Nicole Cheban

Where do you attend school and what activities are you involved in?

I am currently pursuing a Computer Science and Music double-major at the University of Virginia. In high school, I was selected as a National Honor Society Finalist and later graduated with the International Baccalaureate Diploma. I am proficient in higher-level math including matrix algebra, multivariable calculus, and ordinary differential equations. In fact, in high school I was the senior student officer of the Math Honor Society, organizing meetings and tutoring for over 100 members! I have continued my honor society involvement through college, currently serving as a member of the UVA chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. I also know 5 programming languages! They are Python, Java, C, C#, and x86 Assembly.

What have your teaching opportunities been outside of Fairfax Collegiate?

I volunteered as a math and writing tutor during high school through the Math Honor Society and Writing Center, respectively. I have also been teaching private piano lessons for 5 years! More recently, I have been providing online and in-person one-on-one academic tutoring sessions for students aged 9-17 in subjects like math, computer science, writing, Science, and SAT prep.

What sort of experience have you had in the subject you’ll be teaching this summer?

I am teaching mostly math and programming classes this summer. I am proficient in higher-level math including matrix algebra, multivariable calculus, and ordinary differential equations. I am fluent in programming languages like Python, Java, C, and C#. My most notable coding projects were several 3D render animations I curated for my Audio Visual Environments course, where I animated visual elements within a 3D environment that responded dynamically to audio and MIDI inputs in real time, using Unity Game Engine, VCV Rack 2, Pure Data, and C# scripts. These were some of my favorite projects I’ve worked on because they combined my two majors and passions: CS and music!

What excites you about teaching and working with students?

I am excited to cultivate passion for challenging subjects in younger students because I hope to provide an outlet for kids to become intrigued about the subjects I have built a fascination for, myself. I want to drive students to not only challenge themselves, but challenge the limits of knowledge itself!

Outside of work, what are some hobbies you enjoy?

One of my favorite past-times is to record and produce music. My coursework at UVA has provided me with extensive knowledge about digital audio workstations and sound synthesis, which I now use to curate (and even code!) my own music. Secondly, I recently established a student cultural organization at my university, and this summer I am spending some time working on logistical planning and event brainstorming with my fellow executive board members.