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The <a href="https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Congressional App Challenge</a> (CAC) is a nationwide programming competition designed to encourage and inspire middle and high school students to explore STEM fields. The Challenge was established in 2013 with the passage of <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-resolution/77" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">House Resolution 77</a>, and the first competition took place in 2015. In this Challenge, students work individually or in teams to create an original application for any computing platform, using any coding language. One winning app is chosen for each U.S. Congressional district. Each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.In 2018, 47 Aspirations in Computing Community members were among <a href="https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/2018-winners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">those recognized</a> in the Congressional App Challenge! Together, these community members contributed to a total of 34 winning apps. Read on to learn more about their creative ideas, and click the links in each listing to view the inspiring videos submitted by the participants.&nbsp;ARIZONAAiC Community Member Esha Sidhu created the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCuIwg0T6CA&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">High School Time Management App</a> to help students stay organized while navigating their many school assignments and extracurricular commitments.AiC Community Members Madeline Tribolet, Tessa Gaynor, and Fiona Donovan, along with teammate Ryan Gardner, designed the <a href="https://youtu.be/Kt8ksRxjw7g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">N.O.W. News</a> app to identify and alert readers to biases and propaganda that might be present in news sources.CALIFORNIAAiC Community Member Reva Jariwala’s <a href="https://youtu.be/1JkiISkg1m0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BrightPath</a> app helps users identify the best route for safe, sustainable, eco-friendly pedestrian commuting.AiC Community Member Gianna Yan developed an app called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LUVGoOHBQ4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bay</a> to foster civic engagement and encourage voting among young people.When wildfires impacted her region, AiC Community Member Lauren Wong realized that people who wanted to help didn’t always know where their contributions would be most effective. She created the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftMPGGfBJ00&amp;t=2s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">DoNation</a> app to match donors with approved charities.In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ooAirnmF2c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Santa Barbara Highlights</a> app, AiC Community Members Joy Patterson and Karleigh Dehlsen, and teammates Gabrielle Englese and Madeline Rogers, share insider knowledge of their city’s best attractions with tourists visiting the area.<a href="https://youtu.be/yhwKdXfx36I" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eyeTime</a>, an app developed by AiC Community Member Sally Lei, aims to combat eye strain by making it easier for users to practice good viewing habits with digital media.AiC Community Member Marleni Angel worked with teammates Tacorrie Cleveland and Cesar Hernandez to design <a href="https://youtu.be/1Xc9wwQxAoI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Volunteer Log</a>, an app that makes it easy for both volunteers and organizations track the number of hours being contributed.CONNECTICUTThe <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV89ke4vNxc&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Test Driver’s ED</a> app, created by AiC Community Member Isabel Lindsay and teammate Justin Diaz, is a driving simulation that uses virtual reality to let users practice road safety skills and prepare for their driver’s exam.FLORIDAAiC Community Member Andrea Sanchez teamed up with Jasmine Chen, Charles DePlato, and Dennis Ding to build <a href="https://youtu.be/zHZGvvh5WAI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WeBot</a>, an AI assistant that specializes in helping prospective students and parents find answers to their questions when they’re looking for a new school.IOWA<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KiRCiVZOT8A" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FastLane</a>, an app designed by AiC Community Member Kristen Stone along with teammates Owen Scott, Arya Karnik, and Sean Eastman, assists students and others who rely on buses for transportation by notifying users about delays or changes in their regular bus routes.IDAHOAiC Community Member Crista Falk’s <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HyE8pXj0HyIoiE_XDFb9q3QEyHq3NK_7/view?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Budget App</a> offers tools to help people of all ages manage their monthly finances.ILLINOIS<a href="https://youtu.be/sf8Cmx5hqwg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chi Trip</a>, created by AiC Community Member Gabrielle Chang, provides information about Chicago’s tourist destinations and lets visitors plan their itinerary by saving their favorites.The friendly <a href="https://youtu.be/aEcEIxWZZmM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EsteemBeam</a> app was developed by AiC Community Members Shagun Varma, Maya Ostrowski, and Stephanie Kim, along with teammate Julia Delgado, to send supportive daily messages to users who are struggling with self esteem issues.KENTUCKY<a href="https://youtu.be/mHvwhnl_YQc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Learn Your Sounds!</a> is a children’s matching game programmed by AiC Community Member Jay Tucker, in which players connect nature sounds with the appropriate picture.MARYLANDAiC Community Member Destini Brown’s app, <a href="https://youtu.be/ot0UhLWbikc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How Are You Feeling 2.0</a>, includes multiple tools to help children learn to identify their feelings and improve their emotional well being.AiC Community Member Marie Brodsky teamed up with her brother Joseph Brodsky and their friend Suveena Sreenilayam to build <a href="https://youtu.be/NBVXajiWhjQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Time Flies</a>, a mobile app that helps people with dyslexia plan their schedules by showing how much time their activities will take - without using numbers.NEBRASKAS.O.S.S., also known as Saving Our School Spirit, is an app created by AiC Community Members Alexis Moline, Samantha Tracy, and Lily Blake that lets users search for school sporting events in their area, buy tickets, and earn points for for checking in.NEW JERSEYThe <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWAWvoA4G-k" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sPeach</a> app, developed by AiC Community Member Natalia Luzuriaga and her teammate Leon Xie, uses voice recognition software to help hearing impaired people and English language learners practice their pronunciation.NEW HAMPSHIREWith <a href="https://youtu.be/gQWS4ieBLOs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Electoral College Map</a>, an app designed by AiC Community Member Leah Marville, users can simulate presidential elections and see how each state’s results impact the final outcome.NEVADAAiC Community Member Denielle Oliva worked with teammates Joshua Knight, Elijah Bouchard, and Colton Jacobson to build the <a href="https://youtu.be/t70JGpqgfKI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ReCircle</a> app, which provides a platform for students to lend and borrow used items.NEW YORK<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt_v4Zxqiqs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aduenam</a>, an app developed by AiC Community Members Leilei Hao and Kamille Tipan, raises awareness about the impact of immigration policies and lets immigrants in the US connect with one another through discussion groups.OHIO<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7AE5rRKp0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Car Road Drivers</a> is a quiz game designed by AiC Community Members Kaitlyn Scheutzow and KaraBeth Nemet to help new drivers commit the rules of the road to memory.AiC Community Members Layton Rosenfeld and Natalie Dodson, and teammate Audrey Daniels, created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0aDR3IfMik&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The JonApp</a>, an intuitive, visual-based task management program geared toward people with developmental disabilities.PENNSYLVANIAAiC Community Member Katherine Wang’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lDZlvxAfNc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LabraDoodle</a> app lets chemistry students get familiar with common lab experiments through interactive simulations.TEXASAiC Community Member Aya Abdelgawad designed the <a href="https://youtu.be/7DzgF8AZC38" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Just Breathe</a> app using animation and scheduled reminders to help users relax and reduce stress.<a href="https://youtu.be/Kq6sGzar-Y0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AP GO POW!</a> by AiC COmmunity Member Mridula Shan is a test-prep app that helps students get ready to ace the AP Government and Politics exam.AiC Community Members Norah Rami and Sofie Marino built the <a href="https://youtu.be/NQ1P0rP877k" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">See and Say</a> app to help combat human trafficking in their city by offering a user-friendly platform for people to report suspected instances of trafficking.AiC Community Member Victoria Garza’s app <a href="https://vimeo.com/293620145" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daily Write</a> is a journaling program that gets users writing by providing a multitude of optional prompts for each day.UTAHIn <a href="https://youtu.be/aWbDpZMvIGM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Secrets of Barcodes</a>, a mobile game by AiC Members Kaylie Hollander, Caroline Jarman, and Jenna Mills and teammate Zachary Denna, any barcode can reveal an amusing message for the player.WASHINGTON<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgecfi8hmJI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fin-damentals of Fish Care</a>, by AiC Community Members Ojasvi Kamboj and Annika Epperly, is a kid-friendly app that helps users learn and schedule the various tasks involved in taking care of a goldfish.AiC Community Member Archika Dogra and teammate Claire Kung developed the <a href="https://youtu.be/2mS64QLCRUQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vigilant!</a> app to combat sexual violence by allowing users to easily alert contacts and request assistance if they find themselves in an unsafe situation.<a href="https://youtu.be/e_Hq_vwce7o" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Everyday Care</a> is an app by AiC Community Member Smriti Somasundaram that helps children with autism spectrum disorders learn essential daily routines while also allowing parents to track vital data about their child’s care needs.WYOMINGAiC Community Member Teaghen Sweckard, together with teammates Addysen Sweckard, Shelbi Kovar, Georgia Wages, and Seren Chapin, designed the <a href="https://youtu.be/ntTqUKQT1fo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meals on Wheels</a> app to simplify, streamline, and clarify delivery routes for volunteers with the Meals on Wheels organization.

