technology stars of the future · in 2016, lucy received the bob newman lifetime achievement award...

Presented by Bank of America andthe National Center for Women & Information Technology

Technology Stars of the FutureShowcase & Awards Ceremony | March 5, 2017

2 | TECHNOLOGY STARS OF THE FUTURE SHOWCASE & AWARDS CEREMONY

About Bank of AmericaBank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 46 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,900 ATMs, and award-winning online banking with approximately 34 million active accounts and nearly 22 million mobile active users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

About NCWIT Aspirations in ComputingNCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides technical girls and women with ongoing engagement, visibility, and encouragement for their computing-related interests and achievements from high school through college and into the workforce. AiC Community members are supported by their peers, volunteers, and NCWIT Alliance member organizations who offer exclusive access to scholarships, internships, and professional work. Community members also give back to others by planning and leading coding experiences for middle school girls and high school women. These opportunities allow women of the Community to strengthen their leadership, technical, and entrepreneurial skills, further preparing and motivating them to participate in the computing workforce. Find out more at www.aspirations.org.

About NCWITThe National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of nearly 900 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K–12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.

TECHNOLOGY STARS OF THE FUTURE SHOWCASE & AWARDS CEREMONY | 3

ScholarshipsThe following institutions offer scholarships to recipients of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing:

Carroll College Montana Scholarship University of California - Santa Cruz Scholarship

DePauw University Scholarship University of Central Arkansas Scholarship

Harrison College Scholarship University of Colorado - Boulder Scholarship

Indiana University Bloomington Scholarship University of Massachusetts - Amherst Scholarship

IUPUI The School of Engineering and Technology Scholarship

University of Massachusetts - Boston Scholarship

Mercy College Scholarship University of Missouri - Kansas City Scholarship

Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T) Scholarship

University of Montana Western Scholarship

Purdue University Scholarship University of Nebraska - Omaha Scholarship

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Scholarship University of Nebraska-Lincoln Scholarship

Rutgers University Scholarship University of Notre Dame Scholarship

Saint Louis University Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology Aspiration Award

University of Pittsburgh Scholarship

Santa Clara University Scholarship University of Wisconsin - Madison Scholarship

Seattle Central Community College Scholarship Utah State University Scholarship

The College of New Jersey Scholarship Villanova University Scholarship

UC Irvine Scholarship--Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences

Virginia Tech Scholarship

University of California - Santa Barbara Scholarship Westminster College Scholarship


TRACY KERRINS, WHOLESALE CREDIT & BANKING TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE, GLOBAL BANKING & MARKETS (GBAM) TECHNOLOGY, BANK OF AMERICATracy Kerrins is the Wholesale Credit & Banking Technology executive responsible for providing end-to-end technology solutions for the enterprise’s Wholesale Credit Transformation effort as well as regulatory data related to Anti-Money Laundering/Know Your Customer (AML/KYC), Credit Shared Services, Credit and Client Release Management, Credit and Client Agile Factory, and Commercial Loan Accounting technology.

Additionally, she currently has oversight for Global Transformation and Change which oversees all large-scale Wholesale Banking transformation projects and the global change portfolio across multiple business units.

Kerrins has previously served as the Contact Center, Voice and Customer Experience Technology executive responsible for the delivery of integrated global technology solutions across the contact center channel, as well as the integration with other channels for a deliberate, exceptional and intelligent customer experience. Kerrins also led the technology and infrastructure delivery of the CANW Transformation, which converted the bank’s legacy California and Northwest banking systems to the company’s nationwide, standard operating platform. And in a previous role, Kerrins also served as Banking Center and ATM Technology executive.

Prior to joining Bank of America in 2003, Kerrins was a consultant at Accenture and PriceWaterhouse. As an Accenture consultant she worked for Bank of America designing and developing the Know the Customer database and the Card Solutions platform.

Kerrins graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering. She is a steering committee member of Bank of America’s Women in Technology and Operations organization and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and Women in Science and Engineering organization. Kerrins was recognized by The Charlotte Business Journal in 2012, as a “Top 40 Under 40” for being one of the region’s brightest and most talented up-and-coming business leaders and was also an Athena Leadership Award finalist for female leaders.

