Haris Mukanga

A few days before returning to campus to begin the spring semester, first-year computer science major Haris Mukanga found himself at the Massachusetts State House, receiving a standing ovation during Gov. Maura Healey’s State of the Commonwealth address.

An invited guest of the Healey administration, Mukanga was recognized for his outstanding achievement in the Innovation Career Pathways program, a state-funded initiative that provides high school students with work-based learning experiences in high-demand industries. 

Mukanga took part in the computer science pathway during his senior year of high school in Burlington, Massachusetts. Working with an industry mentor, Mukanga built an app for Courtside Kicks, a luxury streetwear boutique where he worked as a sales representative — and is now store manager.

“It was an honor to get a shoutout from the governor,” Mukanga says. “Hopefully I can inspire other people to take advantage of these resources and dream big as well. I really didn’t have a lot of coding experience in the past, but I was able to leverage this program to make something.”

Mukanga became interested in computers at an early age.

“I was always curious how components worked,” says Mukanga, who built his own computer as soon as he could save up money for the parts. 

He also enjoyed video games — although not just for fun. 

“I was into the back-end part, like the coding and the languages they use,” he says. 

A first-generation college student, Mukanga chose to attend UMass Lowell because it has a strong computer science program, is affordable and is close enough to home to allow him to commute to class. 

“I’m off to a pretty good start,” Mukanga says. “I had to get acclimated to the new atmosphere, especially as a commuter, but now I know the ropes. Professors treat us like adults. You need to be self-directed, and luckily, I have developed a good work ethic, so I’m able to get my work done.”

Mukanga, who had never been to the State House before, attended the event with Shereen Tyrrell, his high school’s career pathways director. Before the governor’s address, he mingled with state representatives and took photos. 

“When the governor talked about my story and people stood up to applaud, it was like, ‘Wow, I was able to make an impact,’” he says.

Courtside Kicks, which has stores in Burlington, Boston and Natick, sells luxury sneakers that it curates from both footwear companies and private collectors. In the pathway program, which functioned like a two-month paid internship, Mukanga built an app that allows private sellers to upload photos and information about the shoes that they hope to sell to the store. 

Although the app isn’t yet in use, Mukanga is proud of the skills he gained through the experience. 

“This was my first full-stack project, from the front end with the visuals to the back end with the coding,” he says. “This was the first time I was able to do something from start to finish using my skills while simultaneously learning new skills. 

“Now that I’m in college and really diving into the field, I’m very grateful for that.”