From the moment Anastasia Rastelli first sat in front of a computer as a child, she was fascinated by the possibilities it presented. Technology was a constant companion growing up, and before long she grew curious about the inner workings of her high-tech toys. By grade school, she learned to code using a block-based, visual programming language. 

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While the power of computers interested Rastelli, it was the stories of their development – and tales of their possible future – that captured her imagination.

"(The movie) 'Terminator' described what artificial intelligence could do and what may happen. A lot of older science fiction is like that," she said. "Some of those things ended up being true, and I find that very interesting. But we really don't know what the next 20 years of artificial intelligence are going to look like, because it's evolving at an exponential pace."

Not content with simply watching movies and reading books about AI, Rastelli wants to play a role in the future of computer science. That journey began when she and hundreds of her new neighbors and classmates moved into the Honors Village dorm at the University of Arizona this week. Rastelli, who will start classes alongside her fellow Wildcats on Monday, will study applied computing with an emphasis in applied artificial intelligence in the College of Applied Science and Technology. She will also pursue a bachelor's degree in creative intelligence and innovation from the W.A. Franke Honors College, and she plans to minor in film and television.

"I hope to take AI and merge it with one of my favorite things: film and television. I feel like within the next few years, four or five people could make a movie with AI on their side – and that's going to be a big deal," she said.

Attending the Honors College and pursuing two degrees may seem like an intimidating prospect for a first-year student who just moved away from home, but academic rigor is exactly what Rastelli had in mind when she and her family sat around the dinner table earlier this year, planning her academic future. The valedictorian of her graduating class at Doral Academy Red Rock Middle/High School in Las Vegas, Rastelli is no stranger to hard work. She earned a 5.225 GPA in high school, participated in a variety of extracurricular activities and developed into an accomplished, multi-instrument musician. 

Rastelli was first introduced to music when her parents placed her in front of a keyboard at 3 years old. She quickly learned how to replicate melodies by ear. At 11 years old, Rastelli was composing her own music, and shortly thereafter started producing her own recordings. She played violin for the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic and now releases covers and original music on Spotify under the name Princesa.

With a strong high school resume, Rastelli faced a difficult decision: Where would she go to college? She wanted to stay on the West Coast to remain near her family, though that left her with a lot of options. After narrowing down universities with strong computer science, physics and artificial intelligence programs, Rastelli also considered highly regarded schools of film and television.

After sending out her applications, Rastelli was accepted to 27 schools, including the U of A. So, why did she decide to become a Wildcat?

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"I think the biggest factor was the impressive list of alumni, especially from the film and television program," Rastelli said. "I saw Kristin Wigg, John Hughes and Craig T. Nelson – they all went to the U of A. The applied computing major also set the University of Arizona apart, because a lot of top schools don't teach their undergraduates certain concepts in artificial intelligence. It's usually at the graduate level. The U of A offered that option for me as an undergraduate."

Rastelli visited the U of A twice in the past year and said she was impressed with the campus culture and community. She looks forward to calling Tucson home for – at least – the next four years.

"It's a little nerve-wracking, but I like doing a lot of things on my own," she said. "I think there will be fewer distractions when I am in Arizona and in my own little space. It's really exciting. I hope to find clubs where I can meet like-minded people so we can work on projects, do homework and study together."