At PMHS, the spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship is fostered by our lovely teachers and staff. However, some pelicans rise above the precedent set by their classmates to go as far as starting businesses and nonprofits before they’ve even left the high school! Senior Allie Feldman is one such student. Allie has turned her passion for coding and computer science into a movement in Pelham, founding both a club at the high school and a nonprofit foundation.

Allie first learned about her love for coding through the Introduction to Java elective at PMHS. The logic involved in writing code, as well as the many opportunities in the field of computer science, inspired Allie to spend the summer before her Junior year at Kode With Klossy, a program focusing on the integration of women into computer science.

“At Kode With Klossy, I gained additional insight on the gender gap in the field of tech and the social impacts of mitigating the stigmas surrounding the subject,” Feldman said.

Following the summer, Allie put her renewed interest to good use through the nonprofit organization TechGirlz. She immediately fell in love with organizing events and marketing services, and felt ready to incorporate her own research into her findings with her newest endeavor, PelTech.

“PelTech is extremely important to me because it touches upon two social issues about which I care greatly: Mental Health and the Technology Deficit. A research study I conducted in 2019 found that these two issues are much more intertwined than we may realize, especially among today’s youth. I created PelTech because currently, no other organization teaches technology in a way that emphasizes what I believe are the most vital assets,” Feldman said, “I am confident that with the proper support, kids will be fully ready to tackle a world full of jobs that don’t even exist yet.”

PelTech is an organization that offers a plethora of immersive workshops for students in grades three through eight. As of now, Allie is the only person running PelTech, but may take on employees if the organization continues to grow. The end goal of the foundation is to help foster a spirit of creativity in students that will not only increase their personal confidence, but give them the drive to continue exploring the field of computer science.