Published April 15, 2024
(L-R): Naresh Chhetri, Pushkar Kandel, Abhishek Amgain
MONROE, LA – Naresh Chhetri and Abhishek Amgain, international students from Nepal, and computer
science majors at ULM, created a computer science workshop for high school freshmen
as part of their work with the ULM TRiO Programs. Pushkar Kandel, international student
from Nepal and mathematics/actuarial science major, assisted with the creation of
the workshop. All three have held campus jobs as tutors for ULM’s TRiO participants.
On March 14, 2024, they presented the computer science workshop to TRiO staff and
received excellent reviews. Chhetri and Amgain will now pilot the workshop in selected
ninth-grade robotics, math, and science classrooms in TRiO Educational Talent Search’s
target area schools.
Amgain stated, “I believe this workshop helps students raise awareness about the importance
of computer science and its impact on students’ future. This workshop helps students
to understand different opportunities available to them inside the tech field and
make decisions about their career paths.”
“Picture computer science as a superpower – the ability to turn numbers and logic
into incredible inventions! Just like how math helps us understand the world, learning
computer science helps us change it for the better,” said Kandel.
The objective of this TRiO ETS initiative is to encourage young students to explore
careers in the rapidly growing technology industry and to educate students in the
STEM fields, with a particular focus on computer science and career exploration. The
freshman-level workshop will highlight areas of computer science, including software
engineering, programming languages and coding, human-computer interaction, artificial
intelligence, cryptography, cybersecurity, and more, including careers in these fields.
Students will be encouraged to select the proper high school mathematics courses in
order to prepare for a career in computer science.
“We’re excited to introduce students to the transformative world of computer science!
Our workshop aims to spark curiosity and show them the exciting career possibilities
in the ever-evolving tech industry,” said Chhetri.
Chhetri, Kandel, and Amgain are also members of the ULM Honors Program, which is a
unique program open to all majors that seeks intellectually curious students who desire
to challenge themselves with new ideas and to work with similarly motivated students.
ULM hosts three federally-funded TRiO Programs: Student Support Services (SSS), which
serves college students; Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS), which
assists college students who are parents with their child care costs and parenting
skills; and Educational Talent Search (ETS), which serves junior high and high school
students. The goal of TRiO programs is to increase the number of underrepresented,
disadvantaged, or first-generation individuals who persist and graduate from high
school and college. TRiO participants must meet federal eligibility requirements.
ULM TRiO ETS has been assisting area students for more than 35 years. For more information
about Talent Search, contact Mrs. Debbie Upshaw at (318)342-1094, or visit https://www.ulm.edu/research/trio/talent search.html
