In his senior year of high school, senior Kellan Broyles has accomplished a lot. Most of these accomplishments he credits to one thing: the Tech Solutions strand of the Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies program.

“I have nothing but praise for that program because they give you so many opportunities to have real world experiences,” Broyles said.

In his first semester at NCAPS, Broyles and his group received the chance to code an application for a local company.

“I worked on a project for this company called Life Unlimited,” Broyles said. “It’s a nonprofit company based in Liberty that supports special needs adults with housing and transportation. My group made a transportation tracking application for them. It’s helping out a good cause.”

Broyles currently has an internship he gained through the NCAPS program. “I’m working with a company called UGA Finance,” Broyles said. “I work there as a software programmer. I’ve made a lot of progress at my internship.”

These two experiences, combined with a lifelong fascination with technology and taking AP Computer Science, helped Broyles to make his decision to study computer science at the college level this fall at Northwest Missouri State University.

“I found out that I liked using my head to logic my way through problems and find solutions to things,” Broyles said. “There’s a lot of monetary benefits to it and because I enjoy doing it, it’s a win-win situation. That’s why I want to do it.”

Broyles does not have plans for studying past the college level, but he isn’t lacking ambition.

“This is probably just dreaming, but I would love to get a job at Apple or Windows developing Computer Operating Systems,” Broyles said. “There’s definitely no shortage of demand for coders, at least until robots take over the world and there isn’t any need for human coders.”

Broyles is also involved in activities at his church, Pleasant Valley Baptist. Broyles enjoys gaming, reading and writing.

“My hobbies don’t just include technology,” Broyles said. “I read a ton of books. There’s a forum that I frequent called ‘Novel Updates.’ They post translated versions of Japanese, Chinese and Korean novels. I’m also a fiction writer myself, but even though I post fiction stories, I would never pursue that career. Not many people know I read.”

AP Computer Science teacher Shannon Winkler appreciates Broyles’ curiosity.

“He is always trying to understand stuff even further than what’s needed,” she said. “It’s to the point where I almost have to tell him, ‘this works this way and that’s just how it is.’ It’s great that he wants to understand computer science.”

Senior Coleton Jackson values Kellan’s dependability and willingness to help.

“He’s the kind of person to be there when you need him to be,” Jackson said. “He’ll help you in any way that he can.”