Congratulations to AiC Community Members Recognized in the 2018 Congressional App Challenge

Four Hundred U.S. High School Women Are Recognized for Technological Achievements

<h2>“Humans are the weakest link… The biggest threat in security is the person sitting in the chair behind the computer. It’s not the software, it’s not the hardware, it’s the human and the human error aspect,” says Kyla Guru.</h2>
	
	Listen to Kyla’s full interview with CodeNewbie <a href="https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/what-do-you-need-to-know-about-security" target="_blank">online</a>.
	
	<a class="link--button" href="https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/what-do-you-need-to-know-about-security" style="background-color: rgb(145, 162, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: inset 0px 0px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline-block; font-family: &amp;quot;proxima-nova&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;Helvetica Neue&amp;quot;,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 36px; margin-right: 8.88px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 3.36px; padding-left: 13px; padding-right: 13px; padding-top: 3.36px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; transition-duration: 0.15s, 0.15s; transition-property: background-color, box-shadow; vertical-align: middle; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; zoom: 1;" target="_blank" >Listen</a>
	
	<h4>About Kyla Guru</h4>
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/codenewbie_kylaguru_headshot.png" alt="Ashita Photo" style="float: right">Kyla is a 2018 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing national recipient who has always dreamed of being an influential figure in the field of STEM. At just 16 years old, she is the Founder and CEO of Bits N' Bytes Cybersecurity, a company that now sustains more than 25 national partnerships with school districts, nonprofit organizations, education-based organizations, and members of U.S. Congress in order to increase awareness of cybersecurity. Kyla also leads a high-school team in organizing the GirlCon Chicago Conference annually, Chicago’s very first professional tech conference for middle school girls.
	
	Kyla has been nationally recognized by Stanford University’s She++ #include program as a 2017 Fellow, awarded the Prudential Spirit of the Community Award from Prudential, and distinguished as a Global Teen Leader under the Three Dot Dash We Are Family Foundation. She plans to study data analytics and cybersecurity in college and go on to work at the intersection of data, security, and business, all the while remaining an advocate for female leadership.
	
	<h4>About CodeNewbie</h4>
	
	The CodeNewbie Podcast (<a href="https://www.codenewbie.org/" target="_blank">https://www.codenewbie.org/</a>) is an interview-based show that features guests from the CTO of Microsoft to freelance, self-made developers, discussing their coding journey and technical expertise. It's the podcast designed for new coders and people interested in breaking into tech, and is produced by CodeNewbie, the most supportive community of developers and people learning to code.

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community Member Kyla Guru Interviewed by CodeNewbie

<ul><li>"After I started the Girls Who Code Club here at Union Catholic, I wanted to do something to reach more people in the community, so I reached out to the library about doing the coding classes'' for adults as well as middle school students, said #NCWITAiC Community Member Manya Trehan, who was recently honored with the Union Catholic High School Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Next, she’ll move on to the competition at the state level. Get all the details <a href="https://www.tapinto.net/towns/clark/articles/manya-trehan-chosen-as-union-catholic-s-prudential-spirit-of-community-award-recipient-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!</li><li>2018 AiC Award Recipient Kyla Guru was recently interviewed on the <a href="https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/what-do-you-need-to-know-about-security" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CodeNewbie podcast</a>! Tune in to hear why Kyla is so passionate about cybersecurity, how she built her own business while still in high school, and what developers and consumers can do to help make the internet safer for everyone.</li><li>AiC Community Member Kavya Kopparapu has been named one of TIME Magazine's <a href="http://time.com/5463721/most-influential-teens-2018/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">25 Most Influential Teens of 2018</a>! Kavya was recognized in particular for her work on a deep-learning system designed to improve treatments for brain cancer, as well as the non-profit she founded, called Girls Computing League. Congratulations, Kavya, on this honor!</li><li>“We hope that our program will excite girls to become future scientists, engineers, programmers, technologists, and advocates.” // AiC Community Member <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/84737" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sanja Kirova</a> talks about the benefits of the fifteen-day “She Can Tech” program that she’s leading, in partnership with the Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s Portage Club, in <a href="https://www.portagelife.com/community/education/71998-she-can-tech-introduces-k-12-girls-to-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this news feature</a>.</li><li>What happens when the data sets used to train AI facial recognition programs replicate racial and gender biases? 2016 #NCWITAiC Collegiate Award Recipient <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/users/joy-90744" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joy Buolamwini</a> explores this question and its important implications in <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2018/02/13/tech/why-algorithms-may-have-trouble-recognizing-your-face" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this Marketplace interview</a>.</li><li>AiC Community Member Vaishnavi Dornadula has always been interested in the intersection of art and technology, and this summer she built an LED skirt to learn more about working with electronics, programming in Arduino, and using microcontrollers. This month, she was featured in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9o47Qh3yv/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an Instagram profile</a> by Wogrammer.</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (December 2018)

<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30151828/InnovatorToInnovator_Logo-01.png" alt="Innovator" style="float: left;">Apple and NCWIT present a series of personal essays and stories of innovation, as told by NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community members by way of conversations with Apple executives. Below is the fourth edition of “Innovator to Innovator,” where AiC Community Members Ashmita Sarma and Sierra Schultz talk to Apple VP of Engineering Program Management Hope Giles and VP of Core Technologies and iPhone Operations Priya Balasubramaniam about finding allies and mentors, growing from learning, embracing strengths, and more.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community Members Ashmita Sarma and Sierra Schultz not only marvel at the power of technology and how it works, but also strive to innovate with others. When they both received the opportunity to meet up with fellow AiC Community members, Apple VP of Engineering Program Management Hope Giles, and Apple VP of Core Technologies and iPhone Operations Priya Balasubramaniam, they were delighted to discover common ground with others on learning from technological experiences and peers, as well as mantras that move them forward. Below are takeaways from this group of innovators with various backgrounds and experiences who recently gathered for a roundtable chat at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual conference.
	
	<div align="center"><img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_swegroup_web2_0.png" alt="GroupPhoto">Front Row (L-R): Priya Balasubramaniam, Maria Sanchez Lopez, Ashmita Sarma, Gulnaz Sayed, and Shreya Chowdhary Back Row (L-R): Zoe Husted, Natalie Broide, Hope Giles, Jillian MacGregor, Sierra Schultz, and Charlotte Thomasson</div>
	
	<h2>Learn in Order to Grow</h2>
	
	“Change is the only constant, but change happens only when you learn. And, you have to continuously apply those learnings to make sure that you are optimizing whatever you are doing,” says Priya.
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_i4_quote1_web3.png" alt="Block Quote 1" style="float: right" >Learning new technologies and programming languages are challenges in which both Ashmita and Sierra have been able to grow:
	
	“This semester, I took a course in functional programming using OCaml. It was a very interesting course because it was my first functional programming language, and it helped me think about traditional programming problems in a different way. Through this class I learned that there are multiple approaches to solving common problems. It was also the first class where I had to learn a completely new programming language very quickly, and it helped me get a better understanding of what specific things to look for when you are trying to learn a new language,” says Ashmita.
	
	“This summer, I interned on a team that required me to learn a lot of new technology very quickly, including Amazon Web Services. While it started as an intimidating task to learn it all, I developed strategies for asking effective questions for my teammates, and we were all able to learn more as a result,” says Sierra.
	
	<h2>Find Those Who Believe in You</h2>
	
	“It’s finding those sponsors, it’s finding those mentors, it’s finding the advisors, and the people who believe in what you can do. And, it starts from you believing what you can do,” says Hope.
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_i4_quote2_web2.png" alt="Block Quote 2" style="float: right" >For both Ashmita and Sierra, there were key individuals who encouraged them to persist in the face of rejection and perceived limitations:
	
	“Maria Gini, a Computer Science Professor at the University of Minnesota, is who I have to thank for encouraging me to pursue computer science. She not only exposed me to research in high school, but she also mentored me in running my first AspireIT program. She does her best to get to know students in the Computer Science Major, and she has encouraged me to persist even if I get rejected from opportunities. She helped me and many other students from our ACM-W chapter attend the Grace Hopper Conference this year through funding from the Computer Science department,” says Ashmita.
	
	“Last year, the former president of my section of SWE pushed me multiple times over the year to take on new projects and responsibilities while staying honest with myself about what I could handle. By the time our officer elections came around, I still wasn't sure that I would be the best person, yet she encouraged me to run and push myself that much further. Having someone who believed in my abilities and gave me the opportunity to explore my strengths was key to me successfully taking on new leadership roles this year,” says Sierra.
	
	<h2>Believe in You</h2>
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_i4_quotes34_v4.png" alt="Block Quote 3 and 4" style="float: right" >“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You may have towering strengths that the other person may not have,” says Priya.
	
	“You have a lot to add; don’t sell yourself short,” says Hope.
	
	What are Ashmita’s and Sierra’s favorite strengths?
	
	“My favorite strength is probably the ability to adapt. My university experience has put me in a constantly changing environment. Between managing our school’s annual light show and serving as Vice President to our Undergraduate Women in Computer Science Club, I have had to exercise many new technical and interpersonal skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. It’s important to be able to proactively respond to change in Computer Science, since technology is always changing, and there are always new skills to learn,” says Ashmita.
	
	“One of my favorite strengths is my ability to connect with others and understand people on a deeper level. In the computing world, we often hear the stereotype of engineers being introverted or not knowing how to talk to each other, but I believe that having strong communicators and people that can empathize is essential to the future of technology,” says Sierra.
	&nbsp;
	<hr>
	<h2>About Ashmita, Sierra, and AiC</h2>
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_ashmita_circle_0.png" alt="Ashita Photo" style="float: right">Ashmita Sarma received both the 2017 National Award for AiC and the 2016 Minnesota Affiliate Award for AiC. She became fascinated with computers in middle school, and by 8th grade, she was building websites. Her coding toolkit these days includes HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python, Java, AngularJS, and Ansible. Ashmita’s extensive accomplishments in computing include working a summer gig as a Systems Engineer Intern at SPS Commerce, researching AI at the University of Minnesota, and teaching coding classes, both in person and online. She has also gained experience in a variety of tech settings through opportunities to shadow at major companies Target, Land O' Lakes, and Unisys. She enjoys competing at local hackathons and participating in Capture The Flag cybersecurity competitions, and she hopes to advocate for accessible Computer Science education throughout her career.
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/innovatortoinnovator_graphics_sierra_circle_0.png" alt="Sierra Photo" style="float: right" >Sierra Schultz received an honorable mention for the 2016 Minnesota Affiliate Award for AiC. Her interest in technology has been a major part of her life since she first pick up a computer game at age 6. These days, she has a wide range of experiences under her belt. Between internships at PeopleNet, Code42, and research in a neuroscience lab at the University of Minnesota, she has developed skills in application development, cloud infrastructure, and mathematical modeling. As the treasurer of the University of Minnesota section of Society of Women Engineers, she has had the opportunity to pursue her passion of lifting up other women in STEM. Her career interests lie in the development of smart technology for urban infrastructure to improve quality of life and safety.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	AiC is supported by Apple’s lifetime partnership and commitment to change the public perception of who creates technology.
	
	&nbsp;

Innovator to Innovator: AiC Community Members Ashmita and Sierra and Apple VPs Hope and Priya Find Strength in Allies Who Believe in Their Valuable Technical Skills

<ul><li>AiC Community Member Yarely Chino was spotted teaming up with friends to offer affordable programming classes for women in Salinas &amp; Monterey, California through the non-profit Girl Develop It. Read about their initiative <a href="https://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2018/10/26/girl-develop-opens-salinas-monterey-chapter-teach-women-coding/1701463002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!</li><li>In <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/features/closing-the-gap-women-in-computing/615902190?fbclid=IwAR2DSpZnC_ZwIIc95WMDHAViYEYxJQvdtS3xNRK9bq09Q3JftztexgV5xvo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this video feature</a> by News Center Maine, AiC Community Members Gloria Kelley and Beleicia Bullock talk about how the AiC program is helping combat the gender stereotypes and other pressures that can discourage women from pursuing careers in computing. As University of Maine Computer Science Professor Penny Rheingans explains, when you understand technology, “You can take that, you can own it, and you can change the world with it, and that’s really powerful.”</li><li>AiC Community Members Manya Trehan and Mia Schutz got <a href="https://www.tapinto.net/towns/scotch-plains-slash-fanwood/articles/manya-trehan-of-scotch-plains-honored-for-being-aspirations-in-computing-award-winners-by-union-catholic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this shout-out</a> for their many accomplishments, including being recognized as Award for AiC recipients.</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (November 2018)

<ul><li>2018 NCWITAiC Educator Award Recipient Danielle Mateo is opening a new branch of theCoderSchool in Las Vegas! As Danielle observes, “Learning how to code is extremely empowering and has the ability to take children to new heights mentally and creatively. Not only is coding a career path, but it opens doors by teaching kids to discover, reason, and create.” Get the full story <a href="https://www.franchising.com/news/20181003_thecoderschool_to_open_first_las_vegas_location.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>AiC Community Member Shreya Ahuja got a shout out in <a href="http://www.mrsprester.com/wp/2018/10/22/ncwit-aic-2018-massachusetts-honorable-mention-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this blog post</a> for being selected as a 2018 Massachusetts Affiliate Award for AiC Honorable Mention recipient.</li><li>“I want people to know that while there is a lack of black/Latinx women in tech, we have the solutions to solve this problem. We need to focus on the overlooked communities and expose our black/Latinx girls to women in tech, coach them on how to build tech products, and make sure that they have a computer with internet in their homes.” // Check out <a href="https://qcitymetro.com/2018/10/03/khalia-braswell-digital-diva-tedxcharlotte-speaker-and-the-root-100-honoree/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this inspiring interview</a> with AiC Community Member and INTech Foundation Founder Khalia Braswell!</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (October 2018)

<ul><li>In the fourth installment of Innovator to Innovator, AiC Community Member Rian Walker met up with Apple VP Lisa Jackson to discuss the ways both women’s passion for computing and their drive to overcome obstacles fueled their journeys to success. Read about their conversation <a href="https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2018/09/04/apple-vp-inspires-msu-grad-stem/1195219002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>AiC Community Member Allison Buckley, who’s also president of the University of Nebraska - - Lincoln Computing for All club, gets <a href="http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/campus/computing-for-all-works-to-promote-diversity-in-computer-science/article_333dd8ea-b23e-11e8-b3a2-9b4679e9ccc9.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a shout-out in the Daily Nebraskan</a> for her work as an advocate for underrepresented minorities in computing!</li><li>AiC Community Members Meredith Boyce and Emma Koslow got noticed in <a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2018/09/computer_science_for_all_accessibility_pledge.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a> for their efforts to ensure that accessibility for people with disabilities is included in the #CSforAll movement.</li><li>AiC Community Member Anjali Chadha is one of nine (rockstar) students featured in the documentary Science Fair directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster. For a glimpse at the inspiring stories showcased in the film, check out <a href="http://theweek.com/articles/795936/science-fair-full-cocky-girl-geniuses--glorious" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>.</li><li>“I hope I plant a seed that STEM is an option for everyone.” // AiC Award Recipient Rachel Laub was named one of three finalists for the Utah Women Tech Council Student Pathway Award, which celebrates college students’ outstanding service or outreach efforts in STEM fields. (Article no longer available.)</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (September 2018)

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="backgroundTable" style="height:100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="padding-bottom:0;" valign="top"><map name="banner"><area coords="380,72,554,194" href="http://www.aspirations.org" shape="rect" target="_blank" /> <area coords="14,11,123,39" href="http://www.ncwit.org" shape="rect" target="_blank" /> <area coords="130,9,160,39" href="http://twitter.com/NCWITAIC" shape="rect" target="_blank" /> <area coords="164,10,194,39" href="http://www.facebook.com/aspirationsaward" shape="rect" target="_blank" /> <area coords="199,9,227,39" href="http://www.ncwit.org/linkedin" shape="rect" target="_blank" /> <area coords="236,11,260,39" href="https://www.instagram.com/ncwit/?hl=en" shape="rect" target="blank" /></map><img alt="It's application time!" id="headerImage" mc:allowdesigner="" mc:edit="header_image" mc:label="header_image" src="https://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/aic_newslettertemplate_banner_2019awards.jpg" style="width:560px; height:280px; padding:0;" usemap="#banner" /></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="30" cellspacing="0" style="background-color:#127ABB;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="upperBodyContent" valign="top"><h3 style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;">Calling all 9th-12th grade and college women, as well as the educators who support them!</h3><h3 style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;">2019 Aspirations in Computing award applications are open.</h3><h4 style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.aspirations.org" style="color:#FFFFFF;" target="_blank" title="Apply Now">Apply today</a> for the opportunity to receive prizes and recognition for all that you do (or want to do) in computing.</h4><h4 style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;">And, help us <a href="#Spread" style="color:#FFFFFF;">spread the word.</a></h4>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="lowerBodyContent" style="padding-top:0px;" td="" valign="top">&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aspirations.org" target="blank">NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC)</a> furthers women&rsquo;s pursuits in technology -- connecting them with inspirational peers and mentors, acknowledging their technical contributions, preparing them to reach educational and career goals, and so much more. For more than 10 years, more than 11,500 AiC Community members have thrived within an expansive network of peers, volunteers, and NCWIT Alliance member organizations who offer exclusive benefits and opportunities in computing.Help us engage with even more technical women that will inspire us all by <a href="#Spread">spreading the word</a> about the following AiC award opportunities. <h4><a name="TOC">In this email:</a></h4><ul><li><a href="#HS">NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing</a></li><li><a href="#Ed">NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award</a></li><li><a href="#Collegiate">NCWIT Collegiate Award</a></li><li><a href="#Spread">Spread the Word</a></li></ul> <h3><a name="HS">NCWIT Award for AiC: For 9th-12th Grade Women</a></h3><a href="http://bit.ly/AiCHSAward" target="_blank"><img align="right" alt="Aspirations Award Logo" src="http://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/aic_hsawardlogo_150.png" style="width:150px; height:150px;" /></a>The <a href="http://bit.ly/AiCHSAward" target="_blank">NCWIT Award for AiC</a> honors women in grades 9 through 12 who are active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to pursue their passions. The multi-tiered award structure includes winner, honorable mention, and certificate of distinction designations at national and regional levels, serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and all U.S. overseas military bases.<h4>Prizes</h4>Each National and Regional Affiliate Award winner, as well as each honorable mention, receives:<ul><li>recognition at a Regional Affiliate Award event (at the discretion of the Regional Affiliate Award program)</li><li>an engraved award for both her and her school</li><li>scholarship and internship opportunities</li><li>entry to a peer-network of technical women in the NCWIT AiC Community</li><li>various prizes, such as computing resources, gadgets, swag, and more</li></ul>In addition to the prizes listed above, each National Award winner receives cash and a trip to the National Award Celebration in March 2019, hosted by Bank of America. Each recipient with a Certificate of Distinction designation receives various prizes and entry to the NCWIT AiC Community.<h4>Application Details</h4>Students can apply online at <a href="http://www.aspirations.org/AiCHSAward" target="_blank">http://www.aspirations.org/AiCHSAward</a> no later than 8:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) on November 5, 2018.The NCWIT Award for AiC is sponsored by Apple, Bank of America, Microsoft, Motorola Solutions Foundation, and Symantec.<a href="#TOC">Back to top</a> <h3><a name="Ed">NCWIT AiC Educator Award: For Formal and Informal High School Educators</a></h3><a href="http://bit.ly/AiCEdAward" target="_blank"><img align="right" alt="Educator Award Logo" src="http://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/aic_edawardlogo_150.png" style="width:150px; height:150px;" /></a>The <a href="http://bit.ly/AiCEdAward" target="_blank">NCWIT AiC Educator Award</a> publicly celebrates formal and informal educators who encourage high school women&rsquo;s interest and participation in technology pursuits. The multi-tiered award structure includes designations at national and regional levels, serving all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and all U.S. overseas military bases.<h4>Prizes</h4>Each Regional Affiliate Award winner and honorable mention receives:<ul><li>recognition at a Regional Affiliate Award event</li><li>increased visibility in his or her school district and community</li><li>NCWIT resources and promotional items</li><li>an engraved award for both the Educator and his or her school</li></ul><h4>Application Details</h4>Educators can apply online soon at <a href="http://www.aspirations.org/AiCEduAward" target="_blank">http://www.aspirations.org/AiCEduAward</a>. (National Award applications open in January 2019.)The NCWIT AiC Educator Award is sponsored by AT&amp;T.<a href="#TOC">Back to top</a> <h3><a name="Collegiate">NCWIT Collegiate Award: For College Women</a></h3><img align="right" alt="Collegate Award Logo" src="https://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/aic_collegiatelogo_150_0.png" style="width:150px; height:150px;" />The <a href="http://bit.ly/AiCCollegiate" target="_blank">NCWIT Collegiate Award</a> honors the outstanding computing accomplishments of undergraduate and graduate women. Conferred annually, the award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of creativity and potential impact.<h4>Prizes</h4>Each Award winner and honorable mention receives:<ul><li>a trip to the NCWIT Summit on Women and IT in Nashville, Tennessee in May 2019, including a private networking reception and award ceremony</li><li>computing resources, gadgets, sponsor-branded swag, and more</li></ul>In addition to the prizes listed above, each winner receives $10,000 in cash and, each honorable mention receives $2,500 in cash.<h4>Application Details</h4>The 2019 NCWIT Collegiate Award will be conducted in two rounds: Preliminary and Finalist. Applicants representing three categories &mdash; (1) freshmen, sophomores, and two-year college students; (2) juniors and seniors; and (3) graduate students &mdash; will be selected from the Preliminary Round to participate in the Finalist Round.Students can apply online for the Preliminary round at <a href="http://www.aspirations.org/AiCCollegiateAward" target="_blank">http://www.aspirations.org/AiCCollegiateAward</a> no later than 8:00 p.m. MDT on Monday, October 15, 2018.The NCWIT Collegiate Award is sponsored by Qualcomm.<a href="#TOC">Back to top</a> <img align="right" alt="Spread the Word" border="0" height="90" src="https://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/spreadword_flat.png" width="100" /><h3><a name="Spread">Spread the Word</a></h3>Share these award opportunities with your friends and colleagues:<ul><li>9th-12th grade women with any level of computing experience can apply for the @NCWITAIC Award &amp; win great prizes! // http://www.aspirations.org/AiCHSAward #NCWITAiC19</li><li>This #MentorMonday, encourage an educator to win a cash prize and a trip to the 2019 #NCWITSummit: http://www.aspirations.org/AiCEduAward #NCWITAiC19</li><li>College women w/ apps, robotics, and data visualization projects can apply for the Collegiate Award: http://www.aspirations.org/AiCCollegiateAward. #NCWITAiC19</li></ul>Visit our <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/spread-word-about-ncwit-aic-awards" target="_blank">Spread the Word</a> webpage for more sample messaging and shareable graphics. Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/ncwitaic" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aspirationsaward" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/subscribe-our-newsletter" target="_blank">sign up for our newsletter</a> to get updates on Aspirations in Computing opportunities.<a href="#TOC">Back to top</a> <div align="center">The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program is supported nationally by Apple, AT&amp;T, Bank of America, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, with additional support from Bloomberg, Motorola Solutions Foundation, Northrop Grumman, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.</div> &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><a href="http://www.ncwit.org/about/supporters"><img alt="NCWIT Partners" height="275" src="https://www.ncwit.orghttps://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/image_type/ncwitpartners_footer03072018.png" style="padding-bottom:0px" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="footerContent" valign="top">Copyright &copy;2018 National Center for Women &amp; Information Technology (NCWIT), All rights reserved. University of Colorado, Campus Box 417 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 <a href="http://www.ncwit.org" target="_blank">www.ncwit.org</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@ncwit.org">info@ncwit.org</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;303.735.6671 &nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Calling All Technical Women in High School or College, as Well as Educators Who Support Them

<ul><li>AiC Community Members Amanda Tomes and Rayanne Liester, along with 12 other high school juniors and seniors from South Dakota, were invited to the Rocket Girls CyberSpace Camp at the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, where they explored online security and the history of space travel. Read about their adventure <a href="https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/dell-rapids/2018/08/08/baltic-and-dell-rapids-students-part-first-rocket-girls-cyberspace-camp-orlando/930329002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>At age 8, AiC Community Member Madison Kenney recalls, “I got the chance to program these little [mechanical] alligators to open and close their mouths at a table kiosk for the Georgia Institute of Technology. I did not want to leave! I told my mom that this is what I wanted to do.” Find out how she’s now passing on her love of robotics to middle school girls in <a href="https://www.theatlantavoice.com/articles/atlanta-teen-madison-kenney-seeks-empowers-young-girls-through-stem-robotics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>.</li><li>Sisters and AiC Community Members Wendy Shi and Cindy Shi started the SparkIT computing camp in Gaithersburg, Maryland to encourage younger girls to consider careers in tech. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/maryland-summer-camp-stem-girls/4534886.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This Voice of America video feature</a> about the camp highlights participants’ work with robotics. Tune in to watch campers program their Sphero robots to navigate mazes and tackle obstacles!</li><li>AiC Community Member Manya Trehan is getting a high-level view of New Jersey’s STEM initiatives as a new member of the highly selective Governor’s STEM Scholars program. Go <a href="https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/education/in-our-schools/2018/08/23/union-catholic-manya-trehan-selected-nj-stem-scholars/949063002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to see how she’ll be contributing to her state’s STEM community.</li><li>Learn about AiC Community Member Bailee Sjostrom’s new position as a High School Consulting Intern with the Advanced Technology Group in Missoula, Montana in <a href="https://missoulian.com/business/getting-ahead/getting-ahead/article_e4a9e31f-c797-59af-81c2-6a53a92996f2.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>.</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (August 2018)

<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30151828/InnovatorToInnovator_Logo-01.png" alt="Innovator" style="float: left;">Energized by the “Back to School” season to spark and further students’ passions for creating future innovations, Apple and NCWIT present a series of personal essays and stories of innovation, as told by NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community members by way of conversations with Apple executives. Below is the third edition of “Innovator to Innovator,” where NCWIT AiC Community Member Rian Walker talks with Apple Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson about creating pathways to success, combatting imposter syndrome, balancing a career while giving back, and their shared mission to increase the meaningful participation of women in computing.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	
	<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30184843/InnovatorToInnovator_LightningBolt_2.png" alt="LightningBolt" style="float: right;">The path I chose was definitely the one less traveled, and I faced a multitude of obstacles during my journey -- both personal and professional. I grew up in Mississippi -- a state known for a lot of history, ideas, and culture, but not so much for its involvement in the technology industry. Furthermore, I constantly struggled while I was in high school, causing my attendance and grades to suffer. When I was able to focus on my studies, there was a lack of opportunities available in my region, and I was in no way able to travel. However, I kept pursuing opportunities in technology.
	
