At Bryant High School, being BOLD means daring to take risks, thinking creatively, and confidently embracing new opportunities. Known for its strong computer science program, BHS has launched an innovative class this year: Computer Science Independent Study, taught by Mrs. Brenda Qualls. In this class, four students—Jackson Koon, JC LeCompt, Carson Maurer, and Brasen Winchell—are working independently on year-long projects. With approved educational plans, each student is designing, coding, and implementing their own application while sharing a classroom with their AP Computer Science A peers.
This course is a bold new game plan for our high school, allowing students to independently apply technical skills to creatively solve real-world problems and build projects that showcase their ingenuity. Here’s a look at their projects:
Jackson Koon: Inspired by the online game GeoGuessr, Jackson’s project uses machine learning to identify the location of images from Google Street View. His program will analyze a dataset of images and identify common attributes to predict where new images were taken.
JC LeCompt: JC’s project tackles the challenge of personalized gaming builds. His website uses AI to help gamers design a custom build for their gameplay, learning and adapting based on individual preferences.
Carson Maurer: Inspired by the game Chronophoto, Carson aims to create a neural network that can predict the year a photograph was taken. This technology could have applications in identifying historically significant photos.
Brasen Winchell: Brasen is building a “smart mirror” equipped with a user interface that shows the date and time, news updates, travel times, and Google tools like Calendar and Assistant. With infrared touch and facial recognition, the mirror allows multiple family members to access personalized profiles—an effort to increase productivity and reduce screen time.
Each week, students submit a progress and problem report to Mrs. Qualls, who offers direction and coaching as they move deeper into their projects. By year’s end, the students will present their completed applications.
At Bryant, we’re proud of the opportunities educators like Mrs. Qualls provide, and we celebrate the accomplishments of students who inspire us every day to BE BOLD, BE BRAVE, and BE BRYANT.