Introduction
Riley Lam is a dedicated and high-achieving 9th-grade student with exceptional talent and perseverance in computer science and competitive programming. He has actively pursued advanced computer science education beyond his school curriculum. He enrolled in multiple specialized programming courses at American Young Coder Academy. His latest achievement is to get USACO Silver status from https://USACO.org.
History of Education
At American Young Coder Academy, Riley has completed structured training in:
- Intro to Python
- Built a strong foundation in Python programming concepts, including variables, loops, and conditionals.
- Intro to Java
- Learned the fundamentals of Java programming, including syntax, variables, data types, conditionals, functions, and control flow for problem-solving.
- Python Game Development
- Applied Python knowledge to create interactive and entertaining games, demonstrating creativity and technical skills.
- USACO Bronze
- Competitive Programming preparation for USA Computing Olympiad Bronze – USACO.org.
His achievement was on Feb 1st, 2026, where he was able to get USACO Silver status after training from our school. This is a very big achievement as USACO is a very difficult test to pass. Only selected gifted and diligent student is able to do this.
Python Game Development – Tetris
In this Python game development course, students are able to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired from Python fundamental courses into making desktop games. In this course, they will learn to create 3 games and on top of that, they will create a new individual custom game. For this custom game, Riley had decided to create a classical popular game called Tetris. This well-beloved Tetris game, while it looks simple, it actually requires some implementation of gravity logic and other complex codes rules and mechanism.
USACO Training
After 7 months of training, Riley was able to get USACO silver status on Feb 1, 2026. This is the first year Riley tried USACO test and he was able to pass from Bronze to Silver. This is quite an achievement as usually students require about one year of training and multiple years of trial before able getting Silver USACO. Riley Lam’s rapid progression from beginner programming to USACO Silver highlights his exceptional diligence, intellectual ability and passion for computer science. He continues to develop advanced algorithmic skills and software development experience, positioning himself strongly for future achievements in competitive programming and technology.