Two Easton Residents Named Class of 2016 Outstanding Students at Southeastern Regional

South Easton - Designing video games is a popular dream for many young people, but Southeastern senior Austin Harris, of Easton, has made it a reality. The Information Technology student designed a video game for his senior project that is similar to the Japanese Danmaku (a type of arcade-style shooting game) “Touhou.” The player has to dodge barrages of projectiles that are shot by enemies while shooting back at the same time. There are multiple levels, and as the player advances, he or she can eventually win the game.

“I spent about a year on the project, and about 60 to 70 percent of it involved research. I plan to keep it as a personal page and may use the experience to design future games,” he said.

Austin said he has always enjoyed working with computers and especially likes to fix things. Before he came to Southeastern, he had already learned how to fix his computer by troubleshooting through the Internet. He’s been able to use those skills in his Information Technology Shop, and has taken them to advanced level, where he is now creating his own software games.

Austin has also broadened his overall knowledge of technology and has led a small team of classmates in reconfiguring classroom computers, using the latest Microsoft technologies. He has learned about a variety of programming languages, including Python, C# and Visual Basic, and has enhanced his skills in networking and information security.

“What I like most about the shop is the pacing of the work, and the way we decide ourselves how to solve problems,” he said.

Austin also likes foreign cultures, and hopes to someday live in Japan or South Korea, where he can work as a video game developer and designer. He would also like to learn to play the mandolin. Before that, he plans to continue taking technology courses at Massasoit Community College, and eventually transfer to a four-year college where he can study video game design and development. He also would like to create a video development team whom he can work with to create independent video games.

Though many high school students are unsure about their future even upon graduation, Jeff Aldrich isn’t one of them. The Easton resident has always known what he wanted to do – work in a trade.

Now as a graduating senior, Jeff has proven to be an exemplary student in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning). His teachers say he has done extremely well in his shop, and has also done a great job in a co-op, working as an assistant technician for ARS of Boston, a HVAC repair and plumbing service. He plans to work full-time at ARS after school ends.

“I find the work interesting, and I like having the ability to do the work. My job involves some physical strength, but also a lot of technical skills,” he said.

Though his first reason for coming to Southeastern was to get trained in a trade, he has also enjoyed the social aspects of the school. He has felt right at home in both vocational and academic classes.

“I like the atmosphere. Everyone gets along really well and they’re really friendly,” he said.

Along with other members of his class, Jeff has already gotten several certifications and licenses, which have set the stage for his career. He has an apprentice’s license, which allows him to work under supervision, and an EPA license, which allows him to handle refrigeration. He eventually wants to work as an HVAC technician, with a license to handle refrigeration, gas filters and sheet metal.

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in South Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1,370 students. The Southeastern District serves students from the city of Brockton and the towns of East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxboro, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater.