CarletonComputerScienceSociety · ryangchung · Feb 25, 2026 · Feb 25, 2026
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+---
+title: "Alvin's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Alvin Kapoor"
+position: "Director of Academics"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+You're trying to avoid falling behind while balancing deadlines and lectures.
+
+Better support is what you need: easily accessible materials, productive study sessions, and someone who pays attention to courses.
+
+I've assisted in running review sessions and volunteered with CCSS, so I've seen what works and what doesn't.
+
+### What’s not working for you
+- Rather than working with others, you tend to grind alone.
+- Some classes seem more difficult than they actually are because there isn't organized support for them.
+- Study resources are scattered across random links, Discords, and old files, so just figuring out where to start is work.
+
+### What I’ll fix if you elect me
+1. **Well structured study sessions**
+- Sessions centered on the specific subjects you claim to be having difficulty with, utilizing test results and feedback.
+- Priority on the classes you tell me are difficult at the moment, not just the ones you take every year.
+
+Goal: You don't just take more notes when you arrive; you leave with a greater sense of confidence in your knowledge.
+
+2. **One hub for all your resources**
+- Links to practice questions, previous session slides, and "start here" guides are all in one location.
+- Increase the size of current question repositories so that more courses—rather than just one or two—have adequate practice banks.
+- Make it simple to locate what best suits your exam and course style. 
+
+Goal: You know exactly where to start when you sit down to study.
+
+3. **An easy way to be heard**
+- An easy way to express what isn't working in a course.
+- Convert that into polite, targeted criticism and deliver it to the appropriate faculty or teaching staff.
+
+Goal: Goal: When a course has clear problems, you shouldn't feel like you're complaining in vain.
+
+If you want your courses to feel a bit less like chaos and more like something you can actually stay on top of, I’d love your **VOTE ALVIN KAPOOR** for **Director of Academics**.
+
+- ＡＬＶＩＮ　ＫＡＰＯＯＲ
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+---
+title: "Ming's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Ming Zhou"
+position: "Director of Academics"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+WHY I’M RUNNING
+
+Computer Science isn’t just challenging anymore — it’s hell and uncertain.
+
+ Layoffs, rising hiring standards, and rapid changes in technology have made one thing clear: working hard is no longer enough if we don’t know what actually matters.
+
+Many students are constantly busy: assignments, side projects, interview prep, but still unsure whether they are building the right skills for co-op and beyond.
+
+I am running to strengthen the connection between academics and career preparation. CCSS Academics should not only help students pass courses: it should help students navigate the broader CS journey with clarity and direction.
+
+IF ELECTED, I WILL DELIVER:
+1. Coursework-to-Career Playbooks\
+I will create structured guides that connect Carleton courses to real-world outcomes. These will explain:
+- What practical skills each core course builds
+- How those skills appear in technical interviews
+- How to turn assignments into portfolio-quality work
+- How to study strategically instead of blindly
+
+The goal is to reduce confusion and give students purpose in their coursework.
+
+2. Career Path Toolkits (SWE / AI / Cyber / Systems / DevOps/embedded) \
+Concise guides outlining:
+- Core skills required
+- Recommended course paths
+- Relevant tech stacks
+- Interview focus areas
+- Example project directions
+
+This helps students stop collecting random tools and start building a coherent career story.
+
+3. Personal Project Pipeline (Start → Ship → Present) \
+A structured roadmap covering:
+- How to choose meaningful projects
+- Beginner → intermediate → advanced project progression
+- Avoiding tutorial-only portfolios
+- Writing strong project descriptions for resumes and GitHub
+
+
+The goal is more finished, impactful and industry needed projects, half-complete repositories.
+
+4. Alumni & Senior Student Reality Series \
+Invite upper-year students, co-op students, and recent graduates to share:
+- What actually helped them secure interviews
+- Mistakes they made and lessons learned
+- How they balanced coursework and career preparation
+- What they would do differently
+
+Real experiences provide clarity that generic advice cannot.
