Israel Fernandez

The Computer Science program at MPC is filled with opportunities to learn a lot. The classes that helped me out the most going into the work force was the math. I am not strong in math, but the one I did take was pre-calculus which helped out a lot when I needed to do some research about more advanced topics that I ended up needing for the job. What I really used this for was for compression algorithms like JPEG. I had to program JPEG compression just using wikipedia as my guide. The Math track is so very important for developing useful and quick algorithms. It also allowed me to keep up with my co-workers in brain-storming meetings on how to procede with dataflow and which algorithms would work best for what we are trying to achieve. The other classes like Java and Python were pretty helpful so that I solidify my basics and navigate through industry code a lot easier and so that I wouldn't get lost. Linux was really paramount because I ended up doing a lot with server configuration and embedded linux development as well as bash scripting for automation. Concepts learned from Java helped me navigate through so much more difficult source code that I had to learn the ins and outs of. Embedded linux development requires that I navigate through device tree files, makefiles, and a lot of C code. Java and advanced Java helped me navigate through the maze that is the linux device tree and embedded system development environment. Python is very useful in automating some of the more tedious tasks that i delt with. It let me communicate with the lower level drivers to talk to different parts of the hardware. I haven't taken the class Matlab, but I wish I did. I used Matlab so much when developing proof of concepts for the different algorithms we tried to integrate into the products. Networking classes were also so very important. A lot of what I did was managing our internal networking software. TCP/IP, subnets, and firewalls were all so useful to know how to navigate and configure. Overall, the Computer Science program at MPC was so helpful in teaching me what I needed to learn to be successful in my career.

Lacey Umamoto

When I first graduated high school, I moved out-of-state to attend a 4 year university. For several reasons, by the end of the first quarter, I decided to move back to California and attend MPC. Looking back, I can safely say that that has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I began taking classes at MPC, I felt incredibly motivated to study, and that feeling never seemed to leave me throughout my time there. The small class sizes made the professors seem much more approachable than if they were speaking in a massive lecture hall, and I never felt anxious about asking for help or going to office hours. All of the professors I had at MPC were passionate about the subject they taught and truly wanted to see their students succeed. Plus, they all knew how to make the lectures and material interesting. One summer, I decided to take CSIS 10A (Programming Methods I) for fun, and I ended up loving it. This single class ignited my passion for programming, and it built the solid foundation I needed to continue to take more computing classes. A few years later, I was set to transfer to a UC, where I eventually received a B.S. in computer science. The professors I had at MPC left a major impression on my life. I owe so much of my success to them, and for that, I am extremely grateful.