Abiyah Cherian programs her own path through computer science

"It's probably one of the best decisions I've made in high school."

Her parents work in the medical field, her siblings attended the Biosciences and Medicine Academy, so it only made sense that Abiyah Cherian would follow the same path. But without an introduction to computer science, Abiyah may not have ever become a state officer and national champion in the Computer Science Academy.

“I thought, I’ll just try it out for the semester and if I don’t like it, at least I tried something new. And I ended up really liking it,” Abiyah said. “It’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school.”

In the CSA, Cherian has learned how coding and the development of web-based technology can contribute to several industries, including the medical field. That’s why she plans to stick with it.

“It’s the satisfaction after you finish coding,” she said. “Whether it’s for web design or for one of your assignments, you look at it and say ‘Wow, I did it.’”

In 2019, Cherian won the state Webmaster competition through the Technology Student Association. She also became a state officer in the organization.

“It helps you look at what companies are doing in real life,” she said about competitions. “It kind of puts you in the real world a little bit. You see what people will want to see on the website. It gives you another perspective. Since doing that, I’ll look at websites and look for specific things. It gives me a different mindset.”