+
+5. Academic-to-Opportunity Bridge \
+Work with professors and labs to surface opportunities where students can contribute to real tools, scripts, or systems when possible. This creates pathways for practical experience beyond traditional co-op roles.
+
+MY APPROACH
+
+I will focus on practical, structured initiatives that can be implemented within one term and improved over time.
+
+If you believe CCSS Academics should provide clarity, direction, and real preparation for today’s competitive environment, I would appreciate your support.
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+---
+title: "Rieley's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Rieley Hunt"
+position: "Director of Academics"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+https://rieley.ca/platform
+
+Hi everyone! I'm Rieley, a 4th year Computer Science student here at Carleton. I have been a TA for many courses including COMP1805 and COMP1405. I have also been the President of the Carleton Music Club for almost a year now. It would be no overstatement to say that I am well versed in organizing and realizing large-scale student initiatives. 
+
+Having worked both with instructors and directly with students, I understand something important:
+
+Academic support only works when it's structured, consistent, and accessible.
+
+If elected, here's what I will focus on:
+
+### Structured Study Support
+
+I will:
+- Coordinate midterm and final review sessions well in advance
+- Create consistent formats for sessions 
+- Recruit strong upper year students and past TAs to lead them
+- Expand support beyond just 2804/2402 into high-demand courses
+
+My goal here is to have predictable, reliable academic support every semester.
+
+### A Clear Student to Faculty Feedback Pipeline
+
+Students often feel like their concerns go unheard.
+
+I will:
+  - Create structured feedback forms per course
+  - Compile trends and communicate them directly to instructors
+  - Follow up publicly (where appropriate) so students know their voices were heard
+
+Constructive communication, not complaints about the courses themselves, leads to real improvement.
+
+### Making Research Less Intimidating
+
+Many students are curious about research but do not know where to start. As someone who has taken on a DSRI (Dean Summer Research Internship), which turned into a Research Assistant role, I have working knowledge of learning where to start.
+
+I will:
+ - Create guides and resources explaining DSRI, honours projects, undergrad research, and grad school paths.
+ - Connect interested students with professors seeking research assistants. 
+
+### Making Myself Available
+
+If elected as a member of the CCSS board, I plan to make myself available to the entire student body. This means staying active in the Discord server, hanging out in the CCSS lounge, conducting regular surveys, and continuing my TAing efforts throughout various COMP courses.
+
+As someone who has been through it all, I plan to help students with any questions or concerns they may have about the Carleton Computer Science program, and to help those whose voices should be heard.
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+---
+title: "Sarah's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Sarah Adnan"
+position: "Director of Academics"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+Hi everyone! I'm Sarah and I'm currently going into my second year of computer science in the cyber security stream. 
+
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I want to run as Director of Academics at the Carleton Computer Science Society. I've always been really passionate about creating an environment for my fellow peers where they feel supported, safe and empowered to succeed. Throughout my time in Carleton as a computer science student, I understand that right academic support is really important to succeed. A quiet place to study with like-minded people, access to practice problems, and a conversation with a person in the field can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling capable. I want to help build that support system for others. What really intrigued me about this position was its collaborative nature, and the fact that I'm going to be able to work and connect with many people.
+
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If elected one of my top priorities would be to expand the study sessions. I would make it so that it has a clear schedule prioritizing midterm and finals season so people can drop in whenever they need help. I will also recruit upper-year students who have done well in the course to lead these study sessions and offer advice. In addition to that, I would love to highlight different academic pathways beyond coursework, such as undergraduate research, internships and graduate programs. Hosting Q&A sessions or a discussion board with professors and other students who have pursued these opportunities can be helpful to students who didn’t know about these pathways and encourage them to explore beyond it as well. Overall, I am committed to making academic support more accessible and visible within the computer science community at Carleton. I don’t want students to feel alone in their academic journey and that there are always resources and people ready to support them. 
+
+Thank you so much for your consideration and have a great day!
