The first weeks of Help Desk this year have been very busy. We’re building on the great work we did with our drone grant project as well as our various coding and robotics projects. I’m excited to be working with all our new students this semester, and am thrilled to have Gati Aher, Lucas Bradley,  Patrick Hayes, Moses Kisakye, and Cam Wheelock back to continue the wonderful work they did last year. We are very committed to working with the BHS community, so please stop for help with any of your educational technology needs.

 

Hi, my name is Gati Aher, and I am a senior at Burlington High School. This is my second year with Help Desk, and I am looking forward to exploring technology and having more time to work on programming challenges. Over the summer, I presented the Help Desk AI Chatbot program at ISTE 2018 in Chicago, an International Society for Technology in Education Conference, developed and wrote a paper on complex custom Secure Multi-Party Computation protocols during my 6 week internship at Boston University’s Software & Application Innovation Lab (SAIL), and spent 3 weeks teaching coding, robotics, circuitry, laser cutting, and 3D-printing at Einstein’s Workshop summer camp. Additionally, I have taught myself Java and Python, taken a class for C++, self-studied and got a 5/5 on the AP CS A exam, and I am the leader of the Robotics team’s Computer Aided Design (CAD) division, Technology Club, Math League, and Peer Tutors. I have a strong interest in computer science and robot design, and I want to go into a career involving artificial intelligence, robotics, and making technology that makes the world a better place. My goals for the future are doing well in a MIT-run AI contest, BattleCode, and researching path finding, swarm behavior, and heuristic algorithms.

Emerson Armas Soy un estudiante nuevo en Burlington High School, con mucho interés a la educación. Tengo mucho interés de estudiar un poco sobre tecnología ya que me gusta aprender cosas nuevas sobre programas, aplicaciones, avances tecnológicos cosas nuevas que salen cada día; ya que vemos en estos tiempos la tecnología a avanzado mucho y cada día sigue avanzando más y más. la tecnología es ahora una de las necesidades básicas de la persona ya que la utilizan en el trabajo, en el hogar y en muchos otros lugares, ami lo que me gusta y me emociona es ver cosas tecnológicas que cubren necesidades de las personas ayudándolos a que su vida o su trabajo sea más fácil y por eso yo casi siempre trato de actualizarme un poco y no quedarme sin saber nada sobre teléfonos, computadoras o cosas que me pueden ayudar en mis necesidades básicas.

Por que me gusta mucho la informática de la tecnología, me gusta aprender cosas tecnológicas y compartirlas con los compañeros u amigos que necesitan ayuda, nunca avía tenido una clase de este tipo, y ahora que lo tengo me emociona bastante y pondré de mi parte para aprender lo que en esta clase me enseñen.

Se que en un futuro próximo me graduare y seré alguien en la vida, y en ese momento es donde voy a necesitar todo lo que aprenderé en el estudio; quiero ser una persona muy buena en lo que hace, trabajo, padre, y todo lo que venga yo se que estaré listo. Mi meta es graduarme, finalizar mis estudios y ser reconocidos por todos como un buen empleador.

Soy una persona que forma parte de una religión “Cristiano evangélico” y provengo de una familia humilde de un pueblito de Guatemala, crecí junto a mis padres y tengo cuatro hermanos, la mayoría de mi familia son campesinos; aunque en Guatemala no hay muchas oportunidades de estudio gracias a Dios yo sí tuve esa oportunidad de estudiar. Me encanta tocar la guitarra, hace cinco años que toco la guitarra y me gusta aprender cosas nuevas cada día.

Emerson Armas I am a new student at Burlington High School, with a strong interest in education. I am very interested in studying a bit about technology since I like to learn new things about programs, applications, technological advances, new things that come out every day; since we see in these times technology has advanced a lot and every day it keeps advancing more and more. Technology is now one of the basic needs of the person since they use it at work, at home and in many other places, so what I like and what excites me is seeing technological things that meet the needs of people helping them with their lives and making work easier, and for that reason, I almost always try to update myself a little and not remain without knowing anything about phones, computers or things that can help me in my basic needs.

Because I like IT technology very much, I like to learn technological things and share them with classmates or friends who need help, I have never had a class of this type, and now that I have it, I am very excited and I will do my part to learn what in this class they teach me.

I know that in the near future I will graduate and I will be someone in life, and that is where I will need everything I will learn in my studies; I want to be a very good person in what I do, work, being a father, and everything that comes, I know that I will be ready. My goal is to graduate, finish my studies and be recognized by all as a good employer.

