Born in Oakland but raised in Fresno, Christopher comes from a family of five and is the oldest of three children. With a fascination for technology and hardware modding that grew from an early age, his academic attention was drawn to the realm of computer science, influenced by a middle school teacher who equated programmers to modern-day magicians. At the same time, he discovered a love for mathematics, education, and teaching in high school, where he helped with an ambitious project that aimed to correct and complete Euclid’s original works using set theory.

The transition from University High School to Fresno State was a smooth one, thanks to their shared campus and resources. Driven by a desire to stay local and evade student debt, the choice to enroll at Fresno State was an obvious one. It was during his college years that he began delving into the practical aspects of his chosen field, gaining real-world IT experience at Diagnostic Center Central.

Currently interning at the Hub of Digital Transformation and Innovation (DXI) as a Developer Intern, Christopher has begun to transition his software engineering knowledge from the classroom to the field. His ultimate aspiration, shaped by a deeply rooted passion for education and a commitment to improving student lives, is to work with a state university as a software engineer. With his anticipated graduation coming next spring, Christopher is one step closer to merging his love for education with his technical prowess to make a lasting impact in the field of education.

Maria Tomaz was born and raised in a small city in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Since a young age, she has been fascinated by the world of creativity and has possessed an innate curiosity about how things work. Growing up in a community that faced numerous challenges, Maria witnessed the transformative power of education, not just for herself but also for her family. Inspired by her mother’s pursuit of a high school degree at the age of 39, Maria was driven by the desire to create a brighter future for herself and serve as a role model to her family and community.

Upon completing high school in 2016, Maria embarked on an exciting journey in 2017 to explore new opportunities. She participated in an after-high school program in her city, immersing herself in various subjects such as graphic design, HTML, and logic courses. It was during this time, Maria discovered her profound interest in technology and the infinite possibilities it offered.

In pursuit of her dreams, Maria decided to move to the United States in 2018 to study English and pursue her passion for basketball. She began her academic and athletic career at Odessa College in Texas, where she earned a full athletic scholarship. During her initial two years, she explored different classes and disciplines, ultimately finding her true calling in computer science and deciding to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the field.

During the summer of 2020, Maria transferred to Fresno State, to pursue her undergraduate degree in Computer Science while being an integral part of the Women’s Basketball team. Maria believes that the skills she learned being an athlete will complement her computer science skills as she aspires to become a front-end developer and make a significant impact in the world of technology by creating innovative business solutions.

In addition to her commitment as a full-time student-athlete at Fresno State, Maria serves as an intern at the Hub of Digital Transformation and Innovation (DXI). Through this opportunity, she is able to obtain valuable experience related to her desired career path, nurturing her skills, knowledge, and passion for technology.

Jamie Xiong was born and raised in Fresno, CA. She always enjoys doing art but had a passion to do things involving technology too. Graphic design was introduced to her and immediately, Jamie knew that was the start of what she wanted to pursue. She had transferred over from Fresno City Community College to Fresno State College in the fall of 2021. Jamie is currently a junior at Fresno State and plans to pursue her master’s after graduating. She had been on the President’s List since she had transferred over and hoped to achieve that great accomplishment until graduation. 

In 2022, Jamie officially joined the Bachelor of Fine Art in graphic design emphasizing on the interactive multimedia track. She became passionate to create meaningful and intuitive user-experience as she learned more about different graphic design roles. Through being given the chance to experience multimedia platforms, Jamie became interested in the UX/UI design and hopes to pursue that career in the future. 

She is also a UX/UI intern at the Hub of Digital Transformation and Innovation. Her role at the DXI is to collaborate on projects, design/research with fundamental UX and UI principles, and graphic designing. This opportunity helps her gain experience with better communication, hands-on design experience, stronger understanding of user-focus, and collaborating skills. Some of Jamie’s favorite things to do during her free time is to spend time with her friends and family, hiking, shopping, and watching movies.

Tiffany was born and raised in Fresno, California.  She is a passionate individual with a deep curiosity about the design world. From a young age, she always knew she wanted to become a form of designer and make a positive impact on the lives of others. It wasn’t until she went to Fresno City Community College that she realized she had a passion for graphic design. She graduated from Fresno City Community College Spring of 2021 with her Associate in Studio Art and transferred over to Fresno State. Tiffany is currently a senior at Fresno State and will be graduating in Spring of 2024. She has been on the Dean’s list twice and twice on the President’s list since she transferred over; she hopes to keep up this achievement until she graduates. 

In Fall of 2022, Tiffany joined the Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design emphasis in interactive multimedia track. As her knowledge of diverse graphic design roles expanded, it ignited her fervor for crafting visually and meaningful work. After she graduates, she hopes to embark on a career path where she can apply her skills and creativity to shape engaging digital experiences.

