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May 2, 2019Schalmont Freshman has the Right ‘Code’ for the Future: P-Tech
When your passion is technology and your future lies in coding and programming, then why wouldn’t you choose the new Capital Region BOCES Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program?
While love of technology is not the driving force for every P-TECH student – future musicians, animators and physicians also populate the innovative first-year school – technology is what drives freshman Ethan Gonnelly of Schalmont.
“I chose P-TECH because it was an opportunity to learn more about coding and programming and it will help me expand my academic knowledge,” Gonnelly said during a recent interview.
Gonnelly is one of about three-dozen students in the innovative four- to six-year (grades 9-14) program offered to students throughout the region through a consortium that includes Capital Region BOCES, the Capital Region Chamber, Hudson Valley Community College and SUNY Schenectady County Community College. The program has two campuses – east campus is at Watervliet High School, west campus at the Center for Advanced Technology at Mohonason – and provides pathways for students to earn free college degrees in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity.
Gonnelly attends the west campus at the Center for Advanced Technology at Mohonasen where he just recently completed a project studying pathogens and diseases and building a “Web MD” style website to educate the public about them.
“Projects like building the website gives you a better understanding of the pathogen and diseases and teaches us valuable skills that we can use in our careers,” he said.
The P-TECH curriculum focuses on engaging students in hands-on, project-based learning to be successful in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and providing students with workplace skills that will ensure success, no matter the career path they are applied to. Through the program, business partners provide students access to cutting-edge technologies and innovations that allow them to see the real-world application of the knowledge they are gaining at P-TECH.
The “Web MD “project isn’t the first time Gonnelly has created a program or website to solve a problem.
Though only a high school freshman, Gonnelly wrote software script that automatically counts in random intervals and assists players with a popular online game.
“I like creating things and helping people by creating software. It makes me feel good,” he said.
Gonnelly plans to take his love of all things computer and software to college to study computer science. He wants to eventually work in a company and build his experiences and skill set to the point that he can start his own business.
Asked what he would tell other students considering P-TECH, Gonnelly, was quick to get to the point.
“If you like computers and technology and all of that stuff, this is for you,” he said. “Coding, making websites. That’s all fun and informative.”