I am a person who is part of a “Christian evangelical” religion and I come from a humble family in a small town in Guatemala, I grew up with my parents and I have four brothers, most of my family are peasants; although in Guatemala there are not many opportunities for study, thank God I did have that opportunity to study. I love playing the guitar, I’ve been playing the guitar for five years and I like to learn new things every day.

 

My name is Joey Bonanno and I am currently a senior here at BHS and this is my first year of Help Desk. I have always been in contact with common technologies such as phones, tablets, computers, and consoles and wanted to get to know more about them and how to fix common issues that occur with them. I also do a lot of photography and video work outside of school with drones and gimbals and felt that Help Desk could definitely help me learn more about how they work and the more technical aspect of the things I use on a regular basis. I definitely plan on going to college right after high school and I am interested in studying in the field of engineering. I feel that anything that I learn in Help Desk about technology, coding, and robotics will greatly help me in my studies and outside in the real world.

 

My name is Luke Bradley, and I am in my senior year. I am interested in going to college to be a computer science major. I have been interested in computers and programming since I took my first computer class my freshman year. Ironically I accidentally took intro to computer science as a freshman because the other electives I signed up for were full and I ended up really enjoying it. I am also very interested in cars, and the technology they use now for manufacturing and for technology inside of cars for the driver. I find it very interested now how they use computers now to track horsepower vs gas mileage in different parts of the engine. I also really like when cars have technology on the interior, such as Tesla’s 17 inch tablet inside of the car. I decided to join Help Desk because I am trying to take as many computer classes as I can and I knew it would help expand my knowledge on computers. I am interested in being a software engineer when I’m older. I would like to work on something that is essentially the “next iPhone” or a whole new piece of technology we have never seen before.

 

Hello, I am Nick Buongiorno, and I am a senior here at BHS. This is my first time taking the Help Desk course. I took this course to expand my knowledge of technology. I use the Internet a lot, but I am not the greatest with accessing things. I would love to get some insight about the way technology we use that has made human tasks simpler for this new era. Connecting to technology a bit, I am also a science/mathematics fanatic. I love the precision and accuracy of science and math, the way they can explain to a tee of how our insanely complex universe functions. I hope to become a biochemist or chemical engineer, that can help make advances in our world through extensive research and the design of newer, safer products. I believe this course, as well as my calculus and chemistry courses, will help me gather valuable information and tactics that can help me become prepared for my dream job. Some of my other interests/hobbies include watching TV, playing soccer and badminton, playing video games (mostly Call of Duty and FIFA), sports commentary/editing film, and traveling to foreign nations such as Finland, Italy, France, Germany, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Lastly, I am citizen of Finland and Italy and was born in Idaho.

 

Hi! My name is Daniel Castellarin and I am now a senior at Burlington High School. I like programming and working with technology in general, but I also like to watch movies, read, play video games, and hang out with my friends. Sports is one of my hobbies as well. I like ice hockey the most, I also like football and baseball too. I decided to join the BHS Help Desk because it is a great way to learn about what an IT department does and also learn about databases and systems. I have already completed the introductory computer science, programming, and AP Computer Science A classes, and I want to learn more about more practical applications of the technology and techniques I have learned about. I am planning on going to college for computer science too, and then seeking a career in software development, but I am still not quite sure what job I would like to do exactly. I am very ambitious, and when I set my mind to something, I make sure that it happens.

 

Hi, my name is Ronin D’Auria, and I’m currently a senior at BHS. I joined help desk because I want to have a better understanding of technology, and to understand the software/processes of computers. Last year, some of my good friends were in the Help Desk, so I was with them a lot, and I was able to go on the field trip to PAX East with some of the members, and I thought it would be a good experience to partake in the Help Desk. I also want to explore music software, because I’ve always had a lot of interest in music, and the production of it. Something I’ve always wanted to do as a career, is actually playing video games for a career, which, is somehow turning into more and more of a reality. I am a professional player in the game Rocket League, currently competing in the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). Another career I’m interested in is as a musician, specifically producing music and making beats. whether for other artists or just stand alone instrumentals.