At DXIHub, she has the privilege of working as a digital communication & program engager. Her role is to create meaningful interactions, improving user experiences, and maximizing the impact of digital programs and initiatives. This experience has opened her eyes to the vast potential for innovation in technology. Looking forward, she is enthusiastic about the chance to further develop at DXIHub. She is eager to contribute her skills, collaborate with teammates, and help drive the mission of this program. During her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, go on roadtrips, and shop online.

Rachel Ann was born and raised in Selangor, Malaysia where she graduated from high school. Growing up she always knew that she was going to further her studies in the United States because her parents, who are Southern Illinois University graduates, wanted her to follow their footsteps and earn an American Degree as well. After finishing high school in 2018, she enrolled into an American Degree Transfer Program in INTI majoring in computer science. Her plans to transfer for Spring 2021 were obstructed due to the Covid pandemic, but this gave her the opportunity to learn more about UX/UI design and its capabilities. Not only will it be a secure job, it’s also an in-demand career field for the foreseeable future. With that new found discovery and interest, she decided to make the switch from computer science to graphic design, interactive multimedia design.

In the Spring of 2022, she started her journey as a graphic design major aiming to get into the interactive multimedia design track which she eventually got into in Fall 2023. Her interest for web design and development shined during this period as she started to learn more about what CSS and HTML can do, as well as exploring more about motion graphics. Rachel’s goal is to graduate with a 4.0 GPA in 2025 and hopefully land an opportunity here in the United States to work as a UX/UI designer.

Besides all that, Rachel Ann was offered the Communications and Program Engagement Internship at the DXIHub. Her role gives her the opportunity to practice her communication and presentation skills as she goes around with the DXI team to share more about the programs that they have developed. She is also excited to have the opportunity to expand on her UX/UI skills as she creates graphics and utilizes her eye for aesthetics to provide her takes and ideas on web design at the hub.

Mingkuan Pang was born and raised in Nanning, China where he completed high school. Mingkuan’s interest in programming was sparked when he witnessed his classmates in China competing in the International Collegiate Programming Contest and being honored with a medal for their achievement. He subsequently decided to move to California to be closer to relatives and to pursue a career in computer science.

Mingkuan seized the opportunity to attend Fresno State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Mingkuan continues his academic journey. He is currently a graduate student working toward his Master of Science degree at the same institution.

Earlier this year, Mingkuan had the honor of joining the Hub of Digital Transformation (DXIHub) as a back-end developer intern. This opportunity allows him to apply his expertise and contribute to innovative projects alongside a team of talents. He appreciates that the program not only provides him hands-on experience, but also allows him to further develop his analytical and problem-solving skills. The internship program serves as a pivotal opportunity for Mingkuan’s cherished aspiration to land a position with miHoYo, a well-recognized and enterprising video game development and publishing company.

Yamileth Martinez Gomez was born in Mexico in the city of Chapala, Jalisco. She was raised there until the age of 9. She then moved to the United States to the city of Sacramento where her family currently resides. She loves to visit her family in Sacramento and in Mexico and spend time with her loved ones. One of her current hobbies is pilates. She is currently working to get her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business. She decided to attend Fresno State because of the agriculture program.

During her time at Fresno State she has been involved in the ACRS 21 program and Ag Ambassadors. She is the current Industry and Alumni Outreach chair for the Fresno State Agriculture Business Club. She has attended the HACU Annual Conference where she was sponsored by the USDA. As well as attending the IFPA career pathways program. She has also had 2 internships through Fresno State, one in the USDA Forest Service in the Sierra National Forest where she got to live for 3 months in the foothills in a town called North Fork which has the exact center of California. Recently she was an exchange student in the Azores, Portugal. She got to live a month in Terceira which is a volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Currently she is a Senior and is working as a DXI intern as the program assistant and event planning. After graduating she would like to work for the USDA or in the Fresh Produce or Wine  industry. She always looks forward to every end of the year to spend Christmas and New Years with her family in Mexico.

Nathan Dooley was born and raised in Fresno, CA in 2002. He always likes to be creative in everything he does. His interest was sparked in Video Production after taking a class in his senior year of high school at the Center of Advanced Research and Technology. Nathan took it upon himself to further his education by teaching himself in video editing softwares such as: Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Blender. He considers himself to be an active learner where he is constantly seeking new classes and new opportunities that provided supporting backbone to his product. With his creativity he brings a unique style to his products. Nathan is also great at listening to his audience and providing professional feedback to meet the needs of his clientele. 

Nathan attended Clovis Community while actively filming at events, doing commission work, and networking. His work has led him to produce videos in L.A with the “SRGN Academy“ and in Oakland with “The Campus“. He also has experience in evolving their social media platforms with creative reels and video production commercials. In his journey, Nathan continues his education and began his first semester at Fresno State Fall 2023 majoring in Mass Communication and Journalism with an emphasis on Film and Media Arts. 

This semester, Nathan joined the Hub of Digital Transformation (DXIHub) as a Graphic, 3D/VR, and MultiMedia Designer. In his unique, creative and professional style, Nathan is excited to share his expertise in the multimedia world with his team.