	<h3>One Passionate Path Leads to Another</h3>
	
	When I was selected to speak with <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/lisa-jackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lisa Jackson</a>, as part of the “Innovator to Innovator” series, I was overcome with nervousness and excitement. I was eager to know the keys to her success as well as the keys to recruiting and retaining more underrepresented populations in STEM.
	
	<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30185050/InnovatorToInnovator_Issue3_Quote1.png" style="float: right;" alt="Block Quote 1">To my surprise, Lisa’s key to success was very simple: she followed her passion. Growing up in New Orleans and on the Mississippi River, she was inspired by water pollution issues. My passion began with exploring and making things better. I grew up heavily immersed in technology. I was given my first computer when I was six, began programming in HTML around twelve, and was repairing damaged or broken cell phones by fifteen. My own passions set me on a path to receive the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) and many subsequent opportunities. Just as Lisa says, “Opportunity is when luck meets preparation.”
	
	<h3>Creating Paths for Others</h3>
	
	After winning the Award for AiC, I received a scholarship to attend Mississippi State University and an NCWIT AspireIT grant to create  Bulldog Bytes, a residential, computer-science-based summer camp aimed towards minorities and other underrepresented girls who had an interest in computer science. I did everything I could to make the camp accessible to those who wanted to attend.
	
	<div align="center"><img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30185158/InnovatorToInnovator_BulldogBytes_GroupPhoto-10.png" alt="WWDC18"></div>
	
	“The key for us with girls, and also people of color, is to really help them see that their worth and their value of their voice is actually more because we are rare, and our perspectives can make a huge difference,” said Lisa.
	
	<h3>Differences Are Valuable</h3>
	
	<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30185233/InnovatorToInnovator_Issue3_Quote2.png" style="float: right;" alt="Block Quote 2">While attending Tulane University for her chemical engineering degree, Lisa was one of two female students in her class, but knowing her worth and value as a minority helped her persevere. “The things that make us different; those are actually our strengths,” said Lisa. These words stuck with me because it applies to my personal and professional life.
	
	Being a young girl interested in STEM, there wasn’t a shortage of times that I felt different. I was constantly surrounded by boys in my classes, and I was afraid to speak up. I knew I was different, but I felt different in a bad way. I felt that my differences would keep me from being accepted in the community and taken seriously. As I grew older and attended college, I learned that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Professionals in STEM not only accepted me, but allowed me to speak up and pursue my passion.
	
	Lisa shared two more ideas that stuck with me: “Learn your job all the way, down to the details,” and, “Be open to change and open to move.” The things that make me different are how I got to where I am today, and they will lead me as I move to North Carolina to start an engineering job with Bank of America and a limitless future in the technology industry.
	&nbsp;
	<hr>
	<h4>About Rian and AiC</h4>
	
	<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30151741/InnovatorToInnovator_Rian_WEB.png" style="float: right;" alt="Rian Photo">
	
	 Rian began to explore technology at a young age. Her father had a job as an audio installation specialist, and she accompanied him to every job. She got her first computer when she was six years old, and took off in the world of technology. Rian learned HTML and CSS to make her Myspace page look how she wanted it to look; and she bought broken phones from Ebay, fixed them, and resold them. Now, as a graduate from Mississippi State University with a degree in software engineering, Rian is preparing to start her engineering job as a technical analyst at Bank of America.Rian is a 2013 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) national honorable mention and a 2013 Mississippi Affiliate Award for AiC recipient, and a member of the NCWIT AiC Community -- an expansive network of more than 10,000 technical women who receive engagement, visibility, and encouragement for their computing-related interests and achievements from peers, volunteers, and NCWIT Alliance member organizations.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	AiC is supported by Apple’s lifetime partnership and commitment to change the public perception of who creates technology.
	
	&nbsp;

Innovator to Innovator: AiC Community Member Rian Walker and Apple VP Lisa Jackson Inspire Underrepresented Students to Recognize Their Valuable Perspectives

<ul><li>In <a href="https://medium.com/csforall-stories/voices-from-the-field-jeff-solin-teacher-maker-advocate-d826d36ea0e5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this two-part series</a>, AiC National Educator Award Recipient Jeff Solin shares his journey as a CS teacher with an equity focus at Chicago’s Lane Tech High.</li><li>AiC Community Member Siobahn C. Day <a href="http://www.blackengineer.com/news/it-girl-is-first-to-earn-phd-in-computer-science-at-nc-at/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">was recognized in US Black Engineer magazine</a> for being the first woman to earn a PhD in computer science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Her dissertation focused on author attribution, privacy, security, and social computing, and contributes to a larger project of combating the proliferation of “fake news.”</li><li>In this article, the spotlight’s on AiC Community Member Sabrina Stone and her 2-week STEAM class for middle school girls, all about computer animation. Check out some of their amazing projects <a href="https://www.theacorn.com/articles/these-are-the-girls-who-code/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!</li><li>AiC Community Member Khalia Braswell was featured in <a href="https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article214845600.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a> when she left a UX engineering role at Apple to work more closely with INTech, the nonprofit she started to help young women of color explore computing in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. INTech’s summer coding programs are already making an impact for middle school girls, and the organization won a People’s Choice award from Social Venture Partners.</li></ul>

AiC Members - In the News (July 2018)

<ul><li>It's not luck, it's deserved! AiC Community Members Akshaya Dinesh, Gabrielle Ecanow, and<a href="https://twitter.com/amndasuthwrth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a>Amanda Southworth are in full force at the Apple WWDC18. The three received scholarships to cover their expenses, plus a year’s membership in the Apple Developer Program. <a href="https://r29.co/2J8M3zf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the full story</a> to find out how the apps they’ve already created are solving common problems faced by today’s high school students.</li><li>AiC Community Member Hayley Grisez attracted notice for the week-long coding camp for middle school girls she organized with the help of an AspireIT grant. Learn about her program, “The IT Girls,” <a href="http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/20180604/concordia-student-shares-tech-love" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here!</a></li><li>"I know if girls really tried programming and saw how it's more than just staring at a screen all day, many would fall in love with it like I did." // <a href="https://pamplinmedia.com/lor/107-my-community/entertainment/398922-291929-teen-offering-computer-programming-camp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Go here</a> to find out how AiC Community Member Sydney Von Arx is working to close the gender gap in tech by facilitating a summer web development program for 6th through 9th grade girls.</li></ul>June Shout OutsAs the school year wraps up, AiC Community members have much to celebrate - and we’re not the only ones who are excited about their accomplishments. This month, we noticed <a href="http://baytownsun.com/news/article_038897a6-654b-11e8-b078-2f12bd717739.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Havi Nguyen</a> and <a href="https://www.taosnews.com/stories/taos-high-student-wins-national-computing-award,48930" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jenay Barela</a> in the news. Congratulations to them on their achievements!

AiC Members - In the News (June 2018)

<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30151828/InnovatorToInnovator_Logo-01.png" alt="Innovator" style="float: left;">Apple and NCWIT present a series of personal essays and stories of innovation, as told by NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community members by way of conversations with Apple executives. Below is the second edition of “Innovator to Innovator,” where NCWIT AiC Community Member Jothi Ramaswamy talks with Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi and Apple Vice President of Software Engineering Operations Cheryl Thomas about the power of curiosity, the challenges of creating a work-life balance, and their shared mission to increase the meaningful participation of women in computing.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been intrigued by the wondrousness that is Apple. Even starting off with something as small as the iPod Shuffle, I was blown away. I remember pressing the skip button through all my songs, not necessarily because I didn’t like any of them, but because I was fascinated by the idea that I could control the songs I play on such a tiny device with just the press of a button. I’ve always wanted to learn how Apple creates the revolutionary technologies that it does.
	
	Skip ahead to June 4, 2018 when I found myself at the <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2018/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2018 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)</a> as one of 350 WWDC scholars. Not only did I get to see Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi’s keynote, but I also got the incredible chance to interview him and Vice President of Software Engineering Operations Cheryl Thomas, who spoke at the WWDC Scholarship Orientation. Finally, I got a glimpse into the minds of those who help to create some of the most revolutionary technologies that the world has ever seen.
	
	Alongside fellow WWDC Scholars and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Community Members Akshaya Dinesh, Gaby Ecanow, Liz Petrov, Ariana Sokolov, and Grace Zhang, we received unforgettable advice on working in the tech sector. Here are several takeaways.
	
	<div align="center"><img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30183504/innovatortoinnovator_wwdc18_v2.png" alt="WWDC18"></div>
	
	
	
	<h4><img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10231049/innovatortoinnovator_blockquotes_0.png" alt="Jothi Photo" style="float: right;">“When it comes to a critical decision, follow your heart.” - Craig Federighi</h4>
	
	If there is one consistent line from Craig, this would be it. He explained that when we analyze too much, we can get it wrong. There is always that intuition that you feel in your gut, and when you listen to that feeling, “that’s where great things happen.”
	
	<h4>“Being always curious and always learning throughout your whole life is so important.” - Cheryl Thomas</h4>
	
	Who are the people at “the top of their game?” Those who have a “quest for knowledge.” Cheryl noted how the tech industry is constantly changing… We can’t even imagine what the world will look like in the next 30 years.
	
