Lin Wei: Student from China navigates world through code and choreography

Lin Wei, who goes by Enoch Lin, interacts with the world and its people through code and choreography. 

The 2020 graduate from Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China, enjoys solving technological problems, particularly through programming languages, and traversing fictional realms in video games. A passion for technology motivated him to major in computer science. The sense of achievement when finally getting a computer program to do what people need after days of effort, “is the best feeling in the world,” Lin says.

“Growing up, I have always been interested in operating a computer and creating things on one,” he says. “One part of computer science that I am particularly interested in is video game programming. It is fascinating to be able to create things that are impossible or do things that cannot be easily done in real life.”

When he leaves the computer lab, Lin explores the multitude of cultures in the world, particularly through dance. For three years, he participated in the UMaine International Dance Festival, performing pieces that evoked Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese heritage. He also was active in Culturefest.

“There are a lot of different cultures out there and I think people can benefit a lot from knowing them, which is why I have been doing what I can do to spread different cultures,” Lin says. 

Lin served as secretary and vice president of the Asian American Association, helping host events such as Taste of Asia, Dim Sum Night and Multicultural Formal. He also was the social media specialist for the Student Heritage Alliance Council, and was president of the Japanese Club.

Lin was first introduced to UMaine during his senior year at Stearns High School in Millinocket. He said he visited the campus, met with staff from the Office of International Programs and learned about the university’s many offerings. 

“Overall I had very positive interactions with the UMaine community. That inspired me to want to be a part of it,” Lin says. “There are a lot of things to love about UMaine, but my top two would be the beautiful campus and the community. People are nice to each other, even strangers.” 

Lin, along with a few of his classmates, worked with Sean Birkel, a research assistant professor with the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and the Climate Change Institute, for his senior capstone project, which was to create a mobile application for the Climate Reanalyzer.  

After receiving his degree in May, Lin will begin working for Tyler Technologies in Yarmouth as a software engineer. 

“I hoped to learn both academically and personally, which I feel like I have achieved in the past four years at the University of Maine,” he says.  

Contact: Marcus Wolf, marcus.wolf@umaine.edu