Matthew Hanna started college with no parental support. He worked several jobs while trying hard to complete his B.S. in computer science. Along the way, Matthew took extra courses in foreign languages, physics and mathematics. There was enough math there to score a minor in Mathematics.
The time not consumed in study involved helping run the newly built computer labs and assisting professors in presenting course material. Starting off, his expertise was mostly assembly language given that his home computer was a Tandy 1000HX which didn’t have the resources to run a C compiler until Matthew wrote his own.
Most of the focus in Computer Science was on algorithms, graphics and programming languages.
Again, Matthew worked several jobs outside of the University in order to meet financial requirements. In the University, he worked as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and also as a Research Assistant (RA). As a TA, he taught basic computer usage, HTML programming, and C++. The RA role involved solving complex equations for non-newtonian fluid making it possible to graphically show how molecules would move through a filtration system.
Fun course projects included a special card game played with eye-tracking technology, a fun drive on Mars in VR with full movement and moderate interaction, and finally the thesis project of 3D interactive particles over a VR emmersion table.