Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet! I like to to use this space as both a showcase of my work and a time capsule of my thoughts. I find myself feeling perpetually reminiscent on the past projects and and experiences I’ve had, and wanted a central place to showcase them ~ all with a bit of inner monologue.
Let me introduce myself… ☀️
If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Aava, a 2B Systems Design Engineering Student studying at the University of Waterloo. I operate in the intersection of Older Adults, Creativity, and Software. Self described as a vibe curator, I enjoy creating welcoming and accessible environments, and working towards impactful causes. This decade, I am on my Side Quest Arc and am open to any and all opportunities! I’ll post some of my learning on here, so stay tuned…
My Work 💻
TLDR: Elaborations of my resume
Companies/Organizations
Technologies for Aging Gracefully Lab
Researcher; 2022-Present
⭐ Working on making consumer technologies relevent and accessible for older adults. 🤔 Curious about VR technolgoy applications in story telling and world creation for older adults. 🎈 BIG fan of Spatial, and their platform.
Intellijoint Surgical
iOS Software Developer Intern ; F23 (Sep. - Dec. 2023)
🚀 Intern Project was launched as a product by Intellijoint IJX, and Interventional Systems*! 😎 Got 100 Comments on my first PR… I learned a lot here… 👩💻Interfaced between Swift and Objective C code bases… had to make a lot of Objective C wrappers…
ecobee
iOS Software Developer Intern ; W23 (Jan. - Apr 2023)
🐣 First time developing in iOS… Went through all the apple Tutorials 🛫 Shipped some CTA buttons, and integrated ecobee Contact into Homeowners app for Smart Security App. 🏃♀️➡️ Ran a bunch of Co-op events, including Assassins, and game nights!
Projects
- Navcare: A shift route optimizer for Personal Support Workers, aiming to address daily time lost in commute Personal
- Water Wheel: A water sensor system to help individuals keep better track of their water consumption
- Knit: A video calling app that connects older adults with each other to connect and make new friendships! (Older adult omegle but more monitored and moderated)
- Tora: Information app that connects grassroots activits with new activists to help onboard them onto movements effectively, trying to minimize the amount of misinformation spread on social media.
Curiosities 💭
- Design for older adults and facilitation of intergenerational knowledge transfer
- Sustainable work life balance
- Anti hyper-attention society budling
- How to build a more sustainable tech society
- How to build sustainable and welcoming multidisciplinary creator environments
Interests ✨
I have a vivid appreciation for the animation film medium and love watching animated films, tv shows, and other forms of media. If you are the same, and have some recommendations, please reach out! Here are some of my favorite works/creators so far:
- Fernanda Dias Artwork
- One Day - Netflix Series
- Blue Eye Samurai
- Arcane
- Violet Evergarden
- Makoto Shinkai
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Love, Death, Robots
Reading List 📚
- When Breath Meets Air (should I go to med school???)
- The Burnout Society (pending)
- Atomic Habits
- Kaikeyi
- They Both Die at the End
- The Nightingale
- An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
Cool People 🍻
Meet some of my friends…