Four Coronado High School (CHS) students recently completed a rigorous eight-week STEM internship through the Renaissance Experiential Learning program. Seniors Leslee Avalos and Carly DeVore, junior Sonali Menghani, and sophomore Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, were selected for the competitive summer opportunity, which was recommended by their computer science teacher, Claudio Salas.
“The application process mimicked a job interview,” shared College and Career Pathways Coordinator Kristen Caputo. “They had to submit a resume that spoke to the computer science based projects they had already completed, write an essay, and complete a panel interview by video call.”
Designed for high school juniors and seniors, the Renaissance Experiential Learning program pairs students with industry mentors to develop skills in high-demand technologies, including Python coding and artificial intelligence. Each intern defined and executed an independent, data-driven research project focused on an area of personal interest and social good.
Carly DeVore investigated how tree canopy coverage affects surface land temperatures. “I want to pursue geo and environmental sciences,” DeVore explained. “Even though the work was grounded in computer science, the subject directly applied to my career path. We used AI to help write and troubleshoot our project code.”
Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, who hopes to be a cardiovascular surgeon, analyzed environmental risk factors influencing sex differences in cardiovascular disease mortality. “AI serves as a helpful tool and companion when used responsibly,” Mensah-Baah noted. “Normally a project may take many weeks or months to individually analyze all of its data. AI tools definitely saved me time throughout my project and were valuable tools, as it analyzed large quantities of data in seconds, reporting, and coding in Python.”
With an interest in data science and machine learning, Sonali Menghani focused on data extraction, modeling, and data visualization using Python. “My biggest takeaway from using AI was that when used as a tool, it can really help to bridge knowledge gaps and allow you to take on projects that may have been intimidating before.”
“This (experience) helped immensely as it showed me a glimpse into that world by teaching me about extracting data to create models as well as using python to create visualizations of my results,” shared Menghani.
The internship provided an end-to-end research experience, guiding students from initial hypothesis to final data presentation.
“The Computer Science pathway at CHS incorporates an iterative design process into the curriculum. The students’ skills in coding and their knowledge of Design Thinking prepared them to be successful in the internship,” replied Caputo. “They were prepared to work with a mentor, to be independent in their research, and to deepen their skill levels with AI tools. It was a full-circle learning experience.”
Renaissance is a leader in K–12 education technology, providing assessment and data insight solutions that support accelerated learning. Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) utilizes various Renaissance products across its schools to track and foster student growth.
