Hannah Moshtaghi always assumed she would end in the Bay Area after college. After all, she grew up in the Bay and is a computer science major at Cal Poly, that pipeline is pretty popular. Moshtaghi felt everything she would ever want would be in California. However, two summers ago, when she was interning at a Google office that was just about 15 minutes from where she went to high school, Moshtaghi had an “epiphany.” She realized being back at home was too comfortable and that she was ready for a change.
This September, Moshtaghi will be moving to New York City to be a software engineer for Google, and, specifically, will be working on Youtube. She interned at Google for a second time but in New York City last summer, and was pleasantly surprised by how she liked it. Moshtaghi, who is also in the Cal Poly honors program, will graduate with her bachelor’s and master’s in computer science this spring.
While at Cal Poly, Moshtaghi was a part of various engineering clubs, such as Society of Women Engineers, and founded two clubs: CodeBox and Computing Club Collaborative. Along with being heavily involved in computing organizations, in 2024 Moshtaghi and her Cal Poly teammates won a $20,000 grant at Cal Poly’s “Change the World Challenge” which recognizes student projects that address global projects. Before she moves to New York City, Moshtaghi plans to travel to Japan and Croatia while also spending time with her family in California.
One word that best describes you: Determined
One thing you would bring to a deserted island: In and out — protein-style, animal-style, whole-grilled-onion-style, well-done and animal-style fries and maybe a pink lemonade if I’m feeling extra special
Your future plans: YouTube software engineer in New York City
One object you can’t do your job without: An ergonomic mouse
A Cal Poly class that shaped your life: Ethics and Technology (PHIL 323)
Q and A:
Riya Minglani: How do you feel entering the software industry right now?
Hannah Moshtaghi: It is a little intimidating because you hear a lot of scary things about AI going to take our jobs. But, from my experience, I think AI is a tool. I think it is something that is going to help us expedite our work. I don’t see it fully replacing us any time soon. I think you need software engineers. You need creative people.
RM: Who is someone you look up to in your industry?
HM: Probably my mom. She is one of the most hard working and inspiring people that I know. She immigrated here from Iran when she was my age and had to figure it all out on her own. It’s crazy to think about all the things she had to deal with to get to this point and help me get to this point. She’s truly my star.
RM: Is there a Cal Poly class that shaped your life?
HM: I think my ethics and technology class. When you’re in tech and you’re a computer science major, it can feel like you are in this bubble outside of the world. You’re always trying to build the next big thing… You just kind of forget that what I’m building affects people – that it has an impact. In that class, I really learned to look outside of that and gain a perspective when I’m building my AI models or whatever I’m building, I need to consider how this is going to impact the world.
RM: How do you feel about moving to another coast?
HM: When I interned in New York City, it was really eye opening. I was surprised by how much I loved being in a new place. A new area allowed me to grow in ways I hadn’t even expected before. I learned so much from that and I wanted to continue that. So even though it’s kind of a scary thing, I think it will be a great growth opportunity for me.
For the final Peak issue this year, the Peak team chose to hold exit interviews with nine students on the horizon of impact. Whether it’s going pro in a less-than usual sport, starting a cheesecake business or transforming the music marketing scene, nine seniors in the class of 2026 stood out as those led by influence. Check out the rest of the features here.
