Jalen Paige ’26 aspires to build technology that helps people and strengthens communities

Whether he’s writing code or leading the Black Student Union, Jalen Paige ’26 has one goal: help people. That’s been true since he was nine years old, when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and received his first insulin pump. It was an experience that gave him his first real look at how a single device could improve someone’s life.

“It’s an awesome piece of technology because it prevents me from having to take so many shots and has really made my life as a Type 1 diabetic much more manageable,” says Paige. “That inspired me because I saw that technology has the potential to make someone’s life easier and really help people with certain disabilities live more comfortable, easy lives.”

When he arrived at Santa Clara University, the computer science major took core classes in social justice and ethics alongside his engineering coursework, which challenged him to think about how to innovate for good, rather than simply for innovation’s sake. He put this thinking into practice at Meta where he’s interned on the software development team for the last two summers, helping build accessible geographical features for Facebook and Instagram users. Paige even built a website that uses data from his glucose monitor to help optimize his own insulin dosing, a personal project he plans to continue developing as he pursues a career in Silicon Valley after graduation.

“We see a lot of technology nowadays that isn’t geared at helping people,” says Paige. “It is especially important, now more than ever, to consider the moral weight of the technology we create and really ask ourselves what we hope to gain, whether that be profit or actually benefitting people in ways that matter.”

For Paige, that focus on impact goes beyond technology and shows up in his leadership on campus. As co-chair of Igwebuike, Santa Clara’s Black Student Union, he has spent four years organizing events like the annual Culture Show, Black Joy basketball game, and Black Graduation celebration. Through those events, he has created opportunities for Black students to build community and feel supported throughout their time at Santa Clara.

“It is perhaps the most meaningful experience I’ve had on campus. Just being able to help a marginalized community be seen and feel a sense of belonging in a place where they might struggle to do so has given me a sense of purpose,” says Paige. “Being able to connect with them has touched me just as much as I hope to have left an impact on them.”

On growing as a leader at Santa Clara

“I've found a home at Santa Clara. I’ve learned that leadership is a lot more than just being able to organize meetings or tell people what to do. I think my work with the computer science club and the Black Student Union has helped me develop those skills. That firsthand experience in leadership has really pushed me to be a better person.”

Advice for future Broncos

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself. There’s so much opportunity and possibility in this world. I think a lot of us are more capable of taking these possibilities and making awesome things out of them than we realize. It’s just a matter of if you’re willing to go that extra step, be uncomfortable, and really push those boundaries. Try to push the limits of what you think is possible.”