and has shared so much valuable advice with me.
The second picture features me with my fellow intern, who started four months before me and is in her second term here. She was incredibly helpful during my onboarding and has provided me with lots of valuable advice.