About Tracy Kerrins, Bank of America


Message from Bank of America

On behalf of Bank of America and our employees worldwide, I’m truly honored to congratulate you on your selection as a 2017 national Award for Aspirations winner.

We are thrilled to partner with NCWIT to recognize such a brilliant group of young women. You’ve been selected because of your computing achievements as well as your leadership, academic history, future education plans and potential to contribute to the information technology field. You should feel very proud of this accomplishment.

At Bank of America, we believe it is essential to encourage young women to pursue careers in technology and provide them with opportunities. It’s an inspiration for us to continue to encourage the next generation of female leaders through programs like the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing and the annual Grace Hopper Celebration. Our involvement in these programs has impressed and amazed our employees as we watch you change the face and impact of computing.

Bank of America has earned national recognition as an employer of choice for young professionals, women and people of ethnically diverse backgrounds. We strive to create an inclusive environment where people can bring their whole selves to work every day and succeed. We understand how important it is to have the diversity of our employees reflect that of our customers and we believe this gives us a competitive edge.

It’s no secret that the technology industry needs more smart, talented, educated women like you. I encourage you to continue your education in computing, pursue a career in technology and make your mark on the field and the world!

Congratulations and best wishes,

Tracy Kerrins

Global Wholesale Credit and Banking Technology Executive, Bank of America Merrill LynchGlobal Executive Lead for Women in Technology and Operations

LUCY SANDERS, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF NCWITLucy Sanders is CEO and Co-founder of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and also serves as Executive-in-Residence for the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU).

Lucy has an extensive industry background, having worked in R&D and executive (VP) positions at AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent Bell Labs, and Avaya Labs for over 20 years, where she specialized in systems-level software and solutions (multi-media communication, and customer relationship management). In 1996, Lucy was awarded the Bell Labs Fellow Award, the highest technical accomplishment bestowed at the company, and she has six patents in the communications technology area.

Lucy serves as a Trustee on several technology boards, including the Center for American Entrepreneurship in Washington D.C. and the International Computer Science Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. She also frequently advises young technology companies. Lucy has served on the Information Technology Research and Development Ecosystem Commission for the National Academies and the Innovation Advisory Board for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In 2016, Lucy received the Bob Newman Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Technology Association for her ongoing commitment to further innovative technology. Lucy is also a recipient, along with NCWIT Co-founders Robert Schnabel and Telle Whitney, of the Computing Research Association’s 2012 A. Nico Habermann Award. In 2004, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Engineering at CU, and in 2011 she was recognized with the university’s George Norlin Distinguished Service Award. She has been inducted into the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the 2013 U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame Award. Lucy received her BS and MS in computer science from Louisiana State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, respectively.

About Lucy Sanders, NCWIT


Congratulations!

On behalf of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) community and board of directors, I want to congratulate each of you on the tech aspirations and achievements that have earned you the 2017 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. We know that we will be proud of how you continue to utilize your technical skills to tackle societal challenges.

Your accomplishments are proof as to why initiatives to address barriers in formal and informal education in computing are so critical. Your wealth of technical skills and innovative mindset contribute to the technological foundation of our society. With the tech workforce increasingly recognizing the importance of women’s contributions, you are in a prime position to shape future innovation with your unique ideas and to take advantage of some of the most rewarding, highest-paying careers.

NCWIT is dedicated to increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing, from K–12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers. We want to support your plans for the future, wherever it may take you. Our network of nearly 900 member organizations and more than 7,000 AiC community members are ready to provide job opportunities, technical projects, mentoring, advice, encouragement, and more.

We hope this Award will always remind you of the powerful and innovative things that you can do with technology. You are truly an inspiration to us all.

Sincerely,

Lucy Sanders, CEO & Co-founder, NCWIT

Message from NCWIT



Special Guest

AVIS YATES RIVERS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS GROUP INTERNATIONAL, LLC Avis Yates-Rivers is the President and CEO of Technology Concepts Group International, LLC, (TCGi), an information technology solutions provider and full-service equipment leasing firm that supports the public and private sector in the areas of IT asset management, equipment financing, and professional and technical services. Avis possesses more than 30 years of general management experience in the information technology industry and has been a successful entrepreneur for 27 years.

