SJC Brooklyn Hosts College and Career Readiness Program

April 04, 2016

The Department of Computer Science at St. Joseph’s College (SJC) recently partnered with James Madison High School, the National Academy Foundation and Fueled, a global applications developer, to present a college and career readiness tour for aspiring high school students interested in careers in information technology. 

Last year, SJC Brooklyn partnered with the National Academy Foundation, the contracted provider for career and technical education for the New York City Department of Education, to create the College and Career Readiness Tour Program. These tours are designed to give students a unique experience in which they learn about the academic requirements and the professional opportunities that exist in fields of study that interest them.  This semester, professors Salim Arfoaui and Dr. Eugene Callahan of SJC’s Department of Computer Science reached out to Fueled to organize this tour and provide students from James Madison High School with a glimpse of a leading digital company at the forefront of its industry. 

“This program provides SJC Brooklyn with a unique opportunity to highlight all that our program and the field of information technology have to offer,” said Salim Arfaoui, instructor of computer science at SJC Brooklyn. “We're glad to provide this to aspiring tech professionals and are grateful to have Fueled and the National Academy Foundation as partners in this venture.”

At this event, students were presented with information regarding the college application process and how a degree in computer science can prepare them for rewarding and enriching careers in high-tech fields. Students and computer science faculty spoke of the dynamic nature of technology and how the computer science program at SJC Brooklyn imparts the core reasoning and cognitive skills necessary to thrive in this environment.

In addition, the students visited Fueled’s headquarters on Prince Street in New York City, where several members of the Fueled team discussed their career paths, how to bring an app or a digital product to the marketplace, and how their educations and lives prepared them for successful careers.

“Our students were excited to visit SJC and speak with professors and students about opportunities to study computer science,” said Sara Spiegel, coordinator for the academy of information technology at James Madison High School. “The visit to Fueled helped them understand how coursework can be applied to a professional setting and what job opportunities are available to them after college.”