Hayato Horikawa

About Hayato Horikawa

I am a data science major and a computer science minor, graduating in May 2025, with a strong foundation in Python and machine learning. My academic journey has been shaped by my deep interest in machine learning and its applications. My initial fascination with machine learning began in high school through playing American football, which eventually led me to pursue the data science path at UC Berkeley. One course I was particularly drawn to was Probability for Data Science, which built the foundation of my understanding of probability theory and distributions that are applied to Generative AI, especially LLMs.Beyond academic interests, I am currently studying neuroscience through an online course at Harvard. This course has expanded my understanding of human cognition and decision-making processes, which I find highly useful in building human-interactive deep learning models. Outside of data science, I enjoy playing squash. Initially, I was only able to focus on the technical aspects such as the strength and direction of swings. However, with persistent practice, I now think about the strategies during games, which I believe is the most enjoyable aspect of the sport. This experience has fostered my persistence and strategic thinking, which has benefitted me in various ways, including in data science.

Experience

1. Software Engineer

   Human Interest

   Jan 2026 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

Education

• University of California, Berkeley

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Data Science

• Tokyo Metropolitan Toyama High School

  High School Diploma

• Diablo Valley College

  Associate of Science - AS, Computer Science