Prior to establishing her first company in 1985, Avis enjoyed an 11-year career at Exxon Corporation and its subsidiaries. She rose to the rank of Account Executive as a result of successfully marketing the line of technology products of Exxon Office Systems Company in New York City. Avis has worked tirelessly to increase the development and utilization of minority and women-owned businesses in both the public and private sectors. She has held leadership positions in various supplier diversity advocacy organizations such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO), the NJ Small Business Development Center, the Newark Regional Business Partnership, and the BPU Supplier Diversity Development Council.

Avis is also a staunch advocate for increasing girls’ and women’s participation in computing. She is a member of the NCWIT Board of Directors and was recently honored as a White House Champion of Change in STEM. Avis graduated City University of New York with a degree in business administration. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Executive Management Programs at the Amos Tuck School of Business, the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also an active member of the Garretson Road Church of Christ where she serves as Chairperson of the Ladies’ Committee.

Avis makes her home in Somerset, New Jersey. She is married to Robert Rivers and they have four children and six grandchildren.


EDIE CHENG, ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING DIRECTOR, PROGRAMS & PERSONNEL, NCWITEdie Cheng is passionate about helping young women and girls, particularly to explore computing and the intersection of technology and media. Edie was previously the Digital Media Manager for the San Francisco Symphony and has worked as a project manager, entrepreneur, and business consultant. Edie started her career as a software developer and holds a degree in computer science from Brown University and an MBA from MIT Sloan. In her spare time, Edie enjoys leading Girl Scout troops for her two young daughters, skiing, knitting, and exploring culture on the front range of Colorado.

AARON VIMONT, TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER AND WEBMASTER, NCWITAs Technical Project Manager and Webmaster, Aaron oversees all technology and websites used by NCWIT staff. He colloaborates with staff and external vendors to ensure the successful implementation of the organization’s technology needs. Aaron’s interest in NCWIT’s mission began while completing his undergraduate degree in computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder and continued in graduate school. While completing his MS in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD), Aaron’s research focused on the intersection of Women and Gender Studies and educational technologies.

Aaron lives in Colorado with his partner, Kelly, and their dog, Starbuck.

AMMI LUDWICK, ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING RECOGNITIONS PROGRAMS MANAGER, NCWITAmmi Ludwick is responsible for the implementation and expansion of the recognitions program through Aspirations in Computing. She works closely with the Strategic Engagement Manager and the AspireIT K-12 Outreach Program Manager to develop ways to honor the growing Aspirations in Computing communities for young women and educators.

Ammi’s background is in education, volunteer management, program development, and event planning. She received her bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College of California and her master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago.

Aspirations Award Leadership



LYN SWACKHAMER, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AND EVALUATOR, NCWITDr. Lyn Swackhamer is the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Program Evaluator. She is responsible for the evaluation of all AiC programs, including the Award for Aspirations in Computing, the Aspirations in Computing Educator Award, AspireIT, and the Collegiate Award. Prior to joining NCWIT, she was a researcher/evaluator for RMC Research Corporation in Denver, Colorado and was also tasked to the Regional Education Laboratory for the Central States. Lyn was the lead evaluator for several NASA Education and public outreach projects, such as the Juno mission and the InSight mission. Her areas of expertise include survey research, self-efficacy, teacher effectiveness, lesson plan development, and research methodology. She has a BBA from North Georgia College and State University, an MA in curriculum and instruction, and a PhD in educational leadership and innovation, both from the University of Colorado Denver.

MARISSA BEJARANO, ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING AND OPERATIONS LIAISON, NCWITMarissa Bejarano is the Aspirations in Computing Recognitions Program and National Award Program Liaison. She also serves as NCWIT’s Operations Liaison, providing administrative, financial and legal support for NCWIT’s non-profit and University of Colorado finances and processes. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. In her spare time, Marissa enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and her dog Rylee.



