妻友社区

From high above the streets of downtown Coeur d鈥橝lene, Alex Parenti works to perfect his senior project, monitoring prime parking spots through a mobile app.

The experience of completing a second bachelor鈥檚 degree at the 妻友社区 might inspire d茅j脿 vu for Parenti, if not for this lakeside city and the wisdom that comes only with experience.

Parenti will graduate in spring 2019 with a degree in computer science after developing the Park-My-Ride app with fellow student Amanda Ward. Their system tracks open parking spaces through a rooftop computer that sends data to a mobile app. For now, Park-My-Ride is limited to one parking lot and is not yet public, but the strides Ward and Parenti have made will allow incoming students to build upon their research.

Navigating North in Pursuit of Dreams

A Boise native, Parenti moved to Moscow after high school to pursue a career in architecture. Early on, his affinity for both art and technology drew Parenti to virtual technology and design. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from U of I鈥檚 College of Art and Architecture in 2012.

A tech startup job brought Parenti to Coeur d鈥橝lene. Designing alongside computer programmers, Parenti found himself leaning into the development side whenever possible and creating apps in his free time after work.

鈥淢y off-time hobby was learning C# and making simple games in Unity because that鈥檚 what I enjoyed doing,鈥� he said.

Parenti put his original passion for architecture and his design skills together when he landed a job with Chief Architect, a Coeur d鈥橝lene-based developer of 3D home design software. It felt like the right place 鈥� but not the right role 鈥� for the long term. Away from work, his skills in coding grew. He published two apps and made a decision.

鈥淚f this is what I鈥檓 doing for fun, this is what I should be doing for a career,鈥� he said, 鈥淚t pays better, and I鈥檓 more interested in it.鈥�

If this is what I鈥檓 doing for fun, this is what I should be doing for a career. It pays better, and I鈥檓 more interested in it. Alex Parenti

Opportunity Arises at Home

Happy at Chief Architect, Parenti started looking for ways to earn a computer science degree without having to move. A year into his search, with a newborn and toddler at home, he discovered U of  I would soon launch that exact program in Coeur d’Alene.

“I almost started at a different school that would have been fully online, but I’m glad I didn’t,” he said. “This was a lot nicer, especially since I’d already graduated from U of I.”

The computer science program was established to help meet the needs of the growing tech presence in North Idaho. Department faculty and their expanding library of robots made a home at the downtown Innovation Den, where education and business startups work side by side.

“We practice hands-on engineering and project-oriented learning,” said John Shovic, U of I computer science faculty. “Being a relatively new program, students get a lot of one-on-one interaction, advice and challenges from professors.”

Alex鈥檚 creativity shows up because he thinks outside the box. He innovates beyond what鈥檚 required and continuously surprises me with his insights. John Shovic, U of I Computer Science Faculty

Design Shines Through in Programs

Parenti鈥檚 expertise in design was evident in class projects, according to his professor.

鈥淎lex鈥檚 creativity shows up because he thinks outside the box,鈥� Shovic said. 鈥淗e innovates beyond what鈥檚 required and continuously surprises me with his insights.鈥�

Sticking to his passions of art, mathematics and technology 鈥� as well as the places that felt like home 鈥� paid off. Two days after earning his degree, Parenti officially turns his hobby into a career as a software engineer at Chief Architect, the company he鈥檚 been with since 2014.

鈥淚鈥檓 taking ideas and making them come to life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n art, you bring your designs to life visually. With code, you see your designs come to life in a different way.鈥�

Article and photography by Katie Marshall, 妻友社区 Coeur d鈥橝lene.

Published May 2019.