	Craig chimed in with advice inspired by one of his exchanges with Steve Jobs: “Continuously be the student… be an amateur to things.” It is better to not worry about being the expert; instead, focus on areas where you’re not great yet, but could be. If you let yourself “expose your lack of expertise, that opens the door to [expansion].”
	
	<h4>“If you're even thinking you're ready… you're ready, and you should go for it.” - Cheryl Thomas</h4>
	
	Doing everything before we are perfectly ready is okay, especially since it allows us to learn, and “a lot of the guys are doing it anyway.” I can definitely relate to this. In pursuing my own passions with machine learning research, I was initially afraid that I was trying to do research that was too hard for me -- something I wasn’t ready for. But, in the end, everything was more than alright. I turned my research into an app that helps people self-diagnose their risk for arthritis.
	
	<h4>“Life is about trade-offs.” - Craig Federighi </h4>
	
	Despite all of their demands as Apple executives, it is still very important for Craig and Cheryl to have a work-life balance. Having four daughters, Craig definitely feels the importance of this and feels lucky that he gets to come home to his family every day. After his WWDC keynote, Craig recounted that his daughters were super excited about everything that Apple announced and were even creating Memojis for everyone in their family. “They really appreciate and connect with what we do, and that helps.”
	
	I adamantly agree that seeing the impact that you have on others really makes any sacrifices you have made worthwhile. With my non-profit <a href="http://www.thinksteam4girls.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ThinkSTEAM</a>, which teaches girls about using their creativity with STEM by integrating the arts (hence STEAM), I am lucky enough to see the influence that I have on other young girls in encouraging them to find their computing passions that they may have never realized on their own. This makes all the time I’ve sacrificed and obstacles that I faced worthwhile.
	
	All in all, it was such an incredible experience to interview Craig Federighi and Cheryl Thomas from Apple, and we learned so much from them! As thought leaders and pioneers in the tech sector, they really gave us awesome advice as young STEM aficionados entering the workforce soon.
	&nbsp;
	<hr>
	<h4>About Jothi and AiC</h4>
	
	<img src="https://wpassets.ncwit.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/30151857/innovatortoinnovator_jothi.png" alt="Jothi Photo" style="float: right;">
	
	Jothi Ramaswamy’s fascination with coding began when she taught herself to build a “Hello, World!” program in fifth grade. Since then, Jothi has conducted machine learning research as a high school intern at IBM’s TJ Watson Research Headquarters, created SafetyPin, an app to decrease the prevalence of sexual assaults and help victims achieve legal justice, and is using her  NCWIT AspireIT grant to run Code Matters to introduce middle school girls to code. Jothi’s list of accolades include a 2018 Global Teen Leader, a 2018 Technovation Global Student Ambassador, a 2017 She++ Fellow, a 2017 HERlead Fellow, and a WWDC Scholar (in both 2017 and 2018). Though Jothi doesn't know where she wants to go to college, she wants to continue studying machine learning, and she wants to work in a tech company or launch a startup one day. Jothi also hopes to travel the world and experience different cultures.
	
	 Jothi is a 2018 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) national winner, a 2017 national honorable mention, and a New York: Hudson Valley Affiliate Award for AiC winner in both 2017 and 2018, and a member of the NCWIT AiC Community -- an expansive network of more than 10,000 technical women who receive engagement, visibility, and encouragement for their computing-related interests and achievements from peers, volunteers, and NCWIT Alliance member organizations.
	
	&nbsp;
	
	AiC is supported by Apple’s lifetime partnership and commitment to change the public perception of who creates technology.
	
	
	&nbsp;

Innovator to Innovator: Apple VPs Cheryl Thomas and Craig Federighi Offer Advice and Inspiration to #WWDC18 Scholar Jothi Ramaswamy

<ul><li>At this year’s Securing Our Cyber Future: SafetyNet Symposium in San Diego, California, AiC Award Recipient Betta Lyon-Delsordo was honored with the 2018 ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. The cybersecurity company ESET established the scholarship to encourage and empower more women to explore careers in this field. Learn more about Betta’s future plans in <a href="http://www.itnewsonline.com/news/Betta-Lyon-Delsordo-Wins-2018-ESET-Women-in-Cybersecurity-Scholarship/171/2/3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>!</li><li>Southern Utah Girls in Technology, an event organized by AiC Regional Coordinator Dr. Shalini Kesar, brought 190 high school women to Southern Utah University for a full day of exploring programming, robotics, and other STEM topics. Dr. Kesar noticed that many women who might enjoy and benefit from being part of the AiC community didn’t pursue it because they lacked direct experience, so she created this event to give them the opportunity to participate in hands-on computing activities. Get the full story and check out a fabulous photo slideshow <a href="https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/cedar-city/2018/05/07/southern-utah-girls-technology-introduces-teens-coding/588432002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>!</li><li>AiC Award Recipient Bethany Chen was one of three high school students honored with the Philip V. Swan Oneonta Scholarship, sponsored by the Oneonta Club of Pasadena, California. <a href="https://southpasadenan.com/10000-dollars-awarded-oneonta-club-scholarships-south-pasadena/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The award</a> recognizes young people with the potential to make significant contributions to society through their chosen career. Congratulations, Bethany!</li><li>When computing meets the arts, memorable healing moments can occur, as AiC Award Recipient Meera Kurup has discovered. Meera’s work on an app that lets Alzheimer’s patients listen to poems recorded by family members was featured in <a href="http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/local-commentary/2018/05/17/can-you-program-joy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this piece</a> on the powerful intersections between poetry and technology.</li><li>AiC Community Members Luann Jung and Stephanie Fu were among 18 students from five Kansas high schools selected for the 2018 Flint Hills All-Academic Team, sponsored by the Manhattan, Kansas newspaper <a href="http://themercury.com/news/super-seniors-the-mercury-s-flint-hills-all-academic-team/article_d30eacf8-1616-569d-98f0-1f5ce1ba8259.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Mercury</a>. Great job, Luann and Stephanie!</li><li>AiC Community Member Eunji Lee was featured in <a href="https://patch.com/connecticut/trumbull/trumbull-resident-named-valedictorian-sacred-heart-academy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a> after being named Valedictorian of her graduating class at the Sacred Heart Academy in Trumbull, Connecticut. Way to go!</li></ul>May Shout OutsThese news outlets are just as excited as we are about the impressive achievements of our AiC Community members! This month, we saw lots of Award for AiC recipients being recognized for their accomplishments. Spotted in the press: <a href="http://melrose.wickedlocal.com/news/20180517/melrose-student-honored-for-stem-work" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Melissa Aguirre</a>, <a href="http://www.monroenews.com/news/20180508/bedfords-hillary-hemry-recognized-for-her-computer-skills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hillary Hemry</a>, <a href="http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20180521/national-center-for-women-amp-information-technology-honors-local-teen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sheba Austin</a>; <a href="http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Calumet-high-school-students-awarded-for-computing-aspirations-482116051.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yvonne Oja and Elicia Giachino</a>; <a href="https://fox4kc.com/2018/05/24/local-high-school-girls-earn-ncwit-awards-for-aspirations-in-computing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Keshvi Mahalingam and Noelle Green</a>; <a href="https://patch.com/illinois/winnetka/new-trier-student-wins-ncwit-aspirations-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Faith Chen</a>; <a href="http://www.eagletribune.com/news/haverhill/young-women-win-computing-awards/article_cabc896d-2256-5bde-afe3-1c0e9a444a83.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three community members</a> from Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley; and <a href="https://theswellesleyreport.com/2018/05/wellesley-seniors-honored-by-national-tech-center-for-women/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three community members</a> from Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

AiC Members - In the News (May 2018)

