Hi! My name is Carlo Velarde and I am a Computer Science graduate from the University of Iowa (May 2026). I love building software, solving problems, and learning how different things fit together. My goal is to be a software engineer!
During university I chased hands on experience wherever I could. In Summer 2024 I joined New Mexico Tech's NSF REU program and researched how LLMs generate and interpret obfuscated code. In early 2025, I did a co-op at Western Digital where I worked on test automation for enterprise HDDs. That was an amazing experience as I was ble to explore the intersection of hardware and software. That summer I interned at Mastercard in St. Louis, extending a Go payment network simulator and learning how software moves money at scale. A big highlight during my internship at Mastercard was being on the North America Intern Committee. I was able to connect with hundreds of interns across offices!
When I am not coding, there is a high chance I am doing something basketball related. I have been a huge basketball fan since I was a kid. I played growing up, and I still love pickup whenever I can. If I am not playing, I am watching college or the NBA. If you ever want to talk or debate hoops, let me know!