Karen A.

She is a mathematics and computer science teacher at Parish Hill Middle High School in Chaplin, Connecticut. She teaches AP CSP, AP Calculus AB, Precalculus, AP Statistics and AP CS A. When she attended college she was the only female in her computer science courses. She wants to help encourage a more equal gender and racial balance. Her first career was computer programming and project management and after 16 years, transitioned to teaching high school. She continually proposes new computer science courses at her school for herself and her coworkers to teach. She takes summer courses in topics that help expand her knowledge such as Python, Data Analytics and AP workshops. This knowledge helps her to direct more students into Computer Science careers and helps her to promote new computer science courses at her school. She used to run a CyberStart club to help students pursue their interest in Cybersecurity. She conducts an annual trip to the University of Connecticut for her students. During this trip they do hands on activities and explore STEM careers. She will conduct a new trip this year to Bridgewater State University for a day long Cybersecurity Challenge for her high school students. This year, students are completing a project with RedHat. Their code will run on the U.S. Space Station!