<img alt="Jeff Solin" src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/jeffsolin_web.png" style="width: 205px; height: 225px; float: right; margin: 10px 20px;"/>NCWIT Aspirations in Computing is pleased to announce that Lane Tech High School Computing Instructor Jeff Solin has been named the recipient of the 2018 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) National Educator Award!
	Each year, the <a href="/award-programs/aic-educator-award" target="_blank" >NCWIT AiC Educator Award</a> publicly celebrates formal and informal educators who encourage high school women&rsquo;s interest and participation in technology pursuits. To date, nearly 400 educators have been honored. Teachers who have previously received the Educator Award are eligible to apply for the NCWIT AiC National Educator Award, which honors educators who have demonstrated an exceptionally strong, consistent, and positive involvement in supporting female students in computer science.
	This year&rsquo;s recipient, Jeff Solin, left a career in the tech industry 17 years ago on what he describes as &ldquo;a quest to help change Computer Science <a href="https://lanetechcs.wordpress.com/cs-at-lane-tech/teachers/" target="_blank" >education</a>.&rdquo; After several years at Chicago&rsquo;s Northside College Prep, Jeff joined the faculty at Lane Tech to help develop that school&rsquo;s computer science department. Since he began teaching at Lane Tech, the department has grown from a single computer science teacher serving a student body of 4,400 to a robust staff of 10 full time teachers of different genders and backgrounds who offer a total of 12 different computing classes.
	Equitable access to technology education for students of all demographics is a guiding concern for Jeff, who notes that most of his students are &ldquo;disadvantaged and underrepresented, sometimes by their gender, sometimes by the color of their skin, sometimes by their family&rsquo;s resources, sometimes by their documentation status, and usually by a combination of those reasons.&rdquo; Over the course of his professional development, he found himself moving from an attitude of gender- and race-blindness to a commitment to &ldquo;advocate, support, learn about the motivations of, and find resources and opportunities for ALL of [his] students.&rdquo; This has led him to work with a small group of educators from multiple schools to convince the Chicago Board of Education to make computer science a graduation requirement for all students. The team also successfully lobbied for the district to implement the Exploring Computer Science curriculum, an approach designed to address issues of inequality in urban students&rsquo; access to critical computer science education.
	Jeff is a strong supporter of the maker movement in education, and believes that inviting students into processes that combine civic engagement with designing, tinkering, and creative problem solving is one way to encourage more high school women to explore computer science and other tech offerings. He was the force behind his school&rsquo;s decision to build the first Maker Lab in the Chicago Public School District, and he has redesigned his lab multiple times to incorporate best practices for creating inclusive learning environments for students of all genders.
	&ldquo;I want this to be a place where [students] can feel comfortable failing by trying and learning by doing,&quot; Solin said of his approach to teaching in the Maker Lab. &quot;Things break and wheels fly off and screws are loose, and I have to rebuild things in the true spirit of what the class is.&quot;
	Maker-themed classes have become some of the most popular offerings at the selective-enrollment, tech-focused high school. As Saood, an alum of Jeff&rsquo;s classes, shared, &quot;You turn what you make into something real, so you actually see the results. That gave me extra motivation to learn, because I wanted to make better stuff.&rdquo;
	Kyra, another of Jeff&rsquo;s former students, emailed her former teacher to let him know that his class had motivated her to continue challenging herself with ambitious 3D printing projects so that she could keep her design skills sharp. Notes like these keep Jeff inspired in his work and make it clear that his students have &ldquo;connected on a personal level with the curriculum, and they saw that things they didn&rsquo;t think were within reach are very much within reach.&rdquo;
	In one of Jeff&rsquo;s recent assignments, students collaborated on a large-scale mosaic of the Chicago flag, using laser cutting, 3D printing, and 3D carving to design three-dimensional tiles celebrating various aspects of the city&rsquo;s many cultures and communities. A blog post in which Jeff shared images of the finished mosaic went viral, and the collaborative work is now touring a host of prominent Chicago institutions, including an eight-month installation at Navy Pier. One local news <a href="http://chicagoist.com/2017/06/20/this_chicago_flag_mosaic_made_by_cp.php#photo-1" target="_blank" >website</a> called the piece &ldquo;a work of civic-pride genius.&rdquo;
	Jeff is always continuing to seek out new professional development opportunities, and he sees his pedagogical approach as explicitly aligned with the work of NCWIT. He draws from resources produced by NCWIT, among others, to support teaching practices based on &ldquo;providing equitable learning opportunities, building communities and support structures, and helping to show all of [his] students that their voices are needed, and that without diverse approaches to solving problems, we end up with solutions that serve the few instead of the many.&rdquo;
	<div>&nbsp;</div>

2018 NCWIT National AiC Educator Award Winner Jeff Solin

<ul><li>Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is an NCWIT Investment Partner, and their support is integral to the NCWIT Collegiate Award. <a href="https://community.hpe.com/t5/HPE-Careers/In-Celebration-of-Female-Engineers-and-Innovators/ba-p/7000901#.W3Xf8H4naCR" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In this piece</a>, HPE exec Jill Sweeney explains why the work that NCWIT and AiC Community members are doing is so important for today’s tech world. Plus, check out the fabulous photos of some of our past Collegiate Award recipients!</li><li>The University of New Hampshire Manchester was thrilled to host an awards ceremony for regional AiC Award recipients! <a href="https://manchesterinklink.com/teenagers-these-days/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In this article</a>, UNHM STEM Discovery Lab Coordinator Emily Kerr celebrates the creativity, drive, and vision of this year’s group of honorees.</li><li>AiC Community members at Trinity University in San Antonio are using an NCWIT AspireIT grant to run a Saturday program for middle school girls called the Trinity Encouraging Computing for Her (TECH) camp. Check out <a href="https://www.trinitonian.com/tuwic-teaches-girls-about-computing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a> to see how the camp is providing opportunities for girls to experience coding for the first time!</li><li>AiC Award Recipients Kavya Kopparapu and Kirthi Kumar were among those honored at the WashingtonExec 2018 K-12 STEM Symposium. Both were named STEM Rising Stars for their leadership in creating opportunities for more women to get involved in computing, as well as their own technical contributions. Get the full story <a href="https://www.washingtonexec.com/2018/04/meet-the-2018-stem-superheros/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. Congratulations, Kavya and Kirthi!</li></ul>April Shout Outs This April, the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing was big news! Local and school-based news outlets celebrated Award for AiC recipients with shout-outs and snapshots from a multitude of regional awards ceremonies. These stories help inspire the next generation of women in computing to keep reaching for their dreams! We spotted: <a href="https://patch.com/california/unioncity/logan-student-recognized-tech-achievement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Riya Arora</a>; <a href="http://pembroke.wickedlocal.com/news/20180410/national-centers-for-women-in-technology-recognizes-pembroke-award-recipients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daisy Farrell</a>; <a href="http://www.pbcommercial.com/news/20180418/technology-center-recognizes-sheridan-senior" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Julia Defoor</a>; <a href="https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/edina-high-school-student-receives-aspirations-for-women-in-computing/article_966d4330-4315-11e8-873b-f7439e6e7005.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aarathi Garimella</a>; <a href="http://www.stlamerican.com/business/business_news/jedidiah-james-awarded-for-aspirations-in-computing/article_91be2eca-48e3-11e8-b189-b714d1dbfce4.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jedidiah James</a>; <a href="https://elpasoheraldpost.com/eastlake-high-students-honored-for-computing-achievements-academic-performance/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four community members</a> from the El Paso, Texas, region; <a href="https://www.latech.edu/2018/04/16/coes-honors-louisiana-high-school-students-educator-for-computing-accomplishments/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">six community members</a> from Louisiana; <a href="https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Students-receive-Aspirations-in-Computing-Awards-12862428.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nine community members</a> from Michigan; and <a href="https://mtstandard.com/news/local/butte-high-student-honored-for-tech-accomplishments/article_cf627272-d855-5784-ac34-80a16fed3d88.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sixteen community members</a> from Montana!

AiC Members - In The News (April 2018)

<ul><li>With the support of AiC Educator Award Winner Buffie Holley, ten AiC Community members from Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, North Carolina broke a school record for the number of NCWIT awards they brought home this year. This piece in <a href="http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/news/article/30108-girl-tech-awards-in-albemarle-2018/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Charlottesville Tomorrow</a> offers a profile of Holley and her successes in making Albemarle’s computing program more inclusive.</li><li><a href="https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/four-westside-high-school-students-are-breaking-barriers-in-computer-science" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In this profile</a>, four AiC Award recipients share about what draws them to computing and how their school’s computer science program has helped them to pursue their passions.</li><li>This piece in <a href="http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/13737" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Silver Chips Online</a> recognizes the efforts of several AiC Community members for the work their student organization, Code Girls, does to get more women involved in computing.</li><li>AiC Award Recipient <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/100321" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meera Kurup</a> was honored with the New Hampshire High Tech Council’s <a href="http://www.nhbr.com/March-30-2018/TechWomen-to-honor-three-women-at-April-4th-luncheon/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TechStudent of the Year</a> Award! Meera was recognized for her leadership in STEM education and her innovative technological contributions that help address a variety of public needs. Congratulations on this well-deserved award!</li><li>A piece in the Digital Journal (no longer available) highlighted the Minnesota Affiliate Award for AiC and the impact AiC has had for women students in that state. In six years, more than 200 students have been recognized for their technical accomplishments!</li><li>Rishika Maitra, an AiC Award recipient, was recently named a <a href="https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Middletown-teen-Woman-of-Innovation-wins-12791431.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Woman of Innovation!</a> This award, sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council, includes a $4,000 scholarship. Way to go, Rishika!</li></ul>March Shout OutsNCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award Recipients have been getting plenty of coverage in their hometown news! This is just one of the ways our community members’ participation in the awards process helps inspire other students and open doors for women’s increased involvement in computing. Spotted in the news: <a href="https://www.tapinto.net/towns/scotch-plains-slash-fanwood/articles/union-catholics-manya-trehan-chosen-for-prestigi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Manya Trehan</a>; <a href="http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20180311/school-news-march-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Avalon Pernell</a>; <a href="http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20180311/school-news-march-11" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ella Huffaker</a>; <a href="http://hwchronicle.com/juniors-recognized-for-work-in-computer-science/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ari Sokolov</a>; <a href="https://www.tctimes.com/living/fhs-student-s-work-does-compute/article_7177711c-3204-11e8-87c6-039311ad7608.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Laura Albrant</a>; <a href="https://www.sequimgazette.com/life/milestone-sequims-viada-gets-glimpse-of-future-career-at-ncwit-event/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kaitlyn Viada</a>; and <a href="http://armonk.dailyvoice.com/schools/byram-hills-seniors-win-computing-award-teacher-wins-educator-award/734603/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fourteen community members</a> from Byram Hills, New York.

