By Sara Ballenger

Not many people can say they have been behind the closed doors at one of Silicon Valley’s top companies, Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI).

But students in Rick Carreriro’s math class at Alta Vista, a continuation high school in Mountain View, can.

Students went on a field trip to the computer software developer and hardware manufacturer’s headquarters in Mountain View, Dec. 7.

“I really wanted to take my math classes to the high-tech companies in the area,” Carreriro said. “They see math as a very dry, unattached subject. Even if we can do word problems that have real-life applications, that still doesn’t quite cut it like a field trip.”

In the main building, which has won architectural awards, Leslie Orellana, a manager, gave students a brief history of SGI and mentioned some of the companies that use SGI technology.

“We’ve been around for a while, SGI. We are coming up on our 20th anniversary in 2002. SGI is just a little bit older than you guys,” Orellana told the students.

Orellana made SGI technology relevant by telling them that one-third of all e-mail goes through SGI servers.

“Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. How are motorcycles designed?” Orellana asked. “On a computer. Harley Davidson uses SGI computers to design their motorcycles.”

Students toured the facilities and viewed some of the perks like the putting green, espresso machines and the 24-hour gym available to employees.

“I think that it’s cool that the company can support the people that work here. It’s not all work, there’s fun too,” said Nikki Meierdiercks, a junior at Alta Vista.

A panel discussion of several SGI employees spoke to students about their various and often unconventional paths to SGI.

“I wanted to expose these kids to a company like this. I have a similar background to a lot of these kids, I know where they’re at,” said Mike Schultz, a manager who arranged the field trip and spoke on the panel. “I want these kids to know that where they are at now is a struggle, but that it’s within their reach to work here. There is a huge bright future out ahead of them.”

Shultz also wanted students to see that what they are learning in their math class now is relevant to computers and the future.

“It’s all math,” he said. “This is what math can do. The power of math is incredible.”

The students got the message.

“It makes me want to believe that I can do it - come here and work here because it’s so cool,” said Meierdiercks. “I am not a computer person, but I still think I could do it.”

The atmosphere of SGI had an effect on students, too.

“The environment makes people a whole lot more comfortable which forces them to want to succeed,” said Aaron Prier, a junior.

It seems a field trip has made these students want to succeed too.

For more information, contact SGI Community Relations Coordinator Hele Madsen at 933-7500.