 

My name is Dan Downie and I am a senior at Burlington High School.  I like to play sports with all of my friends, frisbee being the most popular among us, as well as during the winter I like to skate and play games of pick-up hockey in a backyard rink.  During the school year I participate in Track and Field and most recently have done Cross Country this year. In regards to school I am an honors student with good grades overall. Some of my favorite classes include Latin, physics, and calculus.  Language has always been a secondary interest for me, and even for a while I considered being a linguist, but the science and math part is a passion. I have always been very good at math and logic, which is what got me into computers. Everything is logical and straightforward, which is why I enjoy.  Although I do not picture myself in a career in computer science, I do see myself using computers on a daily basis. My ideal career would be to work for a place such as Boeing or NASA or SpaceX as an engineer. All in all I look forward to this year in Help Desk and I can’t wait.

 

Hi my name is Ben Fauller. I’m a senior here at BHS and this is my first time doing Help Desk. I enjoy playing basketball and video games. I am excited to learn more about basic coding and learn how various electronics work in my time here. I want to become an accountant when I get out of college and I’m extremely interested in technology.

 

 

Hello, my name is Scott Fraser, and I am a senior at Burlington High School. This is my first year in Help Desk. I decided to join Help Desk because I enjoy using technology as well as solving any issues with technology. I also joined to further my knowledge of technology in general. I am thinking of majoring in computer science when I go to college. I would then work with computers for a company. My main passion is sports in general. I have always been interested in watching sports as well as playing a variety of them, such as basketball and soccer. Currently, I have been doing cross country and track since sophomore year. I also love being outdoors. I go camping and fishing often when I have free time with family and friends. As being a part of Help Desk, I want to expand my knowledge of technology while applying that knowledge by helping others.

 

Hi my name is Sean Gedick. I am a senior at Burlington High School. I am an NFL superfan and I love the Patriots. I’m also an avid gamer, playing mostly Rocket League, Madden, NBA2K, and Grand Theft Auto 5. I decided to join help desk to gain some knowledge about the devices we have to use every day for school and how to fix them. Another reason I joined help desk was to increase my interest in new technology such as drones, AI, and apple watches. My dream career would be an NFL or college football level coach. Ever since I started watching football at the age of 6 I have loved the game. Watching the “A Football Life” of Bill Belichick and other great coaches inspired me to become one. I am a member of the Burlington football Red Devils. I have been playing football since the age of 7 and Ii have played here at the high school all four years. I plan on playing football at the college I attend as a long snapper which i have been doing for 5 years now. For the first 5 years of my football career I played center and linebacker, for the last 5 years I have played as a wide receiver, cornerback, and long snapper.

 

Hello, I am Robby Griffin and I am currently entering my senior year here at BHS. I have taken computer class sciences here already at my time in BHS and most definitely enjoyed it, and after doing that I wanted to try working with technology in other ways, whether it be working with drones, or fixing technological issues. I heard from my friend Cam about working with the robot, and to me that sounded very interesting. That was one of the things that got me into helpdesk. Also, Mr. Wong joined my physics class with Dr. Johnson last school year and it was interesting to see how help desk could integrate itself with core classes at BHS. Because of how well that experience went, it also gave me even more motivation to join helpdesk this year. I am looking forward to an innovative and interesting year here at the Help Desk, and I hope we make some nice additions to the curriculum while also solving the technological difficulties the school faces throughout the rigorous school year.

 

My name is Matt Harrigan and I am a senior.  I like to play football and do gymnastics. For football I’m a wide receiver, cornerback, and long snapper. For gymnastics I do the parallel bars and rings for now. I have been playing football ever since I was 7 years old. I have been doing gymnastics since sophomore year. I decided to join help desk because I like to play around with technology. Technology has always fascinated me. I like to see how pieces of technology work and I like to see what it can do. When I’m older I would like to be an engineer. I’ve always wanted to be a engineer ever since I was a little kid. My number one school for engineering is Wentworth. I have also looked at Norwich, University of Maine, and Merrimack College. If I can’t be an engineer then I will most likely join the Army. I like to go snowboarding with my friends in the winter. I go to Wachusett Mountain to go snowboarding. I always have a pair of Beats on me to listen to music. I have ADHD so it can be challenging at times to focus on something.

 

Hello, my name is Patrick Hayes. I am currently a senior at BHS. I joined Help Desk last year to try and learn more about technology. Help Desk was a very fun time last year with all of the interesting projects we did with the drones, so I was thrilled to have this class again. After high school my career choice is still ambiguous. I feel as though I will end up in the business field like my parents. While in high school, I play on the varsity hockey and lacrosse teams. I love sports and the competition within them. Competition is always relevant in life and sports really encourages me to work hard and fair in everything I do. Other than sports, I am a member of student council and participate in many clubs. I am thrilled to get the opportunity to help other students around BHS while in Help Desk.