AiC Members - In The News (March 2018)

<ul><li>AiC Community Member <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/115078" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Charlotte Wall</a> was featured in the <a href="https://www.noozhawk.com/article/computer_science_academy_student_honored" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Santa Barbara NoozHawk School Zone</a> after being selected as a 2018 National Award for AiC Honorable Mention recipient. Way to go, Charlotte!</li><li>AiC Community Member <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/78237" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sabrina Rucker</a> was described as “passionate about technology and cybersecurity” and “a leader” in getting other students at her school involved in technology" in a St. Paul Academy spotlight (no longer available).</li><li>AiC Community Member Maddie Smith was featured in <a href="https://newsok.com/article/5581984/achievers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Oklahoman’s “Achievers” section</a> after being named a 2018 National Award for AiC Honorable Mention recipient. Congratulations, Maddie!</li><li>“How we think, connect, learn and live rides on an ever-widening freeway of technological advancements. But the dynamics and speed of that freeway depend entirely on giving everyone the chance to drive.” // In this two-part series for Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Elizabeth Beauvais profiles twelve “young women to watch” in the tech field—all of whom just happen to be AiC Community members! Find <a href="https://amysmartgirls.com/the-future-of-computer-science-and-tech-12-young-women-to-watch-part-1-9246bb1345fc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Part One here</a> and <a href="https://amysmartgirls.com/the-future-of-computer-science-and-tech-12-young-women-to-watch-part-2-334c2282025d" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Part Two here.</a></li><li>NCWIT partnered with the Information Technology Research Institute at the Sam M. Walton College of Business to host a ceremony for 23 Arkansas high school women who were being honored with national and affiliate Award for AiC. Learn more about this exciting event <a href="https://news.uark.edu/articles/40955/itri-to-recognize-23-high-school-women-for-computing-achievements" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here!</a></li><li>AiC Community Member and 2018 National Award for AiC Honorable Mention Recipient Amrita Lakhanpal was featured in <a href="http://www.villagelivingonline.com/schools/private-schools/altamont-junior-wins-computer-science-award215/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mountain Brook Village Living</a> for her achievement. Way to go, Amrita!</li><li>“I want to open the door for an interest in computer science by allowing them to experiment through collaboration and creation… My goal is not to teach these kids how to be an expert in Java in a single session, but instead to expose them to the fundamentals behind computer science and a creative and engaging way.” // AiC Community Member and High School Senior <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/114954" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alexandra Roumeliotis</a> was the subject of a Digital Journal profile (no longer available) all about her work with The Coding League, an organization she founded to introduce programming to kids from demographics that are underrepreseted in the tech industry. Amazing work!</li><li>AiC Community Member <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/121165" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaden Thompson</a> was recognized by the <a href="http://bolivarmonews.com/news/bhs-student-named-aspirations-in-technology-honorable-mention/article_46ec88f4-12a3-11e8-8528-7f7d2b2c17b9.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bolivar Herald-Free Press</a> for being named a 2018 National Award for AiC Honorable Mention recipient. Great job, Jaden!</li><li>"It opened up a whole community of women in technology… I found that amazing,” said AiC Community Member and 2018 National Award for AiC Recipient <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/user/81264" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Michelle Tran</a> of her participation in the awards process. Learn more about Michelle in this profile from the <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_31672612/svvsd-senior-wins-national-center-women-and-information" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boulder Daily Camera</a>, and this piece in the <a href="http://www.lhvc.com/news/niwot-student-wins-national-technology-award/article_f409700e-1732-11e8-a088-d77cfc387e64.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Left Hand Valley Courier!</a></li></ul>

AiC Members - In The News (February 2018)

<ul><li>AiC Community Member and High School Senior Rebecca Kahn emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook in hopes of getting his insights in an interview for a school project. The connection sparked ideas on both sides of the conversation, and soon, NCWIT and Apple Inc. were collaborating on the new Innovator to Innovator mentorship program, which pairs high school women interested in STEM careers with Apple executives. <a href="https://theislandnow.com/community-news/mineola-board-of-education-honors-robotics-team/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Get the full story here</a> and find more highlights from the iconic conversation in <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/18/apple-ceo-tim-cook-on-his-secret-to-success.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article from CNBC!</a></li><li>AiC Community Member Mireya Sanchez-Maes was featured in this <a href="https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2018/01/18/mayfield-high-school-sophomore-earns-national-award-tech-achievements/1043771001/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Las Cruces Sun Times piece</a>, after she was selected as one of 41 national recipients of the 2018 Award for AiC. Congratulations, Mireya!</li><li>AiC Community Member Ava DeLaCruz received <a href="https://we-ha.com/conard-student-earns-national-recognition-womens-computing-organization/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this shout-out from We-Ha.com</a> for being the first student from her high school to receive national recognition from NCWIT, after she was named an AiC Award Honorable Mention Recipient. Great job, Ava!</li><li>“Because there's a place for anyone in any field, and I think it's important if you have a passion for it, to not let the idea that it's mostly male dominated stop you. Because doing what you love and that you're good at is so much more important than letting someone stop you," says AiC Community Member Jenna Nesmith to women and girls who are interested in STEM careers. <a href="http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/37377035/student-spotlight-student-wins-tech-award-seeks-to-break-gender-barriers-in-computer-science" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch the WMBF News feature here!</a></li><li>AiC Community Member Bekah Agwunobi finished her school’s computing curriculum by eighth grade, then took on an internship at the University of Southern California’s Integrated Media Systems Center. Learn more about Bekah’s impressive achievements in <a href="https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2018/01/former-intern-honored-national-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering!</a></li><li>AiC Community Member Kyla Guru talked to WHIW 101.3 FM - Harvard Community Radio’s "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/infosecgurus/episode-10-122117" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Deep Dive</a>" recently about the AiC Community and her startup, Bits N' Bytes Cybersecurity. Go, Kayla!</li><li>Six out of the 33 ThreeDotDash "2018 Global Teen Leaders" were AiC Community Members! A huge congratulations to Akshaya Dinesh, Carisa Shah, Erin Smith, Jothi Ramaswamy, Kyla Guru, and Sharon Lin. Way to rock it.</li><li>“I just want to say how grateful I am of NCWIT; I'm so glad to be part of this wonderful group of girls and women in technology! Truly, NCWIT provides so many excellent opportunities, resources, and support. As a part of this group for three years now, NCWIT has only encouraged me more into CS. Also, extra thanks to #AspireIT to inspire girls into STEM! I just want to share pictures of this recent AspireIT program I've done (with special thanks to Swetha Prabakaran). The girls were super excited about programming Sphero Robots. Through AspireIT, my confidence in teaching, leadership, and public speaking has improved. Otherwise, I might not have even initiated the many other CS educational outreach programs in my city. I encourage you to apply! Thank you so much, NCWIT community!” // And, thank YOU, AiC Community Member Cindy Shi for sharing your #iAspire story with us.</li><li>I was not expecting to win this competition at all but when the representative from my district called me to announce that I was the winner, I was speechless. However, I felt proud that my idea is being recognized because it is an issue that needs to be solved in today’s world.” // A huge congratulations to Diana Balderas, just one of the many AiC Community members who make up the list of 2017 Congressional App Challenge winners. Diana’s hunger-prevention app, Food Distribution, was the district winner for<a href="https://signalscv.com/2017/12/golden-valley-student-wins-2017-congressional-app-challenge/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> California’s 23rd Congressional District</a>.</li><li>“I got to see these kids go from not knowing what STEM is, to getting really excited when we were there. It’s like a feedback loop. When they get excited, it would get me excited.” // <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/15/placentia-teen-creates-nonprofit-to-get-younger-kids-interested-in-sciences-and-math/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read on</a> to learn more about AiC Community Member and #AspireIT Program Leader Sharleen Loh’s experiences.</li><li>One of the things that really solidifies your interest is the community you create. I knew I wanted to leave some kind of impact in Middleton that would make computer science more accessible.” // AiC Community Member and #AspireIT Program Leader Rachel Woody shares <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/middleton-high-students-start-computer-science-program-for-younger-girls/article_149e2bf2-d1b0-50e3-a175-31bf4155c0f8.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> about how she hopes to inspire other young technologists in her hometown of Middletown.</li><li>Who is that we see on the list of Teen Vogue’s #21Under21? It’s AiC Community Member Saanya Bhargava! Saanya is not only a member of the AiC Community, but she is also the co-founder of the STEM Advocacy Conference of Texas, which pursues gov­ernment funding of STEM education in underserved communities, and impact.gravitas, which is dedicated to devel­oping alternative solutions to ocean plastic pollution. Way to go, Saanya! Read the full article <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/21-under-21-2017" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li></ul>

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