National Computer Science Education Week is this week and we will be participating in a number of events in the area. We are also proud to feature local computer science students as guest bloggers right here on the Microsoft New England blog. Each of these students are an inspiration, touting their STEM skills and dedication in our local schools.
— Kolleen Lambert, Business Program Manager, Technology and Civic Engagement and Aimee Sprung, Civic Engagement Manager — Microsoft New England
School: Winchester High School
Grade: 12th
CS Teacher: Mr. Petty
I learned a bit of Python on my own during middle school, and I found that programming was a fun way to solve problems. I then joined the robotics team during high school, which involved programming autonomous robotics. At the end of freshman year, I knew that I would be doing robotics and other coding-related activities for the rest of my life, so I decided to take AP Computer Science the following year. After that, I took an online follow up course in my school where we did projects in languages other than Java.
My favorite thing about computer science is that it is a way of thinking. No matter what language you are using, there is a shared goal of solving problems through logic, which is very unique. Once you can think in code, everything starts to make more sense.
Mr. Petty is my computer science mentor. He was my AP Computer Science teacher, and is the mentor for the robotics team. His commitment to our team’s success has been invaluable throughout the years.
Computer science is not necessarily my favorite subject in school, but it is certainly one of my favorite outside of school. I feel that its application in extracurricular and self-driven projects is very unique among school subjects. For example, doing a history project might be rewarding, but it still relies on the participation of the school and the rest of the academic world to function. A coding project can range from a calculator program to a new robot to a new application or game. All these things are much more independent and practical.
The Winchester High School botball team just came off of winning first overall at the 2015 global competition, and one of my robots helped us win. I designed a robot that vaults over the pipe boundary between the two sides of the playing field in order to disrupt opponent robots. Despite it not working as planned the first time we used it, I improved the robot over the years and it ended up being key to our victory. That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever made.
Looking for more coding opportunities? Find more coding tools and resources for students, parents, and educators at microsoft.com/hourofcode.
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