cs teacher // ex-intel // sacramento
Gary Garot
I teach computer science and lead the CTE pathway at Laguna Creek High School — after 18 years as a product engineer at Intel. I coach CyberPatriot and coding competition teams, teach Python at Sacramento State, and am earning my master’s in CS at Georgia Tech.
- Years in industry
- 18at Intel
- Courses taught
- 5at LCHS
- CyberPatriot tier
- Platinumand Gold
- In progress
- M.S.Georgia Tech
01 About
From the fab floor to the classroom.
I teach computer science at Laguna Creek High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, where I also lead the school’s Computer Science CTE pathway. The pathway runs three courses — Exploring Computer Science, AP Computer Science Principles, and Mobile Applications — taking students from their first look at programming to building Flutter apps. I also teach Computer Technology and Networks/LAN.
Before teaching, I spent about 18 years at Intel as a NAND memory product engineer. I bring that industry experience into the classroom through partnerships with engineers from AMD and Microsoft, alumni guest speakers, and field trips that connect students to college and career opportunities in tech.
I’m a lifelong learner myself: I’m pursuing a master’s in computer science through Georgia Tech’s OMSCS program with a specialization in machine learning, and I teach Introduction to Python through Sacramento State’s College of Continuing Education. I live in Sacramento.
02 Teaching
A pathway that starts with the basics and ends with students shipping real software.
The pathway · Laguna Creek High School
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Exploring Computer Science
The on-ramp: a first look at problem solving, the web, and programming.
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AP Computer Science Principles
The big ideas of computing — algorithms, data, the internet, and impact — with the AP exam at the end.
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Mobile Applications
The capstone: designing and building apps, including cross-platform work in Flutter.
Also at Laguna Creek
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Computer Technology
Hardware, operating systems, and the practical skills behind using a computer well.
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Networks / LAN
How networks actually work, configured hands-on rather than only diagrammed.
Sacramento State
Introduction to Python
Taught through the College of Continuing Education, for students well past high school age.
In development
Game Design pathway
A new three-course sequence — Creative Computing, Godot, and a Game Studio capstone — designed for district approval.
For students
Interactive activities
Hands-on practice that runs in the browser, starting with binary numbers. No login needed.
03 Beyond the classroom
I advise the LCHS Computer Science Club — coding, robotics, and cybersecurity — and coach students into competition.
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CyberPatriot
Platinum & GoldThe national youth cyber defense competition. Teams harden real operating systems against the clock; my teams have reached the Platinum and Gold tiers.
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Lockheed Martin CodeQuest & CyberQuest
Annual programming and cyber challenges for high school teams, hosted by Lockheed Martin.
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HPE CodeWars
A timed team programming contest run by Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
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SkillsUSA
CharteringStanding up a new chapter at Laguna Creek, opening another route into technical competition and certification.
04 Coaching
Thirty years in the gym — first as a setter, then on the bench, usually with a stat sheet in hand.
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Now
Assistant volleyball coach, Rio Americano High School
Sacramento.
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Now
Assistant coach, Machine 15-1 girls
Club volleyball out of Copperopolis.
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2014–15
Head coach, SynergyForce boys 16-1
Davis. Silver in the NCVA Spring Power League and a top-20 finish at Junior Nationals.
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From 2013
Assistant coach, UC Davis men’s club
Primary scout, running Data Volley and Data Video. 7th at nationals in 2013, 5th in 2014.
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2011–13
Varsity assistant & JV head coach, Whitney High School
Varsity posted the school’s first back-to-back 20-win seasons, its best league finish (2nd in the CAL) and its first playoff win. JV took 2nd in the CAL in 2012.
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From 2009
Assistant coach, Five Starz girls’ club
Including 18-1 alongside Chris Webb, and a silver in the Open division at NCVA regionals as head coach.
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1993–96
Camps and the college classroom
Girls’ summer camps at Sacramento City College and Humboldt State, and a volleyball teaching assistant at UC Davis in 1995.
Playing
Setter, Sacramento State
Started at setter for the Division I club team as a senior and helped take it to the top 8 at the 2000 national championships.
Training
AVCA · NFHS · Gold Medal Squared
American Volleyball Coaches Association member, NFHS certified in the fundamentals of coaching volleyball, and Gold Medal Squared trained.
05 Projects
Things I build, mostly because a class or a team needed them.
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A searchable, filterable gallery of Mr. Olson’s choice novels, built so students find something to read in a few seconds instead of a few minutes. 325 books, live search, genre and author filters, no framework and no build step.
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Vantage Stats
A volleyball analytics app written in Flutter — where my interest in machine learning and computer vision meets a sport I also coach. Match data in, something useful to a coach out.
06 Background
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In progress
M.S. Computer Science
Georgia Tech OMSCS, specializing in machine learning.
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Now
Computer science teacher & CTE pathway lead
Laguna Creek High School, Elk Grove Unified School District. Also teaching Introduction to Python at Sacramento State.
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Certification
UC Davis C-STEM
Integrated computing, science, technology, engineering and mathematics instruction.
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~18 years
NAND memory product engineer
Intel. The industry grounding behind the AMD and Microsoft partnerships, alumni speakers and field trips my students get now.
07 Contact
Get in touch.
Students and families at Laguna Creek can also reach me through the school office.