Dragon's Chatbot Inspiration Path

As the development of our dragon-themed chatbot nears completion, I find myself reflecting on the genesis of this project. The spark of inspiration struck me at the close of my tenth-grade year. During that formative period, I was immersed in an introductory programming course—a choice that wasn't part of the core curriculum but one that ignited an enduring flame. Programming swiftly transcended from an academic pursuit to my fervent passion, shaping my aspirations for university studies. This warmhearted passion motivated me to ponder, "How can I strengthen my programming skills but, at the same time, utilize programming to make positive changes to this school?" While I was wondering, I received an email from Vanderbilt University. Then, I saw one of its website's features: "Chatbot: Cornelius." 

 

This discovery, coupled with the emergence of ChatGPT, brought a realization. Our school's website lacked such a tool, a chatbot that could streamline the user experience with swift, efficient access to information. I was convinced of the chatbot's potential to not only foster school spirit but also to enhance the navigational experience for anyone exploring our International School of Beijing (ISB) website. When I have been using the ISB's website, it was hard for me to find the exact information I wanted in a few steps. I have to click on different categories, scroll down, and read the passage sometimes to find the demanded information.

Therefore, I decided to suggest making a chatbot for our school. 

Here is the initial proposal that I sent to my "Intro to Programming" teacher:

At the start, I wasn't sure if I had the skill actually to make a chatbot and implement it in our school. Though I didn't finish the project enterirely, seeing the progress I made currently, I feel proud and accomplished to be able to make my first "big" project. At this stage, I want to quote what the British author C.S Lewish said:

"You never know what you can do until you try, and very few try unless they have to."