do something BIG!
Meet Matthew
After attending both iD Tech Camps and iD Programming Academy, Matthew is making a name for himself – by disguising others’ names. His final project at iD Programming Academy was a “krankCall” iPhone® app that changes callers’ contact information, letting them prank their friends. He also created a second iPhone app, “GraphiColor,” that allows users to draw and paint on their iPhone screens. Matthew kept working on his apps after camp, and recently published krankCall online as a web app. He is currently a senior in high school and credits iD with teaching him computer skills that he doesn’t have an opportunity to learn in school. He loves the personalized nature of iD Tech Camps curriculum, and he plans to use the skills he’s discovered at camp to help him become a software engineer.
iD: How many seasons have you attended iD summer tech programs?
Matthew: I have attended one season of iD Tech Camps in Texas, and have also had the great opportunity to attend the iD Programming Academy – a teen program held at Stanford.
iD: What do you do for fun when you aren’t at our summer programs?
M: I am part of my school’s marching band where I play trumpet. Formally, I’ve been playing for eight years in school and at church, but I do not wish to continue my music education after high school; however, I will probably continue to play as a hobby.
Also, computer science is a big interest of mine – I’ve been involved in University Interscholastic League competitions since my sophomore year. These competitions are programming contests with teams made up of three individuals competing against each other. We first individually take a written test composed of multiple choice questions. After that, we work as a team for two hours of problem solving with the goal of programming solutions to as many questions as possible within the time frame.
Aside from playing the trumpet and programming, I always enjoy relaxing with a good book – especially any story from the Harry Potter series.
iD: What are your favorite things about our summer programs?
M: The tailored curriculum allows students to learn in a very personalized manner. I consider my knowledge to be a little more advanced than others’ because of my firm programming background. Because of this, I have a pretty good idea of what I want to accomplish when at camp – the instructors work with my requests to put together a customized final project for me to complete.
iD: Does attending iD help you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
M: For me, going to camp gave me the opportunity to be on my own for a bit, away from home – which is something I don’t usually experience. Being away from my parents gave me a chance to take responsibility for my actions, learn on my own and make my own decisions.
Also, because the camps are held at universities, I was able to get a sneak peek into college life – we stayed in dorms, studied in labs and ate in cafeterias. I also learned to build quick, new relationships, which is something that will surely help me once I go to college or join the work force.
iD: Is iD a good place to make friends?
M: I definitely think so. It’s a good place to make friends because most of us have common interests, which makes it easier to talk and get to know each other. And it’s not just the other campers. All of the counselors are also easy to talk to and extremely friendly, so now I consider them my friends as well.
iD: What are your future goals?
M: I’m looking forward to college and exploring a tech career. I have already been accepted to the University of Illinois, UT Austin and Texas A&M. After college, I’d like to work as a software engineer for Google, Apple®, Microsoft® or Disney®.
iD: How has iD impacted these goals?
M: iD Tech Camps has given me the opportunity to learn things that my schools haven’t taught me. You can learn a lot in high school, but there aren’t many, if any, technology or computer science courses. My experiences at iD have taught me that the profession I am seeking is highly competitive, and that I need to learn as much as possible to prepare myself for my future career.
iD: What’s your favorite tech gadget?
M: Like a lot of people, I love my iPhone…the apps, fun games, Facebook® connectivity, news, texting and emails…it’s all there in one device. Plus, I spend time creating my own apps, so it makes sense that I spend a lot of time with the iPhone.
iD: What’s your favorite video game?
M: Right now, I’d have to say Call of Duty®, which was introduced to me at iD Tech Camps.
iD: Why do you keep coming back to iD?
M: As I said, the counselors are a big part of the iD experience. Not only are they my friends, but I consider them all to be mentors as well, or advisors that guide me through on the way to realizing goals.
iD: Any advice for future iD campers?
M: From what I’ve experienced, it never hurts to have a little experience before going to camps. Not to say that it is a requirement by any means. But for me, I had previous experience which gave me an idea for what I wanted to do with my final project. The iD staff will then work with you to complete your final project.
Also I suggest taking as many courses as possible because there is so much to learn! Remain open to meeting and talking to new people as well. And always keep using what you learn at camp – I did, and I was recently featured in a New York Times article about tech camps.
iD: Anything else you’d like to add?
M: Just that everyone should check out krankCall – it’s published online as a web app at http://krankcall.com. You can add it to your iPhone like an app and have fun playing around with your friends!
Check out some of the cool courses Matthew mentioned. Register early and do something BIG with iD this summer!
