Hello! How are you all doing? I hope you are doing fine. In 4 months time, it will be the 5-year anniversary of this Scratch profile. I started Scratch when I was 6 years old. My dad was the one who taught me. At that time, I didn't really use it that much, but I thought it was cool. The fact that I was able to make anything using imagination and a few blocks blew me away at the time. However, Scratch faded into the depths of my mind, and I wouldn't get the opportunity to learn it again. 2020 was a big year of my life. It was the year where humanity had undergone hardship and suffering during the Covid-19 outbreak. I made my Scratch account during this time because I was getting really interested in technology, and I thought it would make good use of my abundunce of free-time. I made my first project, Sonic the Hedgehog "Scratch Edition", and while it was a blatant copy of someone elses hard work, it did reintroduce me to the wonders of Scratch. I made several new friends during my time at the site. I was addicted to Scratch, and I was (kinda) making a name for myself on the site, making funny animations and games. But, on 23 Feb 2022, I decided to move away from Scratch, not just because I was taking too much time on the platform and I needed a break, but rather because I wanted to "leave the nest". Of course, a chick won't stay at their mothers nest for long when they grow up, I mean after all, the chicks gotta fly someday! So, I learnt Python, and that was the last you saw of me. So, where did I go, and what did I do after that? After learning Python, I made a few programs, just for fun. I got a bit bored of making simple CLI programs though, so I decided to learn C++, because I wanted to use an Arduino, a microcontroller which can be used to control anything you wanted. It could be used to build robots, IoT, Home automation, you know, places where control is important. So nevertheless, I learnt how to use Arduino and C++. Now, I'm in high-school (time really flew us by! I made this account when I was starting middle school), and I've had many projects under my belt. I worked on an automatic firetruck that shoots water when it detects a flame, a car that uses ML (yes THAT kind of ML) to detect signs and act accordingly (Stop sign = Stop, U-turn sign = take a U-turn), a system that allows orders to be placed via a phone, and a Smart-Home virtual assistant that controls daily functions like turning on the lights and uses LLMs (Large Language Models, basically ChatGPT) to interact with the user. I am planning more projects in the future, because they will look good on my college application when I apply. So in short, I (might) have accomplished a lot in life, but I think there is one key thing that I never realized uptil now. You see, ever since I started using Scratch, my fascination with it had led me to a point where I became obessesed with the technology around me and how they operated. If it weren't for this site right here, I wouldn't have had this fascination with tech, which mean I wouldnt have learnt how to code, and I might've not achieved all the things I have accomplished uptil now. So to end it all off, thank you to the people in MIT and the Scratch community, for showing me that anything is possible when you use your imagination! I hope to see you all succeed and live your best life! Good luck, and goodbye! (P.S - If you're wondering about what's next, I will apply for MIT after my studies, not because it is the best school to study Computer-related majors, but because they were the sole reason I had started in the first place)
