Eagle Era

Exploring the new classes being offered at AHS next year

By Angella Li

As preparation began in February for the 2026-2027 school year, students could be seen scrambling to fill out their course request forms. During this hectic process, they may have noticed that AHS is now offering many new courses including Science Lab Technician, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), Engineering Essentials, Broadcast Media Arts in Gaming, and AP Cybersecurity.

While AHS has offered Chemistry Lab Technician as an elective in the past, the new Science Lab Technician course expands this position to all science classes. Brianna Su (11), a student interested in becoming a lab technician for a chemistry class, said, “For people interested in working in a lab, you have an opportunity to pursue that kind of interest in physical science.”

This valuable hands-on experience prepares students for careers in STEM fields involving laboratory experience and applied science programs. Some students hope that this class may open up new opportunities such as internships. Su said, “They’re not going to try spending extra time to teach you. Because you already have this experience, it’s easier for them to have you as their intern.”

For upperclassmen interested in engineering, CIM covers many manufacturing aspects of the field. Ms. Wheaton, who hopes to teach CIM next year, said, “A lot of students love the idea of robotics or mechanical engineering and [CIM] is going to get them exposed to what that could be like.”

CIM was offered as an elective for the 2025-2026 registration cycle, but it did not become a class due to lack of student interest and because the school did not receive the grant for the equipment needed. Soham Gokhale (11), a student who has been interested in CIM since last year, said, “I’m planning to pursue mechanical engineering. I think this elective will give me more experience in designing and 3D modeling.”

On the other hand, Engineering Essentials is a more cohesive engineering course open to all grades. “We do hydraulics, soldering, open source, CAD, and 3D printing,” said Ms. Kerr, who taught Engineering Essentials at Kennedy HS and is bringing this course to AHS. “It’s more integrated than Principles of Engineering, which is more of a survey course. Engineering Essentials provides a cohesive picture.”

After course request forms were submitted to math teachers, Counselor Teri Sorensen worked to input course requests for the 2026-2027 school year (Photo Credit: Angella Li (10)).

This class also provides important experience that may be helpful beyond high school. “This is one of the best courses if you just want to know what engineering’s about. There’s a lot to do in college if you have a fundamental understanding of how to solder and 3D print,” said Ms. Kerr.

Meanwhile, the Broadcast Media Arts in Gaming course plans to cover topics for online content creation. “The emphasis is going to be on the entire broadcast journalism process: digital and visual storytelling, short- and long-form content, live streaming and broadcasting, podcasting, writing, getting sponsors, growing viewerships, and analyzing those numbers to make money,” said Mr. Elam, who is teaching the course next year.

While the class emphasizes digital journalism, many topics taught in this class can be applied elsewhere. Mr. Elam said, “[This class] is in alignment with any radio, television, or general broadcast major for college, but there’s also a lot of personal brain development and marketing style involved.”

For students who are interested in a Mission Valley ROP (MVROP) course, AP Cybersecurity is expanding its availability to AHS next year. Mr. Albizo, the teacher for this course, said, “Students learn practical skills such as threat detection, incident response, risk analysis, digital forensics fundamentals, ethical hacking concepts, and the role of artificial intelligence in modern security operations.”

While some may find MVROP classes to be intimidating due to scheduling challenges, AP Cybersecurity may open up new pathways for students. “At MVROP, we are no longer preparing students for a ‘technology industry’ but for a technology-powered economy. Every sector runs on digital infrastructure. Networks move the data. Cybersecurity protects it,” said Mr. Albizo.

Many students eagerly anticipate the various new classes coming to AHS next year, especially those interested in STEM fields. “Our school already has a lot of STEM electives, but [the new courses] are more specialized,” said Su. “I know a lot of people at school are interested in [STEM], so I think it’s really good for the school.”