Shengyuan, an infrastructure engineer at Meta, began his journey not in coding but as an aspiring YouTuber, pivoting to tech out of curiosity and a need to support his family as an international student. His first hackathon proved to be a turning point, where he not only built a successful campus app, ZotMeal, but also discovered the MLH community, which became the cornerstone of his career. Through the MLH Fellowship, he gained specialized skills and crucial interview preparation that led to his role at Meta. Now, Shengyuan actively gives back by mentoring new cohorts and developing impactful tools like "OPTimize," a recently acquired app that has helped over 500 students navigate the complex work authorization process. He has discovered that his creative drive finds its truest purpose in making computer science careers more accessible, turning his personal quest for expression into a mission to empower others.