by Zach Weisenthal ‘19

As Edline is no longer used by MCPS, neither is the extremely useful app Edline Helper. Instead of hoping for a similar app to appear for the new grading system, junior Nick Mittu has taken matters into his own hands, developing an app which is called “MyMCPS Helper.” Used primarily to see how hypothetical grades may impact one’s overall class average, this productivity app will be used daily by many Montgomery County students who anxiously awaited the release.

Having a natural fascination in computers and technology since sixth grade, Mittu decided to begin learning his first programming language, Python. He has since learned multiple other programming languages including C, C++, Java, PHP, and Javascript, and he has attended multiple “hackathons.” Mittu is up for the job. “I mainly taught myself programming using Google to figure out how to do basic things. I also used my AP Computer Science material to self-study programming, as well as a couple of free online courses.”

Mittu completed the app in about four days and did not receive any help from his peers. “The main reason I made the app is because I needed a way to check my grades and see how future grades would affect my overall grade,” said Mittu. “Lots of other kids will benefit from this app as well.”

Mittu continues to build his resume; his notable works include “Leap Piano,” a virtual piano that uses Leap Motion, a virtual reality software to track the user’s hands, “Bored.im,” a social media app that shows one nearby users with similar interests, and multiple apps and watchfaces for the crowdfunded smartwatch, Pebble. An extensive portfolio of apps Mittu created can be found online at nick.mittudev.com.

The disappearance of Edline Helper has allowed for other MCPS students to develop apps. Junior Elom Setse has taken advantage of the opportunity to create an app that has the potential to be downloaded thousands of times. An added feature of Setse’s app, which is also titled “MyMCPS Helper,” is that it calculates students’ GPA, which is a favorable feature for many students. “I definitely plan on updating the app in the future and adding additional functionality,” Setse explained.