Teaching period: Fall 2024–Spring 2025
A different side of computer science.
From exploring computer science to helping others find their way into it.
- Roles
- Teaching Assistant · Peer Instructor
- Institution
- Columbia University
What is ESP?
The Emerging Scholars Program is a one-credit, student-taught introduction to the breadth of computer science at Columbia.
In weekly, hour-long sessions, classes of around 15 students explore areas such as algorithms, computer vision, and UI/UX design through explanations, collaborative activities, and conversations about where to go next.
From student to teacher
Spring 2024 · Student
I took ESP during my freshman spring while deciding whether to pursue computer science. It helped me see the different directions the field could take.
Fall 2024 · Teaching assistant
I returned the following semester to support the class and its activities, with a recent student’s perspective on what could feel unfamiliar or intimidating.
Spring 2025 · Teaching
I went on to teach the course, adapting the previous year’s slides and changing the material and emphasis to reflect the direction I wanted to take the sessions.
Inside a session
Each session paired an introduction to an area of CS with an activity students could work through together.
An algorithms session, for example, used a chocolate-based logic and strategy game to make the ideas tangible.
Alongside the concepts, we discussed relevant Columbia classes, professors, and opportunities so students had somewhere to take a new interest.
The wider program included guest conversations with students studying different areas, an opportunities-focused session, and an ESP research fair where professors presented their work.
What I value
I joined ESP looking for a clearer picture of computer science. Returning to teach meant helping create that opportunity for someone else.
I wanted students to leave with something they could act on: a concept that made sense, a class they wanted to take, or a question they felt comfortable asking.