 

My name is Jordan Kimathi. I’m Class of 2019 in Burlington High School. I’m interested in music production and business. I decided to join Help Desk to learn more about software I’m prone to using in the future. My career interests fall in business. One interesting thing about myself is that I’m very artistic.

 

 

Hi, my name is Moses Kisakye, and I am a senior in Burlington High School. I am interested in playing video games like NBA 2K, Black Ops, Fortnite and I also watch NBA mixtapes on YouTube. My decision to join Help Desk is because most of the people in BHS including me have problems fixing their iPad due to all the new updates, wifi problems,and have iPad setting problems. I feel like I can do something about it and know what the problem is. My career interest is to become a doctor and help people with diseases worldwide which is connected to the Help Desk where you help people with these needs. Not only am I interested in computers and my career, but I also have fun playing sports like soccer and basketball because these are the sports that I also play in school that keep me interested and happy.

 

Hello, my name is Garo Lalayan. I am a senior here at Burlington High School.  I decided to join the Help Desk because after high school, I’m going straight to jewelry business and working with technology with my dad. Another reason why is because our school each year is getting better and better in technology. It’s extremely useful but there are also some problems students run into and I want to be the one helping them fix the problem for them and learn at the same time. My favorite things to do in my spare time are either playing 2k or hanging with my friends.

 

I am Nora Markarian and I’m currently a senior. My interests is to learn how to be a better coder and how robots work. I decided to to join the help desk because I thought it would be interesting to learn new things about technology and to help people with their iPads and laptops. In the future I would like to study computer science and might want to go into the cybersecurity field. When I am not in school I play sports like, swim, track, and softball. In my free time I like to hang out with my friends and family.

 

 

My name is Gage Melberg, and I am a freshman at BHS. I want to be able to know a lot about technology and how it works. I like to play video games and I want to know how they work. Also in this class there is a guitar and I would like to learn how to play and Mr.Wong is a great teacher for it. I decided to join Help Desk because this elective sounded cool and it is. Another reason why I decided to join was because I wanted to learn more about technology. Also, I needed another elective on my list. As for career interests, I’m not sure what I want my career to be, but probably later on in my life I would like to have a job that involves working with technology because technology interests me

 

My name is Justin Miksenas. I am a senior. I really like history and learning what it entails. I just like to think that there was more than just going to school or just working all day everyday. I decided to join Help Desk to at least have a little more knowledge in computers and coding.  Also, because I really wanted to fly the drones. I want to be a teacher or work in business. I really like to watch movies and TV.

 

 

Hello, my name is Rishabh Prakash, and I am a senior at BHS. The main reason I joined the Help Desk is because I have a strong interest in computer science and technology, and the Help Desk will provide me with exposure to different technological concepts and gadgets, such as drones, Arduinos, Raspberry Pi computers, robots, and many other things that interest me. I am relatively proficient in computer programming, but in our tech-fueled world, there are many other aspects of technology that I am not familiar with, and Help Desk will give me the opportunity to explore other fields of technology that I am not yet proficient in. The Help Desk will also give me the opportunity to pursue some independent projects, to hopefully design and build tech with a practical use in the real world. Additionally, I would like to use my knowledge in the technology field to help my peers with technological issues – which are inevitable at such a technology driven school – and Help Desk will give me the opportunity to do so. Outside of school, I run track and field and cross country at Burlington High School, and have been doing so since my freshman year. I am also a part of student council, the Red Devil Athletic Leadership Team and Mentor Leadership Team, and volunteer at Lahey Clinic during the summer. My career goals are to study computer science and business/management in college, hopefully giving me the skills to pursue a career in the startup industry. I would also like to pursue my passion for running track and cross country at the collegiate level. I am looking forward to a fun year in Help Desk!

 

My name is Conor Quinlan, and I am a senior. I am very interested in sports and play hockey and lacrosse. Also I am interested in forensic science and criminal justice in school. I decided to join Help Desk because I was very interested in the cool robotic stuff that we do in Help Desk. Also I am interested in learning how to fix problems that come up in laptops and iPads while we help fellow students with their problems. Also, I am interested in the coding because I took a class on coding when I was a freshman and I want to see what else I can learn about it and what I still remember about it. I am interested in majoring in criminal justice in college and the future job that I want is a federal level government job like the FBI or CIA or something like that. Another career that I was looking into was something in sport management. The reason I am interested in this is because I love sports and I am good at them so it makes sense for a future career. Some other interesting things about me is that I used to play football when I was a freshman at BHS. Also I like to read books which is very unusual for teenage high schoolers. Some of the recent books that are my favorite from High School were “Damn Few,” “Brothers Forever,” and “American Sniper.”  The book I am currently reading on my own is “Top Secret Tales of World War II.”

