Hey, i'm Max! i'm a sophomore at UIUC studying business (Information Systems + Marketing).
I grew up a creative kid with a wild imagination, sketching fake shoe designs and building imaginary cities with legos. those early habits stuck, and now i'm vibecoding with AI tools like Cursor and building projects outside (and sometimes during) class.
When i'm not studying or working on projects, you'll find me at the gym, running, or catching late-night hoop sessions with friends.
I grew up a pretty quiet, creative kid.
Most of my time was either spent outside playing tag or basketball, or inside building with Legos and doodling fake shoe designs in a notebook. I used to make detailed maps of imaginary cities, and I was weirdly into cruise ships and skyscrapers (still kinda am lol). For a while, I wanted to be an architect or civil engineer, mostly because I thought skyscrapers were the coolest thing ever.
I'm a second gen Chinese American, and I have a twin brother.
I was your typical try-hard Asian kid. Grinding for all A's and never had a tardy in school, which I wore like a badge of honor haha. I played basketball since 4th grade and ran cross country since 7th grade, which sparked my love for running.
Introverted by nature, but always building or daydreaming about something.
Currently, I'm a sophomore at UIUC studying business.
Lately, I've been focused on learning outside the classroom. Building small vibecoded projects, messing around with ideas, and getting more comfortable sharing my thoughts online. I've been vibecoding with AI tools like Cursor, lifting, running, and hooping more. But also leaving time for family and friends.
Some goals I'm working toward right now:
Right now, I'm in that weird in-between stage. Excited for what's ahead but also a little anxious about the choices I'll need to make.
I've always been a planner and a bit of a perfectionist, so taking messy action doesn't come naturally. But I'm learning.
This season of life is about experimenting, building, and figuring things out as I go. I'm trying to care less about getting everything "right" and more about just doing the reps and learning out loud.
If you're also figuring it out, or just down to chat, I'm always open to meeting new people on a similar path.