‘Preparing the next generation for the new American Dream’

 

POSTED ON Sep 12, 2022

 

This summer, the message from 500 business, education, and nonprofit leaders was simple: computer science is an opportunity for every student. While the United States leads the world in technology, only 5% of high school students study computer science, the letter said.

In 2021, the Department of Computer Science at the University of Arizona celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. According to a new report, the department serves approximately 1,300 undergrad and 100 graduate students and has pledged to increase awareness of computer science as an essential foundation — not only for tech careers but for every career in today’s world.

Recently, the University of Arizona website featured a first-year computer science student, who is not only a member of the largest incoming class in UArizona history but has high hopes to build a better future for his community.

Before coming to the university, Eric Romero served as a student ambassador in a statewide initiative to help Arizona students from underserved communities prepare for life. In this role, Romero helped students navigate the college application process, scholarship opportunities, and more.

Thanks to his high school academic success and the university’s Scholarship Universe tool, Romero was able to qualify for financial aid. As the first member of his family to live on-campus in college, he took part in the university’s New Start program, which allowed him to take a class early and get a taste of the dorm experience.

While taking part in Desert View High School’s I-STEM Academy, Romero also found a passion for manufacturing. In his part-time job at a Tucson company that makes air distribution products including air nozzles and perforated grilles, he developed a talent for both machining and app design.

“In my manufacturing class projects, instead of making model after model, I tried to make each model as precise as I could. I look at my coding projects in the same way,” Romero told UArizona. “As much as I like creating stuff with metal, I believe I have more control over programming,” he said.

Read more about Romero’s origin story here.