As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Virginia Affiliate Award for Aspirations in Computing program recognized 65 high-school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology. The award event was held at the Bank of America facility in Richmond, Virginia, and featured a welcome by Mr. Victor Branch, Senior Vice President – Bank of America, and a keynote speech by Mr. Michael Karafotis, Global Wholesale Banking, Production Support Executive at Bank of America. The event was chaired by Ms. Libby G. Bradford, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Student Engagement in Computer Science at Virginia Tech.
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing is a program of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, a coalition of over 900 universities, corporations and organizations dedicated to increasing the meaningful participation of women in computing. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing was created to acknowledge the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field, and generate visibility for women’s participation in computing-related pursuits. Award-winners have been selected for their outstanding aptitude and interest in computing and desire to pursue computing-related studies. The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program is sponsored nationally by AT&T, Bank of America, Bloomberg and Microsoft with additional support from Google, Intel, Motorola Solutions Foundation and Northrop Grumman.
“It feels so good to be involved in this. We see real progress happening. Young women who might have been overlooked or discouraged now actively moving into computing with support and encouragement from people in the field. But there is more than that. There is an overall feeling that this is good, this is working. Then, even more, a feeling that this is awesome! We are making this happen together–the balance is changing!” said Ms. Jennifer Rupert, Academic & Career Advisor Virginia Tech and Virginia Affiliate committee member. In the affiliate’s six year history, 239 students have been recognized.
Paul Bui, a teacher at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, received the 2017 Outstanding Educator award from the affiliate.
Virginia Affiliate winners are:
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Rebecca | Abbott-McCune | Blacksburg High |
| Janna | Almokhtar | Orange County High School |
| Navya | Annapareddy* | Battlefield High School |
| Brooke | Barlow* | Mclean High |
| Bilguunzaya | Battogtokh | Yorktown High |
| Sarah | Bolstad* | Midlothian High School |
| Katherine | Cinnamon* | Forest Park High School |
| Lidya | Etissa | South Lakes High School |
| Lydia | Fozo* | Forest Park High School |
| Rachel | Fulk | Rockbridge County High |
| Sydney | Howard* | Grassfield High School |
| Elizabeth | Hu* | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Laurel | Hunter | Governor’s School of Science and Technology |
| Danielle | Kaldmaa | Falls Church High School |
| Anika | Kumar* | South Lakes High School |
| Kirthi | Kumar* | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Hannah | Lewis | Albemarle High School |
| Kimberly | Louie | Chancellor High |
| Tian | Low | Woodbridge High |
| Jocelyn | Marencik | Deep Run High |
| Eleanor | Ozer | Galax High School |
| Samhita | Pendyal | Deep Run High |
| Christina | Pfab | Powhatan High School |
| Britney | Phan | Oakton High School |
| Kara | Probasco | Washington Lee High |
| Margaret | Richey* | Western Albemarle High |
| Caylor | Scales | Cumberland High |
| Riley | Schnee | Loudoun Valley High School |
| Marissa | Sumathipala | Broad Run High |
| Michelle | Wu | Princess Anne High |
Virginia Affiliate Honorable Mentions are:
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Grace | Barrett-Johnson | Albemarle High School |
| Madison | Crouch | Western Albemarle High |
| Brianna | Croye | Hidden Valley High |
| Neha | Damaraju* | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Ally | DeVall | Colonial Forge High |
| ErinGrace | Drake | Battlefield High School |
| Heather | Eichman | Nansemond River High |
| Salonee | Ferrao | Hampton Roads Academy |
| Emily | Haggard | Loudoun Valley High School |
| Ankita | Khera | Forest Park High |
| Crystal | Lee | Woodson High |
| Mengyun | Lee | Hidden Valley High |
| Katie | Liu | New Horizons Gov School |
| melanie | massie | Radford High |
| Caroline | McCain | Rockbridge County High |
| Elizabeth | Moar | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Lisa | Moshiro | Battlefield High School |
| Clara | Na | Briar Woods High |
| Cora | Ormsby | Floyd Kellam High |
| Angela | Pastore | Albemarle High School |
| Emma | Peck | Washington Lee High |
| Amber | Perkins | Powhatan High School |
| Grace | Qian | Oakton High School |
| Shravya | Shetty | Deep Run High |
| Caroline | Spruell | Cave Spring High |
| Destiny | Stern | Forest Park High School |
| Aiesha | Suarez Del Real | Stuart High |
| Hiwot | Temesgen | Washington Lee High |
| Sajni | Vederey* | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Faith | White | Richlands High |
| Carol | Yang | Albemarle High School (Virginia) |
*Also NCWIT National Honorable Mentions
Also recognized at the Virginia Affiliate Ceremony were sixteen NCWIT National Honorable Mentions:
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Navya | Annapareddy | Battlefield High School |
| Brooke | Barlow | Mclean High |
| Sarah | Bolstad | Midlothian High School |
| Katherine | Cinnamon | Forest Park High School |
| Neha | Damaraju | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Jessica | Edwards | St Stephens & St Agnes School |
| Lydia | Fozo | Forest Park High School |
| Kriti | Ganotra | Rock Ridge High School |
| Sydney | Howard | Grassfield High School |
| Elizabeth | Hu | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Anika | Kumar | South Lakes High School |
| Kirthi | Kumar | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Rachel | Naidich | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
| Hojung | Park | Albemarle High School |
| Margaret | Richey | Western Albemarle High |
| Sajni | Vederey | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology |
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing offers both national and local affiliate competitions to generate support and visibility for women’s participation in communities nationwide. The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) works to correct the imbalance of gender in technology and computing because gender diversity positively correlates with a larger workforce, better innovation, and increased business performance.
The “Aspirations in Computing Awards” event and the gifts received by the winners this year were funded by Bank of America, Eastman Chemical, The Washington Post and Virginia Tech. Additional support was provided by General Motors, George Mason, Google IBM, and the University of Richmond. Winners receive prizes from multiple companies and two trophies: one for the winner and one to be displayed at her high school.
For more information on the Aspirations program please visit here.
Middle row (l. to r.) Riley Schnee, Emily Haggard, Aiesha Suarez Del Real, Laurel Hunter, Caylor Scales, Mengyun Lee, Angela Pastore, Grace Barrett-Johnson, Kriti Ganotra, Sydney Howard, Heather Eichmann, Caroline McCain, Tian Low, Rachel Fulk, Rebecca Abbott-McCune, Marissa Sumathipala
Front row (l. to r.) Samhita Pendyal, Britney Phan, Crystal Lee, Ally DeVall, Jocelyn Marencik, Kirthi Kumar, Navya Annapareddy, Neha Damaraju, Sarah Bolstad
