My name is Jonathan Zhao and I am a student at Cal Poly.

I was born in San Jose, California, and I have lived there my entire life. My parents were first generation immigrants from China. They worked very hard to get to where they are today and believe that education is the path to success in the future.

I love learning and exploring my passions in design as well as the impact that data and the human mind has on it. I look forward to expanding my knowledge and interest in these fields in higher education and in individual research projects. I am also interested in graphic design, and how complex messages can be communicated through well designed interfaces and visuals. I hope to be able to continue to pursue this in my later life.

One of my favorite hobbies is playing Dungeons and Dragons, a table-top roleplaying game. I love to create worlds and intriguing stories for my characters playing alongside my friends.

I swim competitively and work as a lifeguard at the Almaden Swim and Racquet Club. I also teach young children how to swim in private lessons. I have swam all my life and swimming is something that is calming, and can clear my mind.
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All my life I have sang in a choir, and music continues to be a huge part of my life. I sang in the Leland High School Chamber Choir, as well as performing in a small group of friends. I hope to continue my journey in singing at Cal Poly. Aside from singing, I play guitar, and I often sing along to songs while strumming the chords.

I also enjoy amateur photography, particularly of landscapes and nature. Whether using a DSLR or just the camera on my iPhone, I love taking snapshots of the beauty of the world around us.