Catchin' Up With a Cookie: Annie Seo
Annie Seo
2019 College Scholar, Emory University
Annie Seo is a backend Software Engineer at Salesforce. She is currently working on developing the schema in Data Cloud, one of the fastest growing clouds at Salesforce. Annie is a strong advocate for women in STEM, and often mentors others to help them break into tech. She is also the SF Bay Area Regional Chapter Leader for our Cooke Alumni and regularly hosts gatherings for our Cooke community. Throughout her free time, she enjoys baking cakes, traveling, and volunteering at a local piano camp.
What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?
Being a Cooke Scholar means having a wonderful and supportive community wherever I go. During Scholars Weekend when I met other Cooke Scholars for the first time, I felt like we all had a sense of mutual understanding of each other because of our similar backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. It was such an unique experience to share a space with so many people that I clicked with. Then throughout my college experience, my roommate (who is also a Cooke Scholar) and my Educational Adviser (shoutout to Karina!) were people that I could always rely on, whether it be things about school, the future, or just figuring out how to navigate life. Fast-forward to now as an Alum, I still feel this way whenever I meet other scholars at our Alumni events. It's wonderful to know that I'll have a community of Cooke Scholars to relate with, share a meal with, or to share our stories with no matter where life might take me.
Tell us about a memorable moment in undergrad or graduate school.
My most memorable moment in undergrad would be my senior piano recital in my last semester. It was my last performance as an undergraduate and all of my greatest supporters showed up to come watch and celebrate. Senior year was really busy and it's hard to have so many of your favorite people in the same space at the same time, so I really appreciated everyone showing up. It was also the last big project that I worked on with my piano professor, who I've studied with for the entire 4 years, so it was a bittersweet way to wrap up my piano journey at Emory.
What is ONE THING YOU DID TO HELP TRANSITION TO YOUR FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE?
Throughout college, my friends were a huge support system for me, and after I moved to a new city right after college, I knew I wanted to build a new community for myself there. I was able to meet new people and spark friendships organically by playing badminton with other people and going to Alumni hangouts, like the Cooke Alumni chapter! I was able to meet so many incredible people and I love hearing everyone's stories. The most hilarious part is when you realize everyone knows each other in some roundabout way.
What is your favorite part about staying connected to the cooke community?
Not only the supportive community, but also the opportunities for mentorship and networking! Recently, I was able to host a Cookie tour at my workplace where I helped Cooke Scholars understand the process of applying for internships, polishing their resume, and debunked common misconceptions about working in tech. As an undergraduate student, I've received numerous resources from Cooke Alumni on how to pursue my career goals that I will forever be so grateful for, so I love helping other scholars pursue their goals as well.
What was the last show you watched that you really enjoyed and highly recommended?
I've recently been watching The Bear and I highly recommend if you want to watch something that's an interesting mix of stressful and funny. The show often makes the most dire circumstances look hilarious.
If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?
I'm a huge fan of matcha and using rice flour in baked desserts so I would create a matcha mochi chocolate chip cookie. Maybe I'll call it a fusion of two words, so matchi?