Sushen Patel loves computers. He had never used a mainframe operating system, but it piqued his curiosity.

Late last year, his computer science teacher, Brenda McGurgan, encouraged him to look into IBM's Master the Mainframe contest.

"She also told me to go to the Web site and read a little about it," said Sushen, 16, a Highland Park High School junior who ranks first in his class.

"When I did, and even saw some of the great prizes there were, I had to enter."

Sushen, who plans to study electrical engineering and computer science in college, won first place in the competition, a technical skills challenge for high school and college students.

REX C. CURRY/Special Contributor

Brenda McGurgan, who teaches advanced placement computer science at Highland Park High School, encouraged Sushen Patel to enter the IBM contest.

Among his prizes were a Nintendo Wii system and a trip to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to meet with IBM representatives and tour the mainframe manufacturing facility.

The mainframe contest gives students a chance to explore mainframe technologies and look into the potential for lucrative careers in enterprise systems.

Today's students were not around when the mainframe emerged more than 40 years ago.

Now, "if they want to have a career in technology, it's a good bet that if they focus on mainframe and large-enterprise skills, they are going to be in demand," said Michael Bliss, IBM's director of technical support and academic initiative for the company's System z.

Over time, the mainframe – basically a computer capable of handling a large-scale operation – has become easier to use through new software and migration tools. And it can be much smaller than its ancestors.

There are now more than 4,000 specific applications for the mainframe.

IBM overhauled the mainframe's insides with low-cost microprocessors as the computing engine.

The company updated the software, enabling banks, corporations and government agencies to depend on a secure system for vital transactions and data, while allowing it to handle new chores such as operating Web-based programs.

Its most recent model, the z10, represents an investment of $1.5 billion and the work of 5,000 technical professionals, Mr. Bliss said.

To nurture its ecosystem, the company partners with 400 educational institutions worldwide to teach mainframe skills.

In 2004, 24 schools were enrolled in the program. This year, there are more than 430. About 50,000 students have received mainframe education.

Participating Texas schools have included the University of Texas at Dallas, Houston Community College, San Jacinto College in Houston, Highland Park High, West Texas A&M University and Eastfield College.

Last year, IBM announced a five-year, $100 million effort to enable technology administrators and computer programmers to more easily manage a mainframe, as well as increasingly automate the development and deployment of applications.

Meanwhile, its Master the Mainframe contest is designed to familiarize students with concepts for the growing large-enterprise computing industry.

Through a series of challenges, students apply their technical, problem-solving and collaboration skills to actual enterprise computing scenarios. They can log in from their homes, dorm rooms or computer labs.

Ms. McGurgan, who teaches Advanced Placement Computer Science I and II at Highland Park High, said she was very surprised that Sushen had won the contest. He entered during winter break and assumed he had taken too long to finish.

"I was so proud of him that he completed the three parts required, and I had no idea that he would be the overall winner," Ms. McGurgan said.

He isn't her only student getting an introduction to mainframes, though – she took a class to the IBM Center in Dallas this month.

"I want them to see what an important contribution IBM mainframes make in our everyday lives. It's hard for high school students to see beyond their personal computer or other small network."

Like Ms. McGurgan, Mr. Bliss was astounded that a high school student placed first. Most contestants were college students.

"When we matched up the winning user ID with the winner's name, we were blown away," he said.

The 2007 Master the Mainframe contest sponsored by IBM had 1,750 students registered from 325 schools across the U.S. and Canada. The competition began in 2004 (winners were announced in '05), and 2007 was the first year high school students could participate. Winners were announced in early April.

In addition to first-place winner Sushen Patel of Highland Park High School, those in the top five were:

Anar Huseynov, senior, computer science major, math minor, West Texas A&M University in Canyon

Krzysztof Janiszewski, postgraduate work, computer science, Edison College in Florida

Christian McArthur, senior, computer science major, Texas State University in San Marcos

Zach Savishinsky, senior, computer science major, State University of New York at Binghamton