Shengyuan Lu, 24
From YouTuber To Engineer: Shengyuan's Journey of Creativity, Community, and Purpose
Teenage Shengyuan would have been skeptical if you'd told him he would build AI infrastructure at Meta. Back then, he dreamed of becoming a YouTuber, pouring his energy into filming, editing, and storytelling. But as the pandemic swept in and his channel stagnated, a new direction quietly emerged. He began exploring user interface design as an extension of his Photoshop hobby, discovering an unexpected curiosity for creating mobile apps.
When he left for college, Shengyuan carried more than just two suitcases. He brought along this budding interest in technology, and the heavy weight of new family responsibilities. COVID-19 had hit his family's business hard, so he searched urgently for ways to support himself. He entered his first hackathon hoping to pad an empty resume. But 36 hours later, he walked out with something far greater: not only had he built ZotMeal, an app that eventually served over 10,000 UC Irvine students, but he also discovered MLH, the organization behind HackUCI. At the time, he had no idea this community would become the cornerstone of his engineering career.
Building a life in America as an international student is never easy. By day, Shengyuan worked a minimum wage student job. By night, he poured himself into the MLH Prep Fellowship, where he first studied the technical interview process, a topic his university barely covered. Inspired, he became a GitHub Campus Expert, determined to bridge this gap for others. He organized resume reviews, mock interviews, and coding workshops, even connecting GitHub with student-run hackathons like BeachHacks to secure sponsorship. What began as simple knowledge-sharing sessions soon grew into a supportive community where students felt empowered to reach what they previously thought impossible.
The following summer, Shengyuan returned as a full MLH Fellow, joining the Production Engineering cohort, a specialized field focused on system reliability and infrastructure that his coursework had hardly touched. The fellowship stipend allowed him to leave his part-time job and dedicate himself fully to the program. His dedication paid off when Meta reached out with an interview invitation. Seven rounds of interviews later, he landed a full-time offer at their Bay Area office.
Success didn't make Shengyuan forget the struggles that shaped him. Twice, he returned to MLH to share his experiences with new cohorts, demystifying the life of a reliability engineer and the intimidating interview process to over 100 attendees. He intended to make the tech recruiting pipeline more accessible to all. At UC Irvine, he returned as an alumni speaker for several student-run organizations, encouraging students from all backgrounds to pursue tech careers. His most impactful project, OPTimize, is an app born from his own international student experience. It has already helped over 500 students navigate the complex post-graduation work authorization process with confidence. The app was recently acquired by GoElite Inc., validating his belief that technology can effectively address immigration barriers.
Reflecting on his journey from aspiring filmmaker to software engineer, Shengyuan has discovered that creativity isn't tied to a single medium. Whether through storytelling, coding, or mentorship, he finds purpose in creating experiences that help others grow. What started as a quest for self-expression has blossomed into something deeper: making computer science careers more accessible to students everywhere. In helping others find their way, he's truly found his own.
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Shengyuan Lu, 24
From YouTuber To Engineer: Shengyuan's Journey of Creativity, Community, and Purpose
Teenage Shengyuan would have been skeptical if you'd told him he would build AI infrastructure at Meta. Back then, he dreamed of becoming a YouTuber, pouring his energy into filming, editing, and storytelling. But as the pandemic swept in and his channel stagnated, a new direction quietly emerged. He began exploring user interface design as an extension of his Photoshop hobby, discovering an unexpected curiosity for creating mobile apps.
When he left for college, Shengyuan carried more than just two suitcases. He brought along this budding interest in technology, and the heavy weight of new family responsibilities. COVID-19 had hit his family's business hard, so he searched urgently for ways to support himself. He entered his first hackathon hoping to pad an empty resume. But 36 hours later, he walked out with something far greater: not only had he built ZotMeal, an app that eventually served over 10,000 UC Irvine students, but he also discovered MLH, the organization behind HackUCI. At the time, he had no idea this community would become the cornerstone of his engineering career.
Building a life in America as an international student is never easy. By day, Shengyuan worked a minimum wage student job. By night, he poured himself into the MLH Prep Fellowship, where he first studied the technical interview process, a topic his university barely covered. Inspired, he became a GitHub Campus Expert, determined to bridge this gap for others. He organized resume reviews, mock interviews, and coding workshops, even connecting GitHub with student-run hackathons like BeachHacks to secure sponsorship. What began as simple knowledge-sharing sessions soon grew into a supportive community where students felt empowered to reach what they previously thought impossible.
The following summer, Shengyuan returned as a full MLH Fellow, joining the Production Engineering cohort, a specialized field focused on system reliability and infrastructure that his coursework had hardly touched. The fellowship stipend allowed him to leave his part-time job and dedicate himself fully to the program. His dedication paid off when Meta reached out with an interview invitation. Seven rounds of interviews later, he landed a full-time offer at their Bay Area office.
Success didn't make Shengyuan forget the struggles that shaped him. Twice, he returned to MLH to share his experiences with new cohorts, demystifying the life of a reliability engineer and the intimidating interview process to over 100 attendees. He intended to make the tech recruiting pipeline more accessible to all. At UC Irvine, he returned as an alumni speaker for several student-run organizations, encouraging students from all backgrounds to pursue tech careers. His most impactful project, OPTimize, is an app born from his own international student experience. It has already helped over 500 students navigate the complex post-graduation work authorization process with confidence. The app was recently acquired by GoElite Inc., validating his belief that technology can effectively address immigration barriers.
Reflecting on his journey from aspiring filmmaker to software engineer, Shengyuan has discovered that creativity isn't tied to a single medium. Whether through storytelling, coding, or mentorship, he finds purpose in creating experiences that help others grow. What started as a quest for self-expression has blossomed into something deeper: making computer science careers more accessible to students everywhere. In helping others find their way, he's truly found his own.
