The future is headed towards computer science, and teacher Kristina Brown is working to promote it at Rocky.

Brown was not planning or even thinking about going into computer science. She started college with an interest in another field: English. However, she did not believe there were enough career pathways for her to be successful in this field. Brown got advice to think about switching to computer science.

“I really enjoyed computers, so I looked into that as my major,” Brown said. “I went for it, and while I was getting my bachelor’s degree, I accepted an internship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.”

Brown programmed software for the international space station. The job proved to be time-consuming and stressful, but was, overall, worth it for her. Brown explained that with the rise of technology, the ability to code will become increasingly more important and beneficial. 

Junior Ben Swanson has been learning computer science since he was 11. “There’s a stigma of computer science being something that’s unapproachable, when it’s really not,” Swanson said. Swanson’s personal experience has proved the stigma wrong. He expressed that he has had fun being able to solve problems with his own ideas, something coding has taught him. Swanson talked about the different things he’s created, such as games and apps. He is currently developing an app he deemed as “sort of a joke.” The app will feature locations of Bigfoot sightings submitted by users.

Brown is planning the Computer Science Education Week  December 5th through the 9th, which will kick off with a fair in the Media Center. This event will host computer science experts, such as CSU professors and industry professionals. Brown is also sponsoring Rocky’s third annual Hour of Code, an event that takes place internationally. The Hour of Code gives participants an opportunity to computer code for an hour by using tutorials.

Computer coding opens up many opportunities within many different professions, such as web developing, data analysts, software engineers, and more. Students are encouraged to participate in Computer Science and Education Week, no matter their level of experience. Brown suggests students who are interested in computer coding check out the Computer Science Education fair, December 5, at 5:00 pm in the media center.

Brown’s final advice? “Everyone should at least try it just to see what they can do.”