{"686786":{"#nid":"686786","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Teaching and Entrepreneurship Shape Computing Grad\u2019s Experience","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOluwatooni \u201cTooni\u201d Alade, a graduating computer science (CS) student, has spent her college years exploring technology through a variety of lenses: teaching foundational courses, interning at leading tech companies, and pursuing her entrepreneurial ambitions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlade\u2019s interest in computing began at Elite Scholars Academy, a magnet high school in Clayton County, Georgia, where she used Scratch to create an asteroid-avoidance game in her AP Computer Science Principles course.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven though it was simple, figuring out the logic for randomness and movement was challenging for someone brand-new to programming. Building that game opened my eyes to what programming could do and sparked my curiosity about storytelling and building interactive things,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Alade embraced opportunities to explore research, entrepreneurship, and internships. Serving as a teaching assistant (TA) for the School of Computing Instruction shaped her problem-solving approach.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe better I understand the topics, the better I can explain them in ways that are simple and clear for beginners. Even though the course material stayed the same, I learned something new each semester,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlade emphasizes that the community she found in the College of Computing shaped much of her growth at Tech. She said the people she met as a TA and the broader College community \u201cplayed a major role in helping me grow and enjoy my experience at Tech.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer experience outside the classroom was just as formative. Internships at Reddit, JP Morgan, Verizon, and General Motors exposed her to machine learning, user experience, interface design, and global IT projects. Those roles, she said, taught her the importance of asking questions, seeking guidance, and adapting quickly to new technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEntrepreneurship became another key thread in her time at Tech. Through the CREATE-X program, Alade and her co-founders launched Sensible, a Chrome extension that helps users make more sustainable online shopping choices.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was lucky enough to be part of the CREATE-X program at Tech and turned my junior design project into a real startup,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGoing from idea to prototype to launch in a single school year, placing second at Demo Day, and gaining users internationally all reinforced my belief in our product and in myself as a founder.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy co-founders also helped me get through the rigor of Tech, build my confidence as an engineer, and flourish as a person.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, Alade will continue her master\u2019s degree while interning at Datadog in New York City this spring. She then plans to join Bloomberg full-time and continue growing Sensible through the CREATE-X Startup Launch program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReflecting on her time at Tech, Alade emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship. One person who has been particularly influential is School of Computing Instruction Interim Chair Mary Hudachek-Buswell. Alade TA\u2019d for five semesters for Hudachek-Buswell\u2019s CS 1332 \u003Cem\u003EData Structures and Algorithms\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027ve truly appreciated all of her work, effort, and commitment to us as TAs and the life she\u0027s breathed into me as a person,\u201d Alade said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also offers advice to current students, highlighting the value of mastering foundational concepts.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPractice is what makes perfect. Rewrite the algorithms, understand their steps, and know why their runtimes behave the way they do. It will make the rest of your time at Tech and in the workforce so much easier,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academics, Alade encourages students to build relationships and take advantage of the Tech community.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGo to office hours, ask questions, and build connections. The confidence and support you gain will carry you far academically and professionally,\u201d she said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOluwatooni \u201cTooni\u201d Alade, a graduating computer science (CS) student, has spent her college years exploring technology through a variety of lenses: teaching foundational courses, interning at leading tech companies, and pursuing her entrepreneurial ambitions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlade\u2019s interest in computing began at Elite Scholars Academy, a magnet high school in Clayton County, Georgia, where she used Scratch to create an asteroid-avoidance game in her AP Computer Science Principles course.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Oluwatooni \u201cTooni\u201d Alade, a graduating computer science (CS) student, has spent her college years exploring technology through a variety of lenses: teaching foundational courses, interning at leading tech companies, and pursuing her entrepreneurial ambiti"}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2025-12-08 17:29:57","changed_gmt":"2025-12-08 18:54:01","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678781":{"id":"678781","type":"image","title":"toonicopy1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlade graduates with a CS degree this month. Photo provided by Alade.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni ","file":{"fid":"262856","name":"toonicopy1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":273156,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy1.jpg?itok=6Zcxge3J"}},"678782":{"id":"678782","type":"image","title":"tooni2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlade presents with her team at Demo Day as part of the CREATE-X program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni","file":{"fid":"262857","name":"tooni2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":23354,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni2.jpg?itok=fIvOnzm9"}},"678783":{"id":"678783","type":"image","title":"tooni3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlade presents with her team during the CREATE-X program\u0027s demo day.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni","file":{"fid":"262858","name":"tooni3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":24912,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/tooni3.jpg?itok=oMmHK-1s"}},"678784":{"id":"678784","type":"image","title":"toonicopy5.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlade served as a teaching assistant (TA) for 5 semesters. She and fellow TAs meet up outside of class to do activities like hike. Photos provided by Alade.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni","file":{"fid":"262862","name":"toonicopy5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":940933,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/toonicopy5.jpg?itok=L40CUg8p"}},"678785":{"id":"678785","type":"image","title":"toonireddit.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOne of Alade\u0027s internships included one at Reddit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni","file":{"fid":"262863","name":"toonireddit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonireddit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonireddit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":934126,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/toonireddit.jpg?itok=aj6fbbtv"}},"678786":{"id":"678786","type":"image","title":"toonita.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlade served as a TA for CS 1332 Data Structures and Algorithms, taught by Mary Hudachek-Buswell, who brought in her dog Moana to meet the group.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765215046","gmt_created":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","changed":"1765215046","gmt_changed":"2025-12-08 17:30:46","alt":"Tooni","file":{"fid":"262864","name":"toonita.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonita.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/08\/toonita.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":513878,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/08\/toonita.jpg?itok=wLcjlBp_"}}},"media_ids":["678781","678782","678783","678784","678785","678786"],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"187877","name":"CREATE-X Capstone"},{"id":"194473","name":"graduation 2025"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}