Angelina Vega turned her dreams into virtual reality.
"I've always had an active imagination since I was a kid. And my parents told me to dream big!" said Angelina Vega, a graduate of C.S.I.'s S.T.E.M. Program.
Vega created her own video game mobile app.
The 14-year-old is just one of 10 high school students to graduate from an intensive two-week software coding course through the College of Staten Island.
And it was all for free -- thanks to scholarships sponsored by AT&T.
"When you get the opportunity to take this experience, it absolutely opens your mind up to new things," said Vega.
Students built their games from the ground up.
They came up with their own concepts and designed the artwork.
Port Richmond High School sophomore Ryan Horgan gave his game some local flair.
"You start off on Staten Island and you'll have to swim to catch the ferry, that you're late to, and you have to avoid the fish that are jumping out all over the place," said Ryan Horgan, another graduate of the S.T.E.M. Program.
Organizers say not only does a program like this keep students' minds busy during the summer, but it puts them a step ahead of their peers when it comes time to submit college applications.
"How many high school students can say they've actually built an app from the ground up? From literally nothing," said Chris Cruz-Cullari, the Executive Director of Continuing Education at the College of Staten Island. "So as students apply to college, particularly in one of the STEM fields, that's science, technology, engineering, or math, we think it's really going to give them an advantage."
And for Vega, the class is not just a step in the right direction for college but also her future career.
"I've always been a video-gamer, I have to say, but I wanted to see the coding part because I want to join the F.B.I. so I thought this would help expand my knowledge of coding."
For more information about this and similar programs, visit csi.cuny.edu/continue.