Computer Engineering Co-op · University of Guelph · Cybersecurity Focus
I'm Pratik Kharel, a computer engineering co-op student focused on cybersecurity. I like understanding systems deeply enough to defend them — from the logic gates of a CPU to the networks and code that run on top.
AVAILABLE FOR CO-OP — SUMMER 2026
I'm a first-year computer engineering student at the University of Guelph, in the co-op program, building toward a career in cybersecurity. My path runs through the full stack of computing — digital logic, computer architecture, networks, and software — because securing a system starts with understanding how it actually works.
I graduated from the International Baccalaureate program at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute with a 3.8 GPA, where I co-led the school's engineering club for four years and co-founded a nonprofit serving the Kitchener-Waterloo community.
Right now I'm working toward my CompTIA Security+, building a CPU from bare logic chips to learn architecture from the ground up, and planning a Master's in Cybersecurity at Guelph after my bachelor's.
Wearable glasses that protect against photosensitive epileptic seizures. A Raspberry Pi Pico monitors a photoresistor for dangerous flash frequencies and drives a gear mechanism that rotates polarized lenses to black out the light. A 3D-printed SOLIDWORKS frame houses the system, paired with a Flask web app that logs incidents and sends automated SMS alerts to parents via Twilio.
A computer-vision program that reads sign language from a live webcam feed and responds in text. Built with a modular Python architecture: OpenCV and MediaPipe handle real-time hand detection and landmark tracing, a classification model recognizes the signs, and the OpenAI API interprets the input to generate conversational responses.
A complete CPU built from discrete 7400-series logic ICs on breadboards — no microcontroller, no FPGA, just gates, flip-flops, and hundreds of hand-cut wires. The build follows Ben Eater's SAP-1 architecture from his "Building an 8-bit breadboard computer" series: an adjustable astable clock module, A and B registers feeding a two's-complement ALU, 16 bytes of RAM with a memory address register, a program counter, an output register driving 7-segment displays, and microcoded control logic stored in EEPROM that ties every module together over a shared 8-bit bus.
For someone heading into cybersecurity, this project is foundational on purpose: understanding the fetch-decode-execute cycle at the level of individual control signals is the bedrock for understanding how low-level exploits, memory corruption, and hardware vulnerabilities actually work. Every module gets tested in isolation before integration, which has been a crash course in debugging with nothing but a multimeter, an LED, and patience.
SEEKING — SUMMER 2026
Open to cybersecurity, IT, embedded, and software roles
Looking for a team where I can contribute to securing and building real systems while learning from experienced engineers.
APR 2025 — SEP 2025
Kumon Centre for Learning · Kitchener, ON
Taught math and reading skills to children — diagnosing errors in their work, demonstrating solution methods, and building an environment where students felt safe to ask questions. Sharpened my ability to explain technical ideas clearly and collaborate constructively with coworkers.
JUN 2024 — PRESENT
Nonprofit in collaboration with Ray of Hope · Kitchener-Waterloo
Co-founded a nonprofit serving underprivileged individuals in the Kitchener-Waterloo community. In partnership with the Ray of Hope foundation, raised over $500 to provide non-perishable food to those in need.
JAN 2021 — JUN 2025
Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute · Kitchener, ON
Led my high school's engineering club for four years — delivering public presentations, hosting design challenges, and running hands-on projects. Secured a $1,000 Youth Creativity Fund grant to equip the club with supplies.
OCT 2023 — JUN 2025
Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute · Kitchener, ON
Created media posts and advertisements promoting club events, combining creative design work with a celebration of culture and heritage.
If you're hiring co-op students in cybersecurity, IT, or engineering — or just want to talk security, hardware, or anything in between — my inbox is open.