“In any of Mr. Humbert’s or Ms. Henderson’s engineering courses, I felt like I could do anything. The best thing about PCCAPS is that it allows you to explore your vision. My vision for this project was big from the get-go. And no one ever told me to think smaller – instead, I was encouraged to think bigger.”
-Kristina Schiffman, 2020 PCHS Graduate
As a Park City High School junior, Kristina Schiffman didn’t realize enrolling in PCCAPS would also launch her professional journey. PCCAPS – short for Park City Center for Advanced Professional Studies – is a real-world learning program for PCHS juniors and seniors supported by PCEF donors that connects students with mentors and hands-on projects in fields like engineering, business, health sciences, and more. For Kristina, it meant the opportunity to further develop a wearable UV sensor – a device that detects and measures the intensity of ultraviolet radiation – to help prevent skin damage from sun exposure. As a young woman with skin cancer in her own family, she immediately recognized its value.
Drawn to the PCCAPS program by a friend already working on an early version of a wearable UV sensor, and motivated by the chance to work with two of her favorite STEM teachers and mentors, Ms. Henderson and Mr. Humbert, Kristina jumped in. The project would eventually become UV Sense, a startup focused on preventing skin damage through UV exposure tracking. “I knew we would be in good hands in PCCAPS,” Kristina said. “With these two as our mentors, we could make meaningful progress toward creating a device that could aid in someone’s skin health journey.”
“I started bothering the Engineering PCCAPS teacher, Mr. Humbert, before I even got into the program,” she said. “I think I annoyed him to the point that he just ended up giving it to me. But I was definitely persistent. I already felt I had some interest in biomedical technology and medical devices, and I was excited about the opportunity to work with medical professionals at the University of Utah.”
She spent two semesters in PCCAPS, determined to turn the device into something tangible. “I didn’t want this project to just keep rolling through the program and never come to fruition. I wanted to get it done,” she says. She even recruited another student, Iva Chho, to help with the software. “I felt really supported in the program and I wanted to see it through.”
Now, Kristina’s vision is a reality. Today, on May 13th, she officially launches UV Sense, the startup that evolved from her high school PCCAPS project. The company’s first product is a wearable UV sensor that provides real-time exposure data to help users protect their skin and reduce cancer risk.
That support, Kristina says, was key. “In any of Mr. Humbert’s or Ms. Henderson’s engineering courses, I felt like I could do anything. The best thing about PCCAPS is that it allows you to explore your vision. My vision for this project was big from the get-go. And no one ever told me to think smaller – instead, I was encouraged to think bigger.”
Her PCCAPS experience not only gave her purpose – it gave her a path forward. Kristina chose the University of Utah in part to stay close to the dermatologists she had collaborated with during the program. Her strong resume also helped her earn tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships at the U. “Also, Utah has the highest rates of skin cancer in the U.S., so if I wanted to continue solving this problem, this was the best place to do it.”
Kristina credits PCCAPS with helping her bring UV Sense to life. “Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, the program teaches you entrepreneurial lessons that are so valuable – grit, patience, and how to keep going when things go wrong. Before PCCAPS, my resume consisted of my sales associate job at Levi’s and being a lifeguard for a couple of summers. Once I joined PCCAPS, I had something real to talk about – and something real to show for it.”
Kristina left high school in a position to make smart decisions about her future. “I felt well-informed about my future and my career. The PCCAPS program gave me a huge head start.”
“Mr. Humbert still keeps in touch with me – he actually showed up to a recent event for UV Sense. He also supported a small internship I had. The benefits do not end after high school, which is really amazing.”
PCEF donors have supported PCCAPS since 2012/13 as part of our Real World Learning initiative. Nearly 1,000 students have participated in PCCAPS since 2022.
