Student Spotlight: Jaiden Baglini
Following His Own Code
How a driven senior uses his passion for knowledge to make the most of his high school experience.
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- As a student entering high school in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaiden Baglini wasn’t quite sure about what he wanted to do with his life - a sentiment felt by many freshmen stepping into the halls of their local high schools. It wasn’t until the mathematics department head walked into his class room promoting the school’s computer science (CS) pathway that he realized he wanted to make the most of his time at North Providence High School (NPHS).
Now a senior, Baglini has spent the last three years flipping his mindset. He’s finishing up his time in the CS pathway, taking three advanced placement (AP) courses, and getting excited about his college and career experience.
“I just wanted to make up for my freshman year,” he said. “I’ve tried to challenge myself and explore new things.”
As part of the the program, he has been able to incorporate his lifelong passion for tech and own interests into the classroom - whether it be coding an app for sneaker ratings or a website diving into a Spider-Man movie - both projects that he looks back fondly on.
The CS pathway is one of seven career and technical education (CTE) pathways at NPHS, made possible by the U.S. Department of Education and the Rhode Island Department of Education’s $2.5million CS4RI High School Grant awarded to 20 schools in 2019.The grant allows these schools to offer students up to 16 college credits at no cost and a Work-Based Learning (WBL) experience.
“I’ve tried to challenge myself and explore new things.”
Baglini noted that his outlook on attending school has significantly improved since enrolling in courses that he’s interested in, by giving him the ability to deep dive into topics he loves.
“It makes me more motivated to come to school and try my hardest because I’m going intoa class that I hope to take in college,” said Baglini. “I love going and learning new things, expanding my knowledge with all of [the] computer science data.”
Computer science proficiency isa graduation requirement within RIDE’s recently passed Readiness-Based GraduationRequirements for the graduating class of 2028. CS4RI is led by RIDE and aims to strengthen industry partnerships and 21st-century learning for RI students. For more information, visit cs4ri.org.
Remember, students can’t learn if they aren’t in school; it’s critical they are present everyday. #AttendanceMattersRI!
