Cayden Bird

Washington D.C.  —  Nashville, TN  —  wherever there's fresh pow

I'm an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University studying Computer Science and Economics. When I'm not in class, I do research at Vanderbilt Medical Center and build software applications for nonprofits with Change++.

I was born just outside Seattle, which explains my ties to Seattle sports teams and love for snowboarding. My earliest memories are from Monroe, NY, just outside West Point, where I attended Smith Clove Elementary and harbored serious ambitions of becoming an MLB shortstop. The scouts never called.

Midway through second grade my family moved to South Korea, mostly Daegu, where I spent the next four years living in Asia and becoming a more interesting person than I would have otherwise. It was also in Korea where I picked up soccer and became convinced, for the second time, that professional sports were in my future. I idolized Neymar Jr. and was certain I was destined to be a midfielder. The scouts still never called.

Middle school through high school I settled into suburban Northern Virginia, where I stayed until Vanderbilt let me in.

When I'm not staring at a compiler error or a demand curve, I'm at a poker table, on a basketball court, or on a mountain with a snowboard. I play piano when the mood strikes, enjoy a good hike, and have genuine aspirations of learning to DJ well someday. I listen to a lot of house music, which is either preparation for that or just a symptom of it. I also enjoy exploring new nightlife scenes wherever I end up, which is probably related.


Experience

Research Assistant
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Jan 2026 – Present
Developer
Change++
Jan 2026 – Present
Strategy Consulting Intern
Habitat for Humanity International
Feb 2025 – May 2025
Research Assistant
Virginia Tech College of Engineering
Aug 2024 – May 2025
Head Server
Gopchang Story KBBQ
Mar 2024 – Aug 2025
Teacher
Best Academy
Jun 2023 – Aug 2024
Research Intern
William & Mary
Jun 2022 – Aug 2022

Volunteer

Volunteer
UNICEF
Feb 2025 – Present
Volunteer Staff
Virginia Science Olympiad
Sep 2024 – May 2025
Ambassador
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Dec 2022 – Dec 2023

Contact