Southmoreland junior, Makayla Glass benefits from her school’s “Informational Science Professional Experience” to act as an intern for computer science teacher, Mrs. Denise Puskar.

This intern experience has been in place for 10 to 15 years, according to Mrs. Puskar. To get into this program all that is required of students is to fill out an application located in the guidance office accompanied by a signature from the requested teacher.

“I really like technology. I would always have to fix my grandma’s computer every week. But I always wanted to be a vet,” said Glass. “But then I took computer programming my freshman year, and I actually really liked it. And look where I’m at now.”

Glass’s freshman year she had a study hall during seventh period and always got a pass to go to Mrs. Puskar’s room instead, so her teacher suggested she take on the challenge of becoming an intern.

“She should get credit for all the work she does,” said Mrs. Puskar.

Glass spends approximately one third of her school day in Mrs. Puskar’s room working on her projects for many different departments of the school. So far, Glass has created a tutorial for students in Mrs. Puskar’s programming class, typed scholarships for the guidance office to post in the hallway to publicize to students, and has worked with the foreign language department by recording and editing videos that Spanish students had to complete for a class project.

“She does odds and ends projects, not just major projects,” said Mrs. Puskar.

But one of the major projects Glass is working on involves the production of the school’s upcoming greenhouse. Southmoreland has received a $20,000 grant to put a greenhouse in place to expand students’ knowledge in STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. To help with this project, Glass completed a slide show presentation about the greenhouse that went on display during this school year’s open house. She also designed a web page and QR codes for the greenhouse. These QR codes will enable the students working in the greenhouse to scan the black and white code that corresponds with a specific produce. These codes will bring up useful information on that fruit or vegetable that students can use throughout their daily tasks in the greenhouse.

Throughout Glass’s years at Southmoreland she has taken just about every computer class there is offered.

“The only class left to take is animation, so I’ll probably take that my senior year,” said Glass.

Along the way she has also formed a bond with her teacher that not many students can say they have.

“I’m closer to Mrs. Puskar than any other teacher,” said Glass.

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate in computer programming, which already employs over 300,000 professionals, will grow 8.3 percent between 2012 and 2022.

“You’re almost guaranteed a job,” said Glass. “I don’t exactly know what I want to do as a career, but either computer programming or aeronautics. This intern experience has pointed me in the right direction and given me more of an idea of what field to go into.”

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Bailey Geehring

I am a senior and a second year editor for the Tam O'Shanter. I will attend California University of Pennsylvania in the fall to pursue a career as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
"Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud"- Maya Angelou

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