Robotics and artificial intelligence activities. Hands-on technology experiences. College courses beginning in ninth grade. For Potomac Falls High School sophomore Akanksha Mamileti, those experiences are helping turn an interest in programming and technology that began in middle school into an early look at where her future could take her.

Akanksha is part of the ACCESS Academy, an LCPS program that offers students a different educational path designed to prepare them for college and future careers. If accepted, students in the program must transfer to Potomac Falls during ninth and 10th grade, if they don’t already attend, while taking ACCESS and dual enrollment courses and participating in career exploration and hands-on learning experiences. In their junior and senior years, students take college courses at George Mason University, gaining firsthand experience with the rigor of college academics while learning in a university environment.

Akanksha learned about ACCESS while researching the different high school programs available in LCPS. As she learned more, she saw an opportunity to challenge herself while pursuing her interest in technology.

“I liked that I could gain early exposure to college-level academics, discover different career pathways and develop skills related to my interests that I could continue building throughout high school and beyond,” she said.

Cybersecurity is one field she is considering, but Akanksha is still exploring her options. ACCESS is giving her time to do that before deciding on a college major or career.

“Before I have to make those decisions, I can explore different subjects, coursework and career-related experiences through the program,” she said.

During her freshman year in ACCESS, Akanksha completed a 12-week dual enrollment Python – a computer programming language – course through Northern Virginia Community College. She then applied what she learned during an ACCESS Academy summer robotics camp, programming robots to complete tasks such as navigating a maze autonomously.

She also visited George Mason University, participated in Virginia CyberSlam, attended hands-on workshops and toured a data center.

“Even my dad, who has been in the IT industry for 20-plus years, said that he wished he could have taken part in our data center visit,” Akanksha said.

Akanksha has also begun earning industry credentials. As a freshman, she earned a Microsoft Office Specialist certification in PowerPoint. This year, she is taking Advanced Computer Information Systems and dual enrollment U.S. History as she continues preparing for college-level coursework.

The next major step comes during her junior year, when she and her ACCESS classmates will begin taking courses full time at George Mason.

“This is the part of ACCESS Academy that I am most excited about, and it is one of the aspects that truly makes this program so special,” she said.

Akanksha is looking forward to learning from college professors, becoming more independent and taking advantage of opportunities such as research, internships, job shadowing and capstone projects.

For now, she has two more years to build on what she has already learned and begin deciding which direction she wants to take after high school.

“I have already been able to participate in events and activities that I would not have experienced through a traditional high school,” she said. “As I continue through the program, I am looking forward to seeing how my experiences in ACCESS shape my interests, skills and plans for the future.”

Learn more about ACCESS Academy

ACCESS Academy provides students with a four-year pathway that combines high school, college and career-focused learning. During ninth and tenth grades, students remain at their home high school while taking dual enrollment courses and participating in ACCESS experiences. In their junior and senior years, students transition to George Mason University, where they take college courses full time. To learn more about ACCESS Academy, including program requirements and the application process, visit the ACCESS Academy webpage.