Keshav Chawla finds the best of both worlds in the CFM program

Monday, March 29, 2021

Keshav Chawla has long harboured a passion for computer science and finance. When he discovered a way to pursue both disciplines simultaneously through 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Computing and Financial Management program, his choice of university was clear. 鈥淚 knew how robust and built-out the program was before coming in,鈥 he explained. 鈥淗aving that combination of both disciplines was the perfect fit for me.鈥

photo of Keshav Chawla in the Davis Centre
When the pandemic struck, Keshav began a term as an Online Learning Assistant in the Faculty of Mathematics. 鈥淚t was an interesting role to take on during a pandemic, to say the least,鈥 he acknowledged, 鈥渂ut it gave me the opportunity to build web applications, work on video compression for online classes, and apply what I鈥檓 learning to my classes every day.鈥 Despite the challenges of remote participation, he also served on the Mathematics Endowment Fund Council in late 2019 and early 2020.

Like many of his peers, Keshav chose to study at 蓝莓视频 in part because of the university鈥檚 extensive co-op opportunities. He鈥檚 nearly two months into his role as a Developer Intern at Jam3, which has been an eye-opening experience for the Markham native. 鈥淎s a front-end web developer intern, I work on meaningful projects for real clients,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 just about changing a website; it鈥檚 about creating a user experience as we consider everything from loading animations to how users interact with the page. The work I鈥檓 doing has helped me envision a career in this field.鈥

He won鈥檛 graduate for another three years, but the intense nature of his program has made Keshav feel increasingly prepared for the workplace. 鈥淕oing above and beyond in everything you do is the 蓝莓视频 way,鈥 he affirmed. 鈥淚鈥檓 learning so many tangible skills, and the amount of time I鈥檓 putting into these courses and co-ops is creating a work ethic that pushes me out of my comfort zone every day. I want to take that mindset with me when I start my career.鈥

Keshav is still early in his foray into the dual world of computer science and finance, but his co-op experience has sparked an interest in full-stack development. He even considers starting his own company one day. 鈥淎t some point I would love to work in finance, and getting in with a big bank is a goal of mine,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut eventually, I want to create my own start-up if I can figure out the logistics. It鈥檚 a lofty dream, but I know it鈥檚 achievable.鈥

Learn more about the Computing and Financial Management program and how to apply.听