When Ismael E., a senior at the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, met his computer science teacher for the first time, it was through a screen when classes were taught virtually.
“But that did not stop him from masterfully teaching computer science to the future generation,” Ismael said. “He always explained to us with great detail and allowed us to use our creativity to solve problems.”
That was Ismael’s introduction to the computer science world, and he was hooked from day one. He credits his teacher, Christian Florczak, for nurturing his new passion.
“Usually, teachers wanted a problem to be solved in a specific way, but Mr. Florczak’s way was to teach us the concepts that we could use while not forcing you to incorporate it in your solution. He always allowed us to approach the solution from different angles, anyway we saw fit,” Ismael said.
He met Florczak in person when the district resumed in-person learning. That’s when he realized how much passion his teacher had for the subject and saw the talent Florczak had for teaching it to his students.
“When explaining a possible solution to us, he would first draw out the solution without any code and then write the code next to the drawing while explaining the logic behind it step by step,” he said. “He would do all of this with the utmost details to make sure nothing was left untouched.”
This year, Ismael received a $40,000 scholarship from the Amazon Future Leaders Program to pursue a degree in computer science. He will also have a paid internship at Amazon after his first year of college.
“By being informed of their options, students are better able to maximize their academic potential, discover career opportunities they may never have considered otherwise, set realistic goals and plans to achieve them, and ultimately pursue a career path that brings them personal fulfillment,” Florczak said.
Ismael is the third of Florczak’s computer science students to be chosen for the scholarship. Previous students who went on to the Amazon Future Leaders Program are Maria Gamez and Ephraim Sun.
“I feel greatly humbled for the opportunity to contribute toward the trajectory of our future leaders,” Florczak said. “These students, and many of their peers, give me hope for the future of humanity.”
Florczak’s example led Ismael to pursue a future in computer science. Before going to Townview, he wanted to study astronomy. But, after discovering a passion for computer science, Ismael said he was at a crossroads.
“It was like this until my senior year, where I talked to Mr. Florczak about my previous love for astronomy. With a single sentence he changed the course of my study. He said “Porque no los dos?” (Why not do both of them?) and yes, he did in fact say it in Spanish,” he said.
Ismael said that question changed his life, and he now plans to study both subjects.
He was asked if there was anything he’d like to say to Florczak as he moves on to college.
This is what he said: “Mr. Florczak, you have had such a positive impact on me that without you, I would be a completely different person. I will never forget you for you have allowed me to reach the stars and beyond. You are an amazing role model, teacher, and friend. I am so thankful and privileged to have been taught computer science by you. You will definitely keep on impacting the future generation of engineers and scientists that will change the world for the better. You are the best!”
