Will the next Bill Gates be one, or possibly two, of the College of Staten Island's finest? Eddie Huey and Maung Aung, students in computer science in their last semester at the College of Staten Island, may be relatively new to their field, but they are already shining examples of finding one's niche in life and pursuing it to the fullest.

Interestingly, neither student began college with a primary interest in computers. Huey, whose parents are immigrants from China, was born and raised in Brooklyn. He began his undergraduate education at Brooklyn and Baruch Colleges, taking classes in the liberal arts and finance, and when his family moved to Staten Island, he transferred again. It was at the College of Staten Island that he took his first computer class, "Introduction to Programming," taught by Dr. Michael Kress, Chairman of the College's Computer Science Department and founder of the school's multimedia research lab. With that, he decided on computing as his major.

It was in this class that he met Maung Aung, who had come to the United States from Myanmar (formerly Burma) on a student visa in 1989. Arriving as a physicist with a degree in electrical engineering, Aung first earned an undergraduate certificate in computer science at Baruch College, then transferred to the College of Staten Island where he is now completing a Masters degree. Like Huey, Aung acknowledges that having Kress as his teacher and mentor was a crucial factor in shaping his interest in computer science.

At the College of Staten Island, both students were trained in application development and UNIX. Huey also learned how to design interfaces, and Aung to write in C Graphics. They have contributed input to purchasing decisions based on software evaluations and practical applications of new technology, and have made a number of significant contributions, both academic and social, to the College itself.

Together, for example, they've produced an American Sign Language dictionary on video and visual programs which teach sign language, lip reading and finger spelling for the College's Multimedia Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Aung devised a pen-based technology for deaf students to have class notes taken by a non-hearing impaired student. Both have taught Authorware to high schools students as a science project. Huey on his own teaches 3-D animation, HTML and image processing, and Aung teaches graphics programming.

Thanks to Colette Wagner, Director of Education, Training, & Staff Development in CUNY's Office of Instructional Technology, Huey and Aung have been able to share their knowledge with CUNY faculty. At Wagner's invitation, they have given workshops on Digital Video, UNIX, and Image Processing at the CUNY Open Systems Center in the University's central computing facility at 57th Street. Besides working in the multimedia research lab, Huey set up the College's Modern Languages Lab on laser disks and created numerous Web sites, among them one for the College's Library. He is assisting The College Board with a nation-wide application to develop CD-ROM foreign language instruction. In addition to these projects, Huey is the President of the College's Computer Science Club. Both he and Aung give technical support for the College's Office of Information Technology, and Aung continues to assist Kress with multimedia research and testing.

Finally, last spring, when the College of Staten Island's Class of 1995 came up short of funds for a senior yearbook, Huey and Aung created a CD-ROM yearbook which was given by the school as a gift to the graduating seniors.

How do they handle such exhausting schedules? Huey loves the pace, but warns it is essential to manage your time well. Aung heeds Kress's advice to keep education the priority, and at the moment is gaining fluency in English by taping all his classes, then dashing home to listen to them. He feels particularly grateful for the opportunities to study, teach, work and express himself in ways he feels would not be possible in his home country.

Although both students have racked up remarkable achievements at the College of Staten Island, they are clear in the realization that progress doesn't end with graduation. Huey is going for a Ph.D., and eventually wants to teach. Aung -- who has recently married -- has temporarily ended his academic pursuits and plans to enter the work force.

When interviewed, both Huey and Aung described their academic and work experiences in terms of process rather than completion, stressing the necessity of staying open-minded while applying the will and energy to expand upon the base of knowledge that they have managed to establish. Both would like to see more students take advantage of the College's computer resources and are disappointed when students with potential pull out early. They also praise faculty like Kress who recognized their interests and abilities and pointed them in the right direction. And they are alike in considering CUNY "the biggest stepping stone" that started them on their way.