Atharva Berde, 20
Atharva Berde - Social Impact and Limitless Potential
Atharva Berde (San Jose State University Class of ’26) is an Applied and Computational Mathematics student whose journey into technology was sparked by an introductory programming class that revealed the limitless creative potential of coding. A chance encounter with a friend’s parent working in tech led him to his first hackathon: AI Hackathon at UC Berkeley in 2023. Despite initial doubts about his skills, he dove in and helped build a Projectile Trajectory Visualization tool.
Since then, Atharva has continuously participated in hackathons, developing projects like a San Jose weather predictor, an emotion classifier through voice, and an AI-powered education platform. He believes hackathons have taught him to think innovatively under pressure. They’ve also deepened his awareness of how technology can create positive societal change. A pivotal experience was at HackDavis 2024, where he struggled to improve the accuracy of an emotion classification model. At 4 AM, a creative switch to a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model boosted the accuracy to 85%, teaching him the value of persistence and adaptive thinking.
Atharva prefers Python as his primary programming language, and relies on VSCode as his go-to editor. He often supports fellow hackers by offering guidance on tech stacks and helping troubleshoot complex issues, fostering a spirit of collaboration. He stands out for his passion for creating technology that drives social impact, as seen in projects like "EduAI" for accessible education and "Dyslearn," an AI reading assistant for children with dyslexia. Another key project, the "Dysarthria Classifier," offers an accessible way to assess speech disorders. When not coding, Atharva is a huge fan of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's OKC Thunder.
Quick Facts
Atharva Berde, 20
Atharva Berde - Social Impact and Limitless Potential
Atharva Berde (San Jose State University Class of ’26) is an Applied and Computational Mathematics student whose journey into technology was sparked by an introductory programming class that revealed the limitless creative potential of coding. A chance encounter with a friend’s parent working in tech led him to his first hackathon: AI Hackathon at UC Berkeley in 2023. Despite initial doubts about his skills, he dove in and helped build a Projectile Trajectory Visualization tool.
Since then, Atharva has continuously participated in hackathons, developing projects like a San Jose weather predictor, an emotion classifier through voice, and an AI-powered education platform. He believes hackathons have taught him to think innovatively under pressure. They’ve also deepened his awareness of how technology can create positive societal change. A pivotal experience was at HackDavis 2024, where he struggled to improve the accuracy of an emotion classification model. At 4 AM, a creative switch to a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model boosted the accuracy to 85%, teaching him the value of persistence and adaptive thinking.
Atharva prefers Python as his primary programming language, and relies on VSCode as his go-to editor. He often supports fellow hackers by offering guidance on tech stacks and helping troubleshoot complex issues, fostering a spirit of collaboration. He stands out for his passion for creating technology that drives social impact, as seen in projects like "EduAI" for accessible education and "Dyslearn," an AI reading assistant for children with dyslexia. Another key project, the "Dysarthria Classifier," offers an accessible way to assess speech disorders. When not coding, Atharva is a huge fan of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's OKC Thunder.