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+---
+title: "Sofia's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: 'Sofia Alhennawi'
+position: "Director of Academics"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+Hey everyone!! I’m Sofia, and I’m running for Director of Academics because I genuinely care about making Computer Science more accessible, more supportive, and less overwhelming!
+
+To be honest, CS is a lot. We all know it. Confusing assignments, late night debugging, unsure of how to study, andddd imposter syndrome… feeling like you’re behind even when you’re trying your best... I know. It’s not easy, but I’m here to make sure YOU can easily access useful resources that will help you thrive!
+
+As a First Year Representative, I’ve heard it all, the 3 a.m. debugging breakdowns, the “wait… what is this assignment asking?”, the pre-midterm panic. And it’s made one thing clear: structured, accessible support isn’t optional, it’s a must.
+
+If elected, I will:
+
+📚Organize Study Groups
+- Where you get to meet other students in your courses
+- A place to study together
+- Teamwork and collaboration
+
+🧠 Provide Academic Resources
+- Provide practice materials for multiple COMP courses
+- Advice from upper-year students
+- Study strategies tailored to different classes
+
+💼 Earlier Career & Technical Skill Preparation
+- Have technical interview prep sessions
+- Resume workshops
+- Internship prep
+
+Thank you so much for reading! :)
+
+Feel free to reach out on Discord: **sofia_a_33085** \
+Follow my campaign Instagram: **@sofiafirstyearrep**
+
+### ⭐ Vote SOFIA for Director of Academics! ⭐
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+---
+title: "Harshita's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Harshita Gupta"
+position: "Director of Content Creation"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+Ever had a conversation with a prof, classmate, or an upper-year student and walked away thinking "_wow, I would've never known that if they hadn't told me_"? I definitely have.🙋‍♀️ 
+
+Maybe it was job search advice that actually helped. Shared struggles in a course that made you feel less alone (looking at you Discrete Structures). A cool CS opportunity you didn't even know existed. All the stuff that spreads through word of mouth meaning most of us never hear it.
+
+Most of us are chronically online anyway, so why not have these things shared digitally? I know what you're thinking: "_we already have a CCSS Instagram, website, discord…_" - Well I think I speak for a lot of us when I say we don't just want event posters. We want more relatable, helpful, and engaging content that actually captures what it's like to be a Carleton CS student!
+
+And well that's the gap I want to fill! My name is Harshita and I'm a third-year CS student who's lived (and struggled) through this program long enough to know what's missing and that's why I'm running for **Director of Content Creation**!
+
+**What I Want to Build:**
+
+- **Turn events into content people actually watch**: CCSS puts so much effort into workshops, events, and tech talks. I want to make sure that energy doesn't just disappear when the room clears out. If you missed it, you shouldn't feel like you missed everything. Think highlight reels, short videos, etc.
+
+- **Practical guides/short reels for the stuff nobody teaches you**: What do you put on a resume with no experience? What do you even say at a networking event? I want to make guides for the "stuff no one tells you about" and for the questions we're all googling at 3am during our mid-life crisis crashouts (can't just be me 😔). 
+
+- **Bring in people worth hearing from**: Alumni, grad students, engineers, recruiters - there's genuinely so much useful insight just one conversation away. I want to create interview content that feels more like a podcast episode than a career fair booth.
+
+- **Content that makes you feel seen!**: Being in the cs program can sometimes feel isolating behind a screen. I want to create content that reminds you you're not alone in this - relatable struggles, shared experiences, memes, and more. 
+
+This also includes:
+- **Student Spotlights**: cool projects, niche hobbies, internship experiences, etc.
+- **Professor Spotlights**: quick, informal, fun features with the faculty! (I genuinely want to know what my professor's favourite TV shows are)
+
+Wow, you actually read all that - you're a real one 😎 Thanks for reading! I look forward to creating the kind of content that should be reaching every student in this program.
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+---
+title: "Karthi's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Karthi Kanthavel"
+position: "Director of Content Creation"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+What's up!! Hello guys, My name is **Karthi Kanthavel** and I am currently the First Year Representative who runs a lot of the CCSS Instagram Reels (yes… the ones you actually watched).
