A coding engineer from Amazon spoke virtually to students in Windsor Central High School’s Python Coding class on Wednesday as part of the district’s Future Ready Knights Program, a K-12 initiative to prepare students for careers in seven distinct career pathways (Agriculture, Business, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Health Science, & Trades).

The engineer, Chris Riley, shared future job opportunities, which courses students should take in college if interested in the field, and his own career path, which began in college as a struggling student.

“I’ve had hurdles along the way. Everyone does,” said Riley. “You can ask for help instead of just trying to figure it out on your own. You can ask kids in your class to study with you, you can see your professor during office hours. Asking for help was a key component to overcoming my obstacles.” 

Riley introduced the students to the $40,000 scholarship opportunity through Amazon, as part of the Amazon Future Engineer program, which awards 100 $40,000 scholarships to seniors throughout the country. 

“In our high school, we’re trying to educate kids for jobs that don’t exist yet. Taking this class is a step in the right direction,” said teacher Scott Symons. 

Senior Erica Daquin decided during her junior year that she want to go to college to study computer science.

“I’m interested in technology, and I love problem solving and challenges,” said Daquin. “Right now, I’m the only girl in the class. I think women should try it because they’d probably be good at it.”

The Amazon Future Engineer program is a comprehensive childhood-to-career program aimed at increasing access to computer science education for children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities.