Stanley Xiao

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r/stanleyxiao • Posted by u/stanleyxiao • 3 hours ago

📌 AMA — Ask Me Anything

curious on what i'm doing now? what are my future plans? and more questions

Hey r/stanleyxiao — figured I'd do an AMA since people keep asking me stuff. I'm a senior at UW Bothell heading to Carnegie Mellon University this summer for IT Lab SSI program. Ask me anything about my plans, what I'm like as a person, or any other questions. I'll answer everything below.

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u/curious_redditor_35 2h ago Top Comment

what is your current goal?

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u/stanleyxiao 2h ago

finish my bachelors degree and do masters in cybersecurity to strengthen my knowledge.

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u/awesomeguy27 2h ago

how did u get the fellowship at CMU?

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u/stanleyxiao 2h ago

I was looking for summer internship but I also figured internship is not the only option. I browsed and came upon this CMU IT Lab fellowship, so I applied and got in.

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u/collegekid2026 1h ago

why cmu?

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u/stanleyxiao 1h ago

Hmmm, 3 things to note:

1. The IT Lab fellowship, which I like because it combines security and policy

2. The school emphasizes hard work and collaboration

3. It's one of the top schools for cybersecurity program

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u/curiousgeorge 1h ago

what job titles are you considering as a cybersecurity major?

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u/stanleyxiao 1h ago

Probably this 3 things:

1. SOC analyst

2. GRC analyst

3. Security engineer

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u/career_planner23 58m ago

why not pursue SWE?

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u/stanleyxiao 53m ago

Good question! I used to like computer science and thought it was cool and inspired watching youtube video of someone doing 'a day in my life as a software engineer', but I realized SWE is too saturated and I like security more.

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u/redditor_spam 40m ago

what benefits do u get from doing the CMU IT Lab fellowship?

u/stanleyxiao 35m ago

Plenty! The perks that I like is getting hands-on experience with real-world projects, networking opportunities, and mentorship from industry professionals. Not to mention, they also give atleast 50% off tuition if u go do masters at CMU's Heinz College

u/personalityquestions 30m ago

what are your hobbies?

u/stanleyxiao 24m ago

I enjoy hiking, especially as someone from Washington state, the mountains are beautiful! I also like to watch kdramas on my free time

u/hobbies_lurker 15m ago

what did you do last summer? I personally don't want to take classes and rather do something else

u/stanleyxiao 12m ago

I did study abroad in South Korea. It was so worth it and such an amazing experience. I recommend u explore ur school's study abroad program, trust me, u won't regret it