Three area students enrolled in the Computer Industry Professional Certifications Program at the Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES Lake Shore/Carrier Career and Technical Academy in Angola competed admirably at SUNY Fredonia's ninth annual High School Computer Science Competition, winning first place in one category.
As a team, Michael Woolley, a member of Forestville High School's Class of 2012; Austin DeCarlo, a member of Lake Shore High School's Class of 2012; and Jon Powers, a soon-to-be senior at Orchard Park High School, won first place in the Quiz Bowl Category, which including questions relating to computer science and required competitors to think on their feet, testing their mental calculation and reasoning abilities.
Additionally, Powers won second place in the Spreadsheets Category, in which competitors had to design and construct spreadsheets for specific purposes that met a variety of guidelines. Finally, Woolley and DeCarlo won third place in the Programming Category, which tested their abilities and knowledge when it comes to computer programming.
The High School Computer Science Competition, organized each year by the SUNY Fredonia Computer and Information Science Department, drew competitors from across the region.
Each of the three students attended Computer Industry Professional Certifications classes at the Lake Shore/Carrier Career and Technical Academy for part of the day under the direction of Instructor Gregory Cole. The program is a two-year Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program offered by the E2CC BOCES to prepare students for entry-level careers and college-level study in a variety of computer-related areas. Students develop a foundation in repairing and replacing hardware components, computer programming, troubleshooting and utilizing software and operating systems, setting up and troubleshooting networks, website construction, and more. Most importantly, students earn a wide variety of certifications, which are key to succeeding in the industry, before they even graduate high school. These include a variety of Microsoft certifications, as well as CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications.
CTE programs such as Computer Industry Professional Certifications allow high school juniors and seniors to gain experience and technical knowledge in highly specialized fields of their choosing while earning their Regents Diploma. Students who have successfully completed the requirements of their programs will receive a Technical Endorsement on their diplomas, and they will be prepared to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation or pursue more advanced levels of study at post-secondary educational institutions.
