Seth Lifland

I am currently attending University of Virginia, and I am majoring in Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I am a junior officer of ML@UVA, a club focused on machine learning education and application. I achieved 7th in Battlecode 2025, an annual coding competition hosted by MIT students. I have been on the dean's list in my semesters at UVA so far. I have also competed in three hackathons (HackTJ 2023 and 2024, HooHacks 2025).

In high school, I was a member of Computer Science Honor Society, through which I tutored other students in Computer Science for a set number of hours each semester. In college, I served as a Computer Systems and Organization 1 TA, during which I held regular office hours to help students navigate coursework and course content. I also lead a lab section, helping students complete a specific lab assignment each week in the designated time frame.

For related classes, I have taken APCSA, Data Structures, and CS Capstone in High School, as well as Data Structures and Algorithms 1, Computer Systems and Organization 1, and Software Development Essentials in college. In terms of math, I completed up through Calculus BC in high school, and Calculus 3 and Probability at UVA. I've worked on various projects in Python, from my Science Fair project in junior year of high school focused on data analysis, to personal/school projects including: use of genetic algorithms to recreate images from random noise, creation of a RAG pipeline to test RAG effectiveness on a variety of query categories, and creation of a website for HooHacks 2025 which would help users navigate composting-related decisions.

What excites me most about teaching is guiding students toward those breakthrough moments when everything suddenly clicks. It's incredibly rewarding to help them move from confusion to clarity, while also seeing their confidence in the subject matter grow. I also love helping students through a topic I know I found difficult as a student, because I understand how confusing it can be and can explain it in a way that makes more sense based on how I eventually figured it out.

I love running, reading, and board games. I enjoy learning about history through books and podcasts. I also play basketball and strategy video games.