Academy’s ‘cutting-edge’ academic program recognized for success

WATCHUNG — Mount Saint Mary Academy has earned the College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A (CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access to AP computer science courses.
 

While many schools have female representation in either AP Computer Science Principles or AP Computer Science A, in 2021, Mount Saint Mary Academy was one of only 61 schools in the country — and one of only five schools in New Jersey — to be recognized for its success in both AP computer science courses.
 

Mercy Sister Lisa Gambacorto, directress, said the award is a “testament to the outstanding work that our faculty and administration are doing to provide cutting-edge educational opportunities to young women.”
 

“We are honored to receive this commendation, and we look forward to offering more exciting learning experiences in the computer science field to our students in the future,” she said.
 

“We are thrilled that our school earned this distinction, and we look forward to seeing these young women achieve success in computer science education and future careers. We congratulate our faculty for inspiring our students and providing them with engaging experiences in computer science,” said Jacqueline Muratore, assistant directress.
 

“By encouraging young women to study advanced computer science coursework, Mount Saint Mary Academy is closing the gap in computer science education and empowering young women to access the opportunities available in STEM career fields,” said Stefanie Sanford, College Board chief of Global Policy and External Relations. “Computer science is the foundation of many 21st-century career options, and young women deserve equal opportunities to pursue computer science education and drive technological innovation.”
 

Stephen Muratore, AP Computer Science A teacher and chair of the Computer Science Department, said, “It is wonderful that Mount Saint Mary Academy offers these computer science opportunities and is committed to expanding its curriculum to include more STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs for our students. I am continually impressed by the number of students enrolled in our AP computer science courses and how these courses motivate our students to continue their studies in technological fields.”
 

Phillip Dequina, AP Computer Science Principles teacher, stated, “Computer Science is such a fulfilling field, since you can work on a variety of different projects with many visions and goals. The only limit is imagination. Diversity and representation are very important, especially with technology that affects everyone.”
 

Both AP CSP and AP CSA are featured in Mount Saint Mary Academy’s current Course Catalog, along with a new Honors computer science course which focuses on computer programming in Python and Java.