Arnold High School awarded AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - From athletics to the books, the girls at Arnold High School are dominating.

“We have such strong females here,” Katrina Gumerov, a senior at AHS, said. “In sports and in education.”

This year, Arnold has been honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This award represents how the Marlins are helping create equal gender representation in computer science.

“I think it’s definitely empowering,” Serena Patel, a freshman at AHS, said. “It’s something that pushes me. I have a lot of friends that are girls and they never thought computer science, or STEM in general, was something they wanted to get into. They always saw themselves as that’s not meant for me. But to have that person that always encourages you, it’s really empowering.”

They say this empowerment is encouraging more girls to go into STEM.

“It’s a little funny that a lot of girls our age are intimidated to go into the STEM field but I think it’s amazing that that involvement is increasing in the way that it has been in the past couple of years,” Arielle McCall, a junior at AHS, said.

No matter where life takes them in the future.

“Our world is becoming increasingly digital and no matter what field I go into, having an understand of computer science, how computers work, no matter what I end up doing,” McCall said. “Even though I plan on going into the medical field in the Navy.”

Students say this program will push them towards success.

“I am going to major in computer science, I’ve decided, done deal,” Gumerov said. “I feel like the classes here have prepared me for that and I’m going to do good in it.”

Whatever their chosen career choice is these strong and empowered students will thrive.