MEREDITH SMILEY, VICE PRESIDENT, WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS, BANK OF AMERICAMeredith Smiley is the global program lead for Bank of America’s Women in Technology & Operations (WIT&O) advocacy group. WIT&O is an organization comprised of 18 chapters with over 7,000 members in the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. WIT&O’s mission is to attract, develop and retain female talent in technology & operations at Bank of America. With a B.A. in Communications from Appalachian State University, Meredith started her career with BCD Meetings and Events on the Bank of America account. Since formally joining Bank of America in 2008, Meredith has worked in a variety of Employee Engagement and Communications functions leading strategic initiatives geared towards making Bank of America a great place to work. Meredith lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband Jason.

ALETHEA COX, VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS, BANK OF AMERICAAlethea Cox is business support manager for Bank of America’s Global Technology & Operations (GT&O) Engagement and Inclusion efforts. She supports the execution of culture change and progress toward advancing the diversity of the company through inclusion best practices. Alethea collaborates with leadership on the GT&O Diversity & Inclusion forum, human resources, learning and development, communications and advisory councils to embed processes that support inclusion and ensure under-represented populations are effectively served and connected within the organization. Alethea joined Bank of America in 2010 and has held various roles including PMO consultant and executive administrator. She is a graduate of the Empire State College of New York and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with an emphasis in Human Resources. Alethea resides in Charlotte with her husband and two teens.


2017 Winners

Adriana pays forward her passion and love for science by working with students locally and internationally. She participates in her school’s NCWIT AspireIT program for engaging middle school girls, and has traveled to Peru to teach students the fundamentals of modern science and research experiments. In Peru, she also taught university students from Iberotec various projects, such as underwater robotics, circuitry, and rocketry, and she hosted the first International Steam conference in Lima. Back in Chicago, Adriana is both a student and a teaching assistant for Girls Who Code. Through the Summer Immersion Program, she designed and programmed SafeMe with her team, an app designed to make it faster and easier to discretely contact help in the case of an emergency. After six days, a beta version was coded and released to on the Google Play store. Adriana plans to attend college and become a computer scientist or an engineer. She hopes to help all people of the world become enthralled in the world of STEM and have an equal opportunity in those fields.

ADRIANA MARTINEZ | Chicago, ILLane Tech College Prep

When Lexi is not busy conducting science research (with a special interest in studying the brain and how it recovers from trauma), building robots, programming, or designing websites, she might be playing the saxophone or bassoon. Within every 24-hour period, Lexi also finds time to kick around a soccer ball or take some jumps in the pole vault pit. An art-lover for life, Lexi discovered graphic design and animation in eighth grade; she has been creating educational videos and animations ever since. Technology has enriched her own educational experiences, and she would like to do the same for others. In the future, she hopes to explore ways of combining technology with her interest in biomedical research and healthcare.

ALEXIS SCHNEIDER | Fort Washington, PAUpper Dublin High School

2017 Winners


Alycia’s interest in bioscience and computing is inspired by seemingly ubiquitous and innate algorithms that serve as the underpinning of natural and man-made machines; she plans to pursue a degree in biomedical or biological engineering. She has already interned at the National Cancer Institute, where she researched the effect of removing a gene from mice on the development of their immune systems. Alycia is also active in school where she plays varsity tennis, manages the Quiz Bowl team, chairs the Science Club, and edits the school newspaper. Additionally, as captain, she led her Wissahickon Zero Robotics team to a 2015 semifinal and a 2016 final victory in the Zero Robotics Tournament, a competition hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for programming SPHERES that are on the International Space Station. In 2016, Alycia received the SWENext Award in recognition of her solid understanding of engineering principles and community service. Alycia wishes to emulate the leadership and achievements of Grace Hopper and empower young women to pursue STEM.

ALYCIA LEE | Ambler, PAWissahickon Senior High School

Angelina is greatly inspired by Mathematician Ada Lovelace. Angelina wants to study computational biology and is mostly interested in learning the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK) Pathway in order to understand disruptions that can lead to cancer and discover potential drugs to inhibit irregular MAPK Pathways. Angelina has participated in many computing programs, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Experience, for which only 2 percent of the applicants were accepted; Cornell University-Curie Engineering Academy, where she developed a computer algorithm that determined the vector angle and direction of sound waves; and First Bytes University of Texas at Austin, where she developed a program that synchronized light emitting diode (LED) lights with music. Angelina has also learned the Python programming language, developed an Android App that provides high school seniors with scholarships and internships, earned a 5 on the AP C exam, and participated with her school’s CS competitive team who recently received first place.

