PRHS Programming Club Hosts PR Code Collab with Industry Experts

March 27, 2026

six officers stand in front of a brick wall

On March 7, the Pine-Richland High School Programming Club hosted PR Code Collab, an immersive event designed to bridge the gap between classroom coding and the tech industry. The event brought together 22 experienced programmers from both Pine-Richland and North Allegheny High Schools.

Programming Club officers spearheaded the event: president Ashlyn Casale (12) and officers Allison Rishel (11), Naomi Stewart (11), Keerthana Visveish (10), Tisha Joshi (10), and Jacob LeDuc (10).

Moving beyond standard syntax, the Collab focused on high-level collaboration. Students worked in teams to tackle three real-world, Pittsburgh-themed technology challenges. They were guided by an elite group of mentors, including:

Anthony Casale: Software Engineer, Google
David Whitmer: Systems Architect and Entrepreneur
Justin Waltrip: PRHS Alumnus (Class of 2020): Co-founder and Head of Engineering at Squary AI

By simulating a professional environment, the event offered students a front-row seat to modern workforce applications. The day concluded with team presentations, where students demonstrated their logic and solutions to the group.