Through this panel I learned a lot about a variety of individuals and their experiences with CSA/CSP and how it carries over into further education and the real world. The main takeaways from the talk was how all the members found their passion in the field of computer science and focused on that. Even if CS is not your favorite, it is important for a lot of fields and can provide a helpful structure for other areas like aerospace and mechanical engineering. There are a lot of different roles that you can specialize in which benefit from a knowledge of CS. I can relate this to myself because personally, I am not specifically sure if I want to be a Computer Science major or engineer, but a solid background in coding and computer science will benefit me and a variety of fields. Another important message I received was to focus on your own path and not to be discouraged by others and their success. Sometimes I get caught up in comparing myself with others and get discouraged when others are more advanced than me. Work on yourself! It’s more important to have fun with it, so you can feel motivated to work and challenge yourself. By doing so, you won’t feel the need to cut corners or check boxes and actually try and learn. CSA and CSP also help develop team skills that are important for college and the world and can help you with internship and job opportunities that will help you pursue a successful career and future. For me personally, my skills that I’ve learned from CSP and other resources have helped me be successful in my job at CodeNinjas. Web development and CS is so important and useful in a variety of jobs. Overall, this panel has helped me understand other people’s experiences and reflect on how I want to shape my future in the field of CS. Finally, I learned that clubs and extracurriculars, work experience, and internships can set you apart from the rest. At the end of the day, most colleges cs is the same and your GPAs is probably similar to everyone else, but building connections can help you stand out and be successful.