My Aspirations Experience

My experience as an Aspirations Award Winner has been a great and constantly rewarding one. I have loved computer science and computers in general since I was a little kid. Having had no professional training, I was so surprised to be a winner of the Tennessee Affiliate of NCWIT's Award for Aspirations in Computing competition, but I was also very grateful for the chance.

Since I won, I have been more confident in my abilities to work on a computer. Before, during, and after winning, I have received several jobs from people wanting me to create them a website because they don't know how, yet trust that I do. This competition has given me more creditability than I had before because it is such a prestigious and helpful organization. Having my name on that screen and being called was just a feeling of complete joy. My heart was pounding; I was so nervous I couldn't sit still. Then, after I settled down, I got to listen to some of the most influential speeches from men and women who had been in the very spot I have - a young, inexperienced, and hopeful future programmer. It shows me that I can make my dreams happen if I try hard enough. My experience of winning the National Center for Women & Information Technology competition was overall a grand feeling.

Lorraine is a 2012 Tennessee Affiliate Award Winner and wrote this blog as part of the Aspirations in Computing Blog Contest.