 

Hello, my name is Justin Rodrigues of the Class of 2019, and this will be my first year taking this class. I think I will enjoy taking this class this year. Some things that I did that were fun over the summer were going on a trip to Albany, New York; Saco, Maine; and Gloucester. What made me decide to take this class is my interest in technology.

 

 

Hi, I’m Robert Smith. I’m a freshman and this is my first year in Help Desk. I have two brothers, one sister, and a dog. I am excited to learn new things about technology and get to know new people within the class. I play hockey and I am really good at video games although, I am not a video game nerd, just pretty good at them. I spend most of my time using technology and teaching a lot about technology. I am looking forward to learning and helping people who don’t understand a lot about technology, new things about it, and what the benefits are from using technology and the Internet. I am most interested in becoming a police officer. I want to become a police officer so I can help provide for my family and help my family with needs. I joined Help Desk because I was interested in the technology part, and my brother recommended it to me. I have always been into and know a lot about technology and stuff with robots. Mainly just knowing if something was wrong with it and even being able to fix it sometimes. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to learn more and spread my knowledge with technology.

 

Hi, I’m Scott Stack, I’m a senior, and this is my first year with Help Desk. As it does for everyone in Burlington, technology plays a big part in my life. With my main interests being sports, video games and music, technology is very prevalent in my life personally. With that being said, along with having taken programming/computer science classes in my past years at BHS and hoping to study computer science in college, I feel the Help Desk is a good fit for me. Based on my interests and what I have seen, the Help Desk seems like an interesting, fun and educational class where I believe I can help others. Aside from Help Desk, I play tennis for BHS, play soccer, football, basketball and other sports with my friends, and also play the guitar. Music production obviously involves a lot of technology, and while technology is not involved much for me directly with my sports, in professional sports as technology grows, it begins to have a much more impact on the games, with things like tracking statistics or developing strategies. Overall, with my interest in technology as well as other things like sports, I think Help Desk is a good fit for me.

 

My name is Anthony Vallerand. I am a senior at Burlington High School. I have three older brothers and one younger sister. I have interests in hockey as well as graphic design. I decided to join Help Desk for many reasons. First of all, I have a great interest in technology. I like using 21st century learning and would expand on it. Also, I want to be able to help my peers if they are struggling with their device. After high school, I plan to major in graphic design and minor in business, preferably marketing. As a senior at BHS I feel like I am very approachable and can help anyone or lead them to the right help with their technological devices. Some of my favorite things to do when I am bored is watch TV, play hockey, and take naps. My favorite season is the fall, mostly because it is my birthday season but also because it is not to hot out. Another interesting thing about myself is that my favorite vacation spot is the Bahamas.

 

Hello, my name is Joe Viscione and I am currently a senior at Burlington High School. I have interests in sports broadcasting and journalism, but also share a passion for online gaming, and using video editing softwares to create videos on YouTube and occasionally a podcast. The Help Desk really interested me since in this day and age, technology is playing such a large role in our society, and learning more about it could really give me a leg up later down the line. When I leave BHS, I plan to focus on a career in the sportscasting/journalism realm. I usually spend my spare time watching the NFL, running, or playing a wide variety of video games.

 

My name is Paul Wahba and I am a freshman.  My interests in my high school years are to learn more about technology than before because it always interested me how these big blocks of metal and electricity can do more than a lot of people. And that’s why I joined Help Desk to learn more about technology. I always wondered how things from a Playstation to a big robot worked and until I graduate, I want to learn more about electronics than before and hopefully go to college and become an electrical engineer. One interesting thing about myself is that my uncle used to work at Sony and designed a lot of things and what I used to do was take the broken ones apart and see if I could put them back together. So that’s why I’m so interested in Help Desk so I can learn more about electronics and how they work.

 

Hello! I am Cameron Wheelock, a senior here at Burlington High School. I play football in the fall and baseball in the spring. I love to play video games and practice my athletics in my free time. I joined Help Desk because I enjoy helping others and solving technological problems. I have a bit of experience at my own house with reoccurring issues and I hope to carry my experience over into the Help Desk. After high school, I am looking into becoming a physical therapist or an athletic trainer while I play football for my college/university. I do hope to solve your troubles but I cannot guarantee I can one hundred percent of the time.