Why you should join the Riley Magnet Program

In the South Bend area, there are about 10 high schools to choose from. Riley High School’s main attraction is the engineering and computer science magnet program. Started in 2004, Riley now hosts 14 total computer science and engineering classes, taught by three teachers.

An aquaponic system built in the Environmental Engineering class.

We spoke to one engineering teacher at Riley for some insight into the magnet program. Seth Ponder teaches Introduction to Engineering Design, Introduction to Computer Science, Digital Electronics, and Aerospace Engineering.

We asked Mr. Ponder what his favorite part of Riley is. He told us, “My favorite part about the magnet program is working with the amazing students and staff at Riley. Computer Science and engineering classes bring all the knowledge from other classes and apply skills to design and build projects. My other favorite part about teaching in the magnet is working with students and helping them get paid internships.”

Students in the engineering magnet have also gone into a multitude of summer internships. One example is the internship at the Notre Dame Center for Civic Innovation. The CCI program, formerly known as Bowman Creek, runs for 8 weeks through the summer. In the program, one high school student is paired with three college students to work together on a project. These projects can range from creating tree nurseries, building programs to stop food scarcity, to even solving lead poisoning problems in the South Bend area.

After graduation, magnet students “go to college, one of the military branches, or the trades after our program. Some recent Riley grads are studying computer science or engineering at Rose-Hulman, Purdue, Trine, and Notre Dame. We have some recent grads who are working on electronics in the Air Force,” Ponder told us. 

Next, we spoke to Kristen Haubold, a Computer Science teacher at Riley. She teaches Computer Science 1, Computer Science 2, Cybersecurity, Databases, Software Development, and Informatics. 

These classes cover topics like Python, Java, and the intricacies of cybersecurity. Project Lead The Way (PLTW), which is the organization that founded the engineering program, recently partnered with Roblox in the computer science program. Students are able to learn programming by creating their own games within Roblox.

We asked her what she would tell a student to encourage them to join the program. She told us: “The magnet program is a great place to learn, make friends, and prepare for the future. Even if you don't end up studying Computer Science or a related field, the skills you will gain from these courses will be very valuable for any career field.”

An example of a project that students are working on for EDD.

 We also asked Ponder the same question and he told us, “One in five students will have a job that does not exist today. Snapchat, Doordash, Peloton, Rivian, and Lyft are some companies that started in our student's lifetimes. These companies are changing the way we communicate, stay healthy, and travel. Computer Science and engineering are the future of ways we communicate, manufacture, and travel.”

“Magnet classes have many benefits,” Haubold told us. “The magnet classes teach you how to think! We learn to problem solve, plan solutions, execute solutions, and evaluate solutions. We do a ton of project based work, in small groups. We learn to work together, to write, and to communicate our ideas.” 

The engineering aspect of the magnet program ends in a capstone class called Engineering Design & Development, or EDD. In EDD, students are tasked to solve a problem throughout the course which runs throughout the entire school year. The problems are brainstormed and chosen by the students themselves and include things like computer overheating problems, redesigning the pen, and binders that break too easily.

The magnet program at Riley High School is a program that you'll leave ready to face the real world. Whether you go into mechanical engineering, software development, or even physics, you’ll leave the magnet with skills to help you in your future.