HCJB: An Intern’s Perspective

Eric Morse (2008) working on the HCJB project in the CSE Lab 001.

After Dr. Felix Aguilar's suggestion and Tim VanReenen's success story, Eric Morse (2008) was willing to give missions organization HCJB Global a chance. This summer, Morse, a senior Computer Science New Media – Systems major, did his practicum at the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Indiana, working on the Radio Planting and Development Database (RPADD).

Even though RPADD, which stores information about radio plants of or associated with HCJB, had seen its beginnings in fall 2005, there was still a lot of work to be done in making the application more efficient and user-friendly.

"This summer was especially important in showing the value of such a system," explained Morse. "I was involved mostly in developing or reworking features to generate more interest from some of the users."

"The thing I am most proud of is a 'pop-up' definition sub-section that I was in charge of developing." (Eric Morse, 2008)

"My favorite part was using JavaScript. The thing I am most proud of is a 'pop-up' definition sub-section that I was in charge of developing. It makes for a decent-looking information box, but I'm probably biased."

While some of the work was more challenging, requiring Morse to explore more creative ways to improve functionality, he was able to bring the skills he had learned at Taylor University into a real world setting.

"Information System Analysis and Information System Design were very crucial in preparing me for understanding database and application design," said Morse. “Interactive Application Design was also helpful in introducing me to Ajax, which was used extensively in the RPADD system. The concepts in those classes really start to take form when you actually interact with a real organization/business."

"The most challenging part of the project I worked on was adding functionality to upload files to a 'Notes' sub section." (Eric Morse, 2008)

While the work experiences Morse gained as an intern were invaluable, they weren't the only highlights of his summer. Getting a chance to interact with the skilled engineers that he worked with, some of whom used to be missionaries internationally, was a much-appreciated bonus. . "I was able to commute with a 92-year-old Ecuadorian man named Edmundo, who had been one of the first people to take a transmitter into the jungles of Ecuador," said Morse. "Although he may have told me some stories a few times, it was still amazing to hear and see what God has done with that man."

So ends the most recent chapter in the Taylor University/HCJB saga – a history of students using their technical expertise to advance missions work worldwide.

Read more about missions and computing at Taylor in partnership with HCJB Global...