This Week At CART – Itzel Gomez

Hello! My name is Itzel Gomez, and I am currently attending my second year at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology. Last year I was enrolled in the User Experience Design lab and this year I am in the Web Application Development lab. When coming to CART I wanted to explore the STEM classes and learn more about computer science. I went to one of the CART tours and became interested in the User Experience Design lab. The class teaches multiple subjects like design thinking, psychology, marketing, etc. Learning a broad range about the computer science industry helped me determine what I’m more interested in. Therefore, I decided to enroll in the Web Application Development lab because I wanted to learn about coding and how to make my designs functional.

This week my class and I read the 1950 short story There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury which is about a lone house that stands intact after a nuclear war and has automated technology in the absence of humans. Based on the short story, in my Web Application Development lab, we had to make a website that markets the amenities of the special functions in the smart house. We first made a plain website that focuses on semantic markup and content. We then had to make paper wireframes that show the basic layout of our website. After making our paper wireframes, we transfer those designs digitally to Figma. To finish the week, we had to make our digital wireframe into a high-fidelity prototype that is a simulation of our final website.

My time at the Center for Advanced Research and Technology has been transformative, giving me opportunities to help my educational journey. The CART vision for students has taught me new skills, motivating me to become an ambassador. My self-confidence has improved, and I have developed strong public speaking skills and the flexibility to take on various roles—opportunities I would not have had at my home school. The supportive environment at CART encourages growth and development which has motivated me to pursue my career interests. I would highly recommend CART for anyone that is interested!