NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

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.

 

Back row (l. to r.) Amber Perkins, Jessica Edwards, Hojung Park, Hannah Lewis, Janna Almokhtar, Cora Ormsby, Christina Pfab, Margaret Richey, Lisa Moshiro, Salonee Ferrao, Shravya Shetty, Danielle Kaldmaa, Anika Kumar, Katherine Cinnamon, Lydia Fozo
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