Name: Sarah Taaher Bonna
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
What is your hometown? Singapore
Program at BU? MS in Computer Science
Please briefly introduce yourself, what’s your background, where are you from, why are you studying at BU GRS?
I am Sarah Taaher Bonna from Singapore. I did my undergraduate in Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore. I chose to pursue an MS in Computer Science for two reasons: I wanted to gain research experience, as I did not have any prior experience researching as an undergraduate, and to deepen my knowledge in the various fields within Computer Science.
Why did you choose to come to BU for your graduate degree?
There were two factors I looked at when choosing a university: the location and the faculty. BU has both— it is located right in the heart of Boston and has world-class faculty.
What are your favorite spots on the BU Campus?
My favorite spots on BU’s Campus are the Ziskind Lounge at GSU, the BU Beach, and the CAS Think Tank.
What is your favorite part about attending BU and studying in the US?
My favorite part of attending BU has been meeting new people and learning new things. I got to know so many people with different backgrounds than mine whose experiences– technical or otherwise– have allowed me to look at my life and studies differently.
Experiencing the four seasons for the first time has been my favorite part of studying in the US. In Singapore, the weather is hot and humid, or raining all year, and I loved experiencing the change of seasons here. I was able to experience a little bit of the hot summer before transitioning to fall, where I saw the beautiful fall leaves and the slightly cool weather. After that came winter, where I saw snow in real life for the first time, which felt amazing. With spring came the beautiful views of flowers on trees, on the sidewalks, in the parks, etc. Honestly, after winter, the sight of green leaves on trees just felt great.
How is life in Boston?
It has been pretty good so far! There are tons of places to explore and recently, I have started taking advantage of the warmer weather to roam around parks and eat good food. My favorite parks to visit are Back Bay Fens and Boston Common and Public Garden. The views in both parks are breathtaking. I really enjoy trying new food places, and some of my favorite restaurants are Shah’s Halal Food, The Halal Guys and Chutney’s. The food at both restaurants are really good, and the variety offered means that there are quite a few food options to explore on each visit. Of course, bubble teas are a must in the warmer months. Gong Cha and Ten One Teahouse are my go-to spots when the craving hits.
What do you hope to do after you graduate?
I plan on getting back into the workforce, preferably related to the development side of software engineering. Of course, the plan may change – we never know where life will take us.