Convocation ‘23: Noah Batiuk, BSc Computer Engineering Co-op

Noah Batiuk, BSc Computer Engineering Co-op

From LEGO to software development, an introduction to coding ignites a new passion, and a change of course.

Learn About the Program

As a child, LEGO was more than a play activity for Noah Batiuk — it was a formative experience that led directly to what he assumed, at the time, would be a career in mechanical engineering. Learning how to code in a first year programming course, however, changed the trajectory of Noah’s career path, steering him towards computer engineering, where he believed he could truly make his mark. 

As he developed skills in machine learning and interface design, Noah also took advantage of a diverse range of extracurricular opportunities, including various hackathon events where he was both a participant and a volunteer. 

His advice to current students is to get involved, and follow your passion wherever it leads. 

Congratulations Noah!

What led you to choose your current area of study, and why the U of A for your studies?

Engineering always seemed like the path for me. From when I was little, I had a knack for tinkering around and solving problems. I was a LEGO kid through and through, so engineering seemed like an easy choice. What surprised me was the 'computer' part – I was initially planning on becoming a mechanical engineer! After taking a first year programming course I fell in love with coding and decided to pursue it for my career. 

In high school I had the chance to visit the University of Alberta Rutherford Library while writing my International Baccalaureate (IB) essays, and absolutely fell in love with the campus. The U of A was a no-brainer for me after that!

What is one of your favourite memories from your time at the U of A?

The U of A Campus Cup Dodgeball Tournament took place right after my birthday in first year, and my teammates all surprised me with a cake when we grabbed food after the games! Caught me totally by surprise and was my favourite memory from the U of A. 

Tell us about your favourite professor and/or class.

My favorite professor was Abram Hindle. I took his virtual Introduction to Software Engineering class in third year, and it was one of my favourite lecture experiences. He kept a harp behind him at all times that he would play when asking questions to the class, and wove running jokes (such as deep dish pizza being the best pizza) through all of his in-class examples. I dressed up as him for the final lecture of the follow-up class and got a photo with him. 

Did you take on any leadership roles while you were a student? 

I had the amazing opportunity to helm HackED and HackED Beta during my time as an undergrad. They are the U of A Computer Engineering Club's flagship hackathon coding competitions. I put together a fully student-led organizer committee, and led the efforts to find sponsors, submit the events for approval, get participants and run the day-of event activities. HackED saw a record 541 attendees and was a tremendous event to have had the chance to run. Since then I've helped out with an additional seven hackathons, both on and off-campus, including natHACKS, APIC and the NASA Space Apps Challenge.

Did you face any significant obstacles or challenges during your program?

My third year of studies brought a particularly daunting set of classes. After a brutal midterm season, I decided I needed to cut back on my extracurriculars, and scaled back my involvement in one of my volunteering endeavors. I also dropped two classes to ensure I could manage the remaining ones. After making those changes, I was able to come out of the semester relatively unscathed.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

Get involved! The U of A is home to some of the greatest project teams, student clubs and not-for-profits that are out there and you never know what exciting opportunities can come around when you put yourself out there. 

How do you plan on celebrating convocation?

My friends and I are planning on hitting the WEM waterpark! 

What's next after graduation?

I'm currently on the hunt for a job as a software developer! I'd love to do either user interface or user experience (UI/UX) work or machine learning.