When Alfred Siby Cyriac graduated from Townsend Harris in 2023, he did not expect to return just months later, this time not as a student, but as a colleague to his former teachers.

Now a junior at Queens College majoring in computer science, Alfred served as physics teacher and tech coordinator John Tsai’s technology intern from September 2023 through November 2025.

As device usage needs surged after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of devices in the building increased from roughly 700 to more than 1,200. In addition to teaching physics and coaching multiple teams, Mr. Tsai oversees the school’s entire technology infrastructure. The increase in device needs made the internship essential in helping manage inventory systems in addition to addressing daily technical issues.

Alfred said that his interests in computer science began in eighth grade, he participated in the Hour of Code initiative, where he and his classmates recreated a small version of Geometry Dash using Scratch, a programming language developed by the MIT Media Lab. He said, “Super early on, I knew there was something in this field of programming that excited me.”

Throughout high school, Alfred continued to explore computer science, taking Introduction to Computer Science and AP Computer Science A. Outside of class, he completed online coursework such as Harvard’s CS50 and began building personal projects. He credits his mathematical foundation as one of the most important factors for his success. Challenging math courses gave him both “the confidence and motivation” to pursue computer science at the collegiate level.

When former Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee and Mr. Tsai reached out to offer Alfred the internship opportunity, Alfred said, “It was not on my bingo card at all. I was extremely honored and grateful to have gotten the opportunity to come back.”

Alfred said that returning to THHS as an intern was initially surreal for him: “Just months before that, I was sitting in some of their classrooms, and then all of a sudden, I was their co-worker,” Alfred said. He said it felt unusual to address his former teachers on a first-name basis.

Once in the role, Alfred quickly took on key projects, “He was extremely motivated,” Mr. Tsai said. “He wanted to do little programming projects, and so he took over the inventory system and streamlined the process.” Alfred helped build and refine internal databases used to track chromebooks and iPads, categorizing them into stationary classroom devices, loanable devices, and devices used for testing.

“One thing that Mr. Tsai taught me is that it’s not about what you know, it’s about how you apply what you know,” Alfred said. He recalled following Mr. Tsai during a building-wide network outage and observing how calmly and methodically he restored the system. “Mr. Tsai’s brain is like a supercomputer,” he said. “He knows the infrastructure of the technology in this building like the back of his hand.”

Alfred also proved helpful in the library. “Alfred ensured that all our computers were up and running, and any time there was an issue, he was willing to come and fix the problems,” said school librarian Katherine Yan. She said that Alfred was “approachable and friendly,” adding that he never made staff feel like they were bothering him when requesting help.

Ms. Fee emphasized how essential Alfred’s work became during the transition to digital testing.

“He streamlined all the cart and Chromebook inventory in a way that was clear and easy to use,” she said.

After Alfred’s internship concluded in November, Queens College junior Mohammad Eusop stepped into the role.

So far, Mohammad has helped resolve technical issues, set up new PCs in computer labs, kept systems up to date, and deployed new Chromebooks throughout the building.

Mohammad said, “I would say 90% [of the training] was Alfred. I was basically filling in his shoes.”

One of the most important lessons Alfred emphasized was organization and communication, Mohammed said. “What I continue to do to build on top of what Alfred did is document everything new that I do for the next intern after me,” he said.

As Alfred prepares to move forward in his career, he said he hopes to eventually return to education in some capacity.  In terms of how he hopes the THHS community remembers, his response was simple: “I just hope that the work I completed was helpful to others.”