+
+I genuinely enjoy making **fun**, relatable content that gets students to pay attention instead of scrolling past.
+
+I’m the type of person who likes to plan things properly, stay involved, and actually listen to students.
+
+My goal is simple: make CCSS feel more alive, visible, and student-focused.
+
+If elected, I will:
+
+- Keep dropping banger reels that are fun, silly, and more engaging for the CCSS community
+
+- Make sure more people know what CCSS is doing (no more “wait… this event was today?”).
+
+- Stay approachable and present so students always have someone to reach out to.
+
+- Bring fun and creative ideas that bring our CCSS community together.
+
+- Build on what’s already cooking and push our engagement even higher.
+
+The reason why I am running for director of content creation is because I love creating content, supporting students, and bringing energy to this community and **I’m lowkey just getting started 🔥**
+
+### Vote for Karthi AND I promise the reels will only get better from here 😌🔥
+
+Checkout my Instagram for more :D: @karthi_fyr
+
+Feel free to reachout on Discord: karthi.k
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+---
+title: "Adrian's Platform"
+date: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Adrian Ponce"
+position: "Director of Finance"
+year: "2026-2027"
+---
+
+Hello everyone! My name is Adrian Ponce. I’m a Computer Science Software Engineering student entering my third year while minoring in Finance. My vision as your Director of Finance is built on three pillars:
+
+### 1. 📈Strengthening our society’s financial stability:
+
+A critical window to strengthen our society’s financial future relies on Ontario’s historic $6.4 billion investment in the postsecondary sector, which is stabilizing university budgets and expanding high-demand programs like computer science. As Director of Finance, I will ensure the CCSS is ready to take advantage of this moment by planning strategically, managing our resources responsibly, and advocating for new funding and opportunities our growing community deserves. This is the ideal time for strong leadership to secure additional university support and funding so we can better serve every CCSS member.
+
+### 2. 🚀Raising new funding that aligns with our society's core values:
+
+As your Director of Finance, the following strengths of our society will be my priority. They are the experiences that define our society and enrich your time in the program.
+
+**Professional Events with Industry Speakers**: These events help us understand the jobs of tomorrow and how to prepare for them today by exposing us to:
+- Future career paths 
+- Skills and qualities employers are looking for
+- Real-world insights into the tech industry
+
+**Community, Networking, and Student Life**: Activities like hackathons, game nights, and movie nights are more than just fun. They help you:
+- Expand your connections
+- Strengthen friendships
+- Grow academically, socially, and professionally
+
+**My Plan For Creating Funding Opportunities**: My strategy is simple - play the numbers game and maximize our reach. I will contact tech companies, especially startups and growing companies seeking talent. I will work with fellow members of CCSS to secure guest speakers, sponsorships, and donations. In exchange, we will offer direct access to a talented pool of students seeking professional opportunities (ie. co-ops). It’s a win-win model that strengthens both our society and your career prospects.
+
+**Merchandise: Hoodies, T-Shirts, and More**: I will introduce CCSS merchandise so students can proudly represent their program and faculty: 
+- Students vote on design options →
+- Winning design becomes official merch →
+- Hoodies, t-shirts, and other items can now be purchased →
+- Portion of the profit goes directly back to CCSS 🌟
+
+This creates both community spirit and a sustainable revenue stream to support future events.
+
+### 3. 🔎Ensuring full transparency in how your money is used:
+As Director of Finance, I will ensure complete transparency by:
+- Posting weekly budget updates on the CCSS website
+- Clearly outlining how funds are allocated
+- Ensuring spending aligns with student priorities
+
+You will always know where your money is going.
+
+As we look ahead to a year full of opportunity and possibility, I’m asking for your trust and your vote. I’m ready to work hard, advocate for our needs, and build a stronger financial future for the CCSS that best serves you. Thank you!
+
+Questions? Feel free to reach me at:
+
+🐦‍⬛Cmail: joaquinponce@cmail.carleton.ca \
+🐦‍⬛Discord: adrianponce1