High Performance Techie: Matt Dwyer

Matt Dwyer, Class of 2010, Los Alamos, New Mexico

What are you up to? I am currently working as a Computer Science Researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory along with getting my Master of Science online. I am in the High Performance Computing (HPC) Design group on the visualization team. If you don't know what HPC is, think of thousands of powerful computers connected in a room about the size of a football field used to run one or more simulations. My team is tasked with creating and testing emerging visualization technologies that can be used to enhance the understanding of the simulations run on these supercomputers.

How'd you get here? During my undergrad at Lynchburg College, I had an internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory which opened up an opportunity my senior year to intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Through hard work and a great deal of learning, I made a good impression and landed a full-time job.

What are your goals? My goals are to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science and become a leading researcher in my field.

Advice for WHS Students? Make every opportunity a learning opportunity. Even if you don't intend to pursue higher education, make it a point always be open to new ideas and learn from your mistakes in every aspect of your life.

What can you smell right now? Black coffee and chicken pot pie.

From College to the NFL: Tom Frenette

Tom Frenette, Class of 2010, Miami, FL

What are you up to? Currently working as a video producer & editor for the Miami Dolphins. My 5th grade Polk School yearbook says I wanted to be a Wide Receiver for the Dolphins when I'm 30. I'm not making the big bucks like those guys, but I get to run out with them during player intros. Close enough right?

How'd you get here? After WHS, I went to SCSU for 4 years. I couldn't have asked for a better place to really grow up. The opportunities it awarded landed me my dream job right out of school!

What are your goals? Just to better myself everyday. It's usually something that relates to learning or trying something new in my profession, but it can also be something as small as being polite or trying to limit my road rage due to the incompetent South Florida drivers.

Advice for WHS Students? Broaden your horizons. WHS isn't the most diverse school, but that just isn't the case in the real world. Go outside your comfort zone, and meet people different than yourself. You'll be much better for it.

What is your greatest weakness? I second guess myself too often.

A Townie Mad Scientist: Patrick Finneran

Patrick Finneran, Class of 2010, Waltham, MA

What are you up to? I'm going into my third year of my PhD program for Biochemistry and Biophysics at Brandeis University. For the most part, I work in a research lab and take very few classes. I do research that uses the study of evolution to better understand problems faced in different types of cancer on the level of proteins and molecular interactions.

I've also recently had the chance to drive across the country with my girlfriend and see all the major places I've wanted to see in the United States.

To me, biochemistry and traveling are just different ways to learn more about the world.

How'd you get here? I was lead to think that I wasn't going to succeed if I studied chemistry. For many of my high school classes, I rarely did my homework and some teachers never saw me as one of the best students. No one ever had to directly say it, but it was implied. Statements would be made about the types of students that succeed in college and I never felt like one of them. This had a large impact on me.

I had a very positive experience with psychology in high school and I enjoyed it a lot. So, I went to college as a psychology/Pre-Med major at Western Connecticut State University. Within less than a year I learned I was not in the right program and switched to major in chemistry, which is what I really wanted to do. Eventually, I joined a brand new lab in the department and did biochemistry research for about 2 years. I worked on a research project focused on malaria. Eventually, I applied to a few grad schools and found the one that offered exactly what I was looking for in a program.

What are your goals? I've been changing my goals and making them up as I go along; that's the fun part. One year ago, I would have said I wanted to teach at a college for undergraduates. Right now, I've been thinking about working at a law firm and going to law school to work in intellectual property law for biotech companies. My family will most likely laugh at me if I keep going to school.

Advice for WHS Students? Don't let others influence your opinion of yourself. If you want to do something; go for it. College gives you more motivation than what high school gives you. Also, talk with others about your problems. In my PhD program, every student has a different strength and weakness and it's helpful when we remind each other that both science and life are hard and we can't be perfect so we shouldn't stress out so much.

What is your greatest weakness? Laziness

こんにちは! Γειά σου! ¡Hola! and Hello!: Demosthenes Gakidis

Demosthenes Gakidis, Class of 2010, Watertown, CT but headed to Philadelphia, PA in August 2016

What are you up to? I am attending the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education for an M.S. Ed. in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language). At UPenn, beyond studying, I'll be working as a Graduate Assistant in the Graduate School of Education-- talking to prospective students, helping professors with research, and a few other administrative assistant responsibilities. Alongside this, I'll be a Graduate Associate in the College Houses assisting undergraduate students, organizing presentations, and taking trips around Philadelphia. 

How'd you get here? After graduating from Watertown High School, I attended UConn with a major in English. I knew I liked reading and writing, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my interests in the "real world." At UConn, I joined a volunteer group to assist adult English as a second language classes at the local high school next to campus. Here, I had a chance to interact with and work with people from countries such as China, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, and Austria. I realized I loved teaching ESL and meeting people from around the world. I applied for jobs abroad and eventually taught English in Kochi, Japan to elementary school and junior high school students for two years with the JET Program. The experience, as cliche as this sounds, changed my life. It's hard to sum up two years in a foreign country in a few sentences, but I'll try my best. I saw a new way of life and immersed myself into a culture I knew nothing about previously. I began to trust myself more and became really independent. I studied Japanese daily and eventually was able to communicate with people in my schools and town. I had an incredible time traveling around Japan (visited 23/47 prefectures) and to countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia. The food was so good; I still dream about it to this day. Now, I'm going to graduate school to learn all the theoretical background in the field of teaching English as a second language and to study language acquisition. 

What are your goals? My future goals at the moment include teaching international students, refugees, or immigrants in the United States or Europe in universities or community centers. I hope to eventually earn a higher degree in Linguistics/Social Anthropology or study Immigration Law. I also plan on traveling extensively throughout the world and want to constantly be experiencing new things, eating delicious food, and meeting a diverse range of people. 

Advice for WHS Students? My advice for WHS students is that it is okay to fail. You'll fail many times before you reach your goals. The difference is how you react to your failure. If you take your failure as a lesson, and learn from your mistakes, you'll have a better chance for success. Also, it's never too late to discover what you want to be. You don't need your whole life figured out at age 18. Don't worry. Live your truth and follow your passions.

What is something that bugged you today? The heat and mosquitoes.