Computing Organization for Multicultural Students
Computing Organization for Multicultural Students
Mission
Our Mission is to build a supportive community that celebrates the talent of underserved students in GCCIS. We aspire to accomplish this by helping our members with academics, mental health, and a sense of belonging. Our programs will help students be accountable, disciplined, responsible computing scholars and give them a community to rely on. This will be done through mentorship, leadership, and scholarship.
Goals
- Create an inclusive environment for underserved students in computing.
- Provide support to underserved students in computing through mentorship, tutoring, leadership, mental health workshops, professional development, and a sense of belonging.
- Community building with our local underserved groups to promote computing accessibility.
- Develop a space within GCCIS for underserved students to celebrate their culture and make connections with other students like them in computing.
Student Spotlights
John Patrick
What is your major?
Computing Security
Where is your hometown?
Syracuse, New York
What drew you to choose your major?
My love for technology and the job opportunity in the cybersecurity field.
What is your dream job and where is it located?
My dream job is to be a Network Engineer and I would prefer the job to be in the state of New York.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
I would go with Java, since it was my first language to learn and I like the syntax.
What is a goal you have for COMS?
Expand and show students they have another place where they can go to and find opportunities.
Eric Fotang Jr.
What is your major?
Game Design and Development
Where is your hometown?
La Plata, Maryland
What drew you to choose your major?
I wanted to bring both my creative and problem-solving skills into my career. Bringing those skills into an industry that I’m passionate about was an added bonus.
What is your dream job and where is it located?
My dream job would be a creative director at Nintendo in Japan.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
C#, it’s very easy to read and write as without many limitations.
What is a goal you have for COMS?
To create a collaborative and friendly environment in COMS so that students from all walks of life feel comfortable coming together.
Alex Eddings
What is your major?
Web and Mobile Computing
Where is your hometown?
Chicago, IL
What drew you to choose your major?
I came to the conclusion that I liked experimenting with web development projects.
What is your dream job and where is it located?
I think I need more industry experience to be able to confidently say a certain role for this. Minneapolis seemed pretty neat when I visited, so I might move there eventually.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
Java. I have the most experience with it and it can help build quite a few things.
What is a goal you have for COMS?
For the organization, I want us to be able to be recognized as much as Women in Computing and become a household name at RIT.
Makenzie Dorsey
What is your major?
Computer Science
Where is your hometown?
Riverside, CA
What drew you to choose your major?
When I first learned about computer science, I was instantly drawn to programming and learning more about how computer applications, websites, and apps are programmed.
What is your dream job and where is it located?
My dream job is to be a Data Engineer that works to increase and improve the data management within women's sports. I am not set on a specific location but would love to spend some extending time in Seattle, WA.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
My favorite language would have to be Java because it is the first object oriented language I have learned and its endless possibilities still continue to surprise me today.
What is a goal you have for COMS?
A goal I have for COMS is for us to provide a space where people of color can have a space to get to know others that are in their major or have the same computing interests.
Kasim O’Meally
What is your major?
Web and Mobile Computing
Where is your hometown?
Rochester, NY
What drew you to choose your major?
I chose my major upon realizing that I like more front-end development rather than back end development.
What is your dream job and where is it located?
I currently do not have a dream job. Anything related to computing is great for me. If I were to have a dream job location it would be Silicon valley.
What is your favorite programming language and why?
I honestly don't have a favorite programming language as of yet, but on my downtime, I like to explore the syntax and history of programming languages I am not too familiar with.
What is a goal you have for COMS?
A goal I have for COMS is to provide a space for students of color to feel comfortable talking about computing and being active in computing without the presence of stereotypes and stigma, ultimately bringing in more GCCIS students of color.
Community Engagement
Building pathways for young people of color and underrepresented groups to embrace the current tech marketplace and join the computing field when looking at higher education. It is important to work with the local community to create pathways to computing by introducing them early on to skills in computer programming and technology.
