AarushTahiliani
Forging digital experiences with precision and craftsmanship
About
Like Hephaestus, the divine smith who forged weapons for the gods, I craft digital experiences with precision, passion, and unwavering attention to detail. Each project is a masterpiece, forged in the fires of innovation and refined with modern technology.
Education
Amador Valley High School
PLTW Pathways: Computer Science
Graduating May 2026
GPA: 3.98 UW / 4.43 W
SAT: 1550 (800M, 750 RW)
Relevant Courses:
Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, AP Physics C: Mechanics and E&M, Advanced Computer Science, AP Calc BC, AP CS A, JavaScript for Programmers, OOP Methodologies in C++, Data Analytics in Business Decisions
Philosophy
In the forge of creativity, every line of code, every design element, and every interaction is carefully crafted. I believe in the power of minimalism—where every element serves a purpose, and beauty emerges from function.
Just as Hephaestus created legendary artifacts, I aim to build digital experiences that stand the test of time—scalable, maintainable, and impactful.
Experience
Forged through leadership, innovation, and craftsmanship
Technology Student Association
California State Vice President / Chapter President
Amador Valley HS / Pleasanton, CA
Grades 9-12, 6 hrs/week, 42 weeks/year
- •Rebuilt California TSA delegation from 2 to 10 chapters
- •Secured $12,000 in funding and sponsorships
- •Organized and spoke at NorCal TSA Regional Conference (10+ chapters, 300+ participants)
- +2 more achievements
PUSD Peer-Tutoring EL Translation Service
Founder
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 11-12, 3 hrs/week, 36 weeks/year
- •Developing FERPA-compliant peer-tutoring platform for English-learning students
- •Created multilingual portals for educators and students
- •Leveraged AI translation and tutoring services
- +2 more achievements
Management & Technology Summer Institute
App Development Lead
University of Pennsylvania / Philadelphia, PA
Grade 12, 50 hrs/week, 3 weeks/year
- •Developed MVP for Proxi, a wearable device and social networking app for indoor location tracking
- •Engineered using Arduino microcontrollers and Swift app development
- •Created financial model, go-to-market plan, and marketing video
- +1 more achievements
Redevs / Web Development Club
Founder/Freelance Web Developer
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 9-12, 4 hrs/week, 45 weeks/year
- •Solo developer and designer of 25 websites for local businesses & organizations; generated $3,000 in revenue
- •PUSD CTE Department: Developed 4 websites; improved district admin productivity by 200%
- •DECAGPT: Developed AI-powered roleplay simulator; adopted by 5 schools
- +2 more achievements
Tech4Good Lab at UCSC Science Internship Program
High School Human-Computer Interaction Research Lead
UC Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz, CA
Grade 11, 4 hrs/week, 42 weeks/year
- •Researched human-centered design in beginner developer education
- •Led team of 9 high school students to develop Causeway, a project-based learning platform
- •Conducted market research through 35+ interviews
LinkMe
Software Engineering Intern
Miami, FL (Virtual)
Grade 12, 10 hrs/week, 9 weeks/year
- •Completed 26 full-stack tasks for a company with 200M users
- •Built a QR code overlay for instant profile sharing
- •Reduced onboarding time from minutes to seconds
- +1 more achievements
Amador Valley Robotics (AVBotz)
Pool Testing Lead/Software Competition Team Member
Amador Valley HS / Pleasanton, CA
Grades 9-12, 3 hrs/week, 36 weeks/year
- •Revamped submarine's remote web interface
- •Integrated live sensor feed and gaming-controller navigation
- •Cut test cycle time by 60% and improved debugging throughput by 250%
theCoderSchool
Code Coach (PAID)
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 10-12, 5 hrs/week, 32 weeks/year
- •Teaching programming in four languages to students of all ages
- •Led 3-week-long summer camps
- •Coached 2 students to advance in USACO
Pleasanton Math Circle
Elementary School Director
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 9-12, 3 hrs/week, 24 weeks/year
- •Taught 30+ elementary school students competitive mathematics
- •Created year-long lesson plans and LaTeX handouts
- •Served 200+ volunteer hours
Tri-Valley Hacks
Technical Director
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 10-12, 1 hr/week, 32 weeks/year
- •Hosted in-person two-day hackathon in collaboration with the city of Pleasanton
- •Attracted over 200 participants and 50+ projects
- •Worked with innovative VCs and professionals (including founding member of Yahoo!, CIO of Boeing)
- +1 more achievements
PTownLife / Institute for Youth in Policy
Fellow
Pleasanton, CA
Grade 11, 2 hrs/week, 16 weeks/year
- •Accepted to complete a policy brief and capstone project (one of 6-8% of applicants selected nationally)
- •Built a platform that centralized events and opportunities to improve civic engagement
- •Lobbied city legislature at town hall meetings
- +1 more achievements
AVHS Track & Field
Varsity Sprinter / Team Captain
Pleasanton, CA
Grades 9-12, 12 hrs/week, 15 weeks/year
- •Competed as a varsity sprinter specializing in the 100m dash
- •Qualified for NCS Meet of Champions in 100m, 4x100m, and Long Jump Unified Division
- •Volunteered to support students with disabilities
Awards & Recognition
Honors forged through dedication and excellence
15th Annual Tri-Valley DreamMaker & RiskTaker
October 2025Sole recipient from 13,306 eligible students in PUSD, awarded based on staff nomination for creativity and community impact
Best Marketing Award - UPenn M&TSI
July 2025Earned recognition for the best marketing strategy for the project 'Proxi'
National TSA Conference Awards
June 2024, 20253rd place nationally in Webmaster, 5th place in Coding, 9th place in Software Development
1st Place Advanced Division - Lockheed Martin CodeQuest
March 2025Represented Amador Valley HS and won 1st place in the Advanced division
USA Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) Qualifier
February 2025Qualified for USAPhO (score 19/25), placing in the top 250 of 5,848 participants
International 5th Place - RoboSub Competition
August 2024Placed 5th internationally in RoboSub competition, outperforming 40+ teams including top colleges
3x American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) Qualifier
2022, 2023, 2024Cleared the AMC 10 with a score of 132/150 and 8 on AIME, placing in the top 1.5% of 40,000 worldwide
USA Coding Olympiad (USACO) Gold Division
December 2024Won the Silver Division Award, placing as one of the top 800 competitors in the US
Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold Category
January 2024Honored for positively impacting the community and earning over 150 volunteer hours
Skills & Expertise
The tools of the forge, refined through experience
Technical
Frameworks
Languages
Let's Work Together
Ready to forge something extraordinary? Let's discuss how we can bring your vision to life with precision and craftsmanship.