ANGELINA OSSIMETHA | Bellaire, TXBellaire Senior High School


2017 Winners

Ashmita began creating websites with HTML, CSS, and Javascript in eighth grade. She took AP computer science and software engineering, stretching her computational thinking skills and expanding her knowledge of computers. Ashmita enjoys competing at local hackathons, cybersecurity competitions, and recently won first place in Computer Programming Concepts at the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference. Additionally, Ashmita takes advantage of professional opportunities, such as interning as a Systems Engineer at SPS Commerce and shadowing at Target, Land O’ Lakes, and Unisys. Ashmita is an active mentor and teacher of web development and started a particle physics group at her school. She also volunteers to teach students Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. Ashmita is a member of her school’s Varsity Quiz Bowl Team, National Honor Society, and more. She was also a USA Biology Olympiad Semifinalist. Ashmita plans to major in CS and perform research in AI and robotics while advocating for accessible CS education.

ASHMITA SARMA | Plymouth, MNWayzata High School

Avanthika is the salutatorian of her class. She is part of her school’s Science National Honor Society, BETA Club, National Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America. She also earned a 5 on the AP computer science exam in ninth grade. Avanthika interned at the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at Georgia Tech, created Java tutorials for the ‘Sister Rise Up 4 CS,’ and authored the iBook “Multivariable Calculus Essentials,” which was endorsed by Dr. Tom Morley. Avanthika has a passion for sharing knowledge and giving back to her community. She founded HiFive Tutoring, hosts bingo and trivia at Dogwood Assisted Living, and recently spearheaded the Lima Peru Library Project. More than 400 hours of community service earned her the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award. Additionally, Avanthika is very involved in the arts. Her interests in digital photography led her to win the International Student Media Festival Award. She also plays the violin for Milton’s Chamber Orchestra. Avanthika plans to major in computer engineering while continuing her artistic pursuits.

AVANTHIKA RAMESH | Milton, GAMilton High School

2017 Winners


Bailee channels her curiosity into exploring computing pathways in graphic design, robotics, and programming, and encouraging others to do the same. She takes several classes at Dixie State University and works as a graphic designer for TeenMade, whose animation work was shown in a Super Bowl commercial. Bailee founded the FTC robotics team 9761, the PrestidigiTaters, and became the first Utah FTC team to advance to West Super Regionals in the Bay Area. After learning Java as an intern, she now serves as one of the main programmers on her team. Bailee found her passion for technology through 4-H, where she serves as the vice president of recruitment for her county’s teen council and has been an active member and leader in various programming clubs and robotics teams since she was 12 years old. She has given countless local robotics demonstrations and presentations to youth, adults, and companies as a way to give back. Bailee is on track to graduate with an associate’s degree and plans to pursue a degree in graphic design with a minor in psychology at Utah State University.

BAILEE ALLEN | St. George, UTSUCCESS Academy

Briana is the founder, CEO, and executive director of the national non-profit coderGirls. She is also founder and president of SeniorTechNet and is developing the myMemories app for aiding Alzheimer’s patients. SleepBeep, her app to aid driver fatigue, was a Congressional App Challenge winner. At school, Briana is the president and lead programmer of the robotics team. In addition, Briana participates on Florida Technology Council’s Student Advisory Board; acts as the Human Resources Director at Code Circle, an international coding organization; and serves on the Catholic Youth Ministry’s Leadership Board. Outside of school, she is the producer, director, and editor of “Fighting the Gender Gap,” which was entered into the 2017 Girls Impact The World Film Festival. Additionally, she is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a computational musician through code. Briana has made an extra effort to seek coursework and learn programming through CodeAcademy, Codesters, and Stanford University. She plans to major in CS and pursue an information security career.

BRIANA BERGER | Gainesville, FLF.W. Buchholz High School


2017 Winners

Caitlin uses her programming skills to help others grow. In school, she serves as president for the Circuitry Institute, and actively leads as a club officer of Girls in Computing and Girls Who Code, and participates in the Computer Science Club. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys figure skating, playing the violin and ukulele, and fashion/plush art designing. She is a three-time U.S. national champion in showcase skating and received two congressional awards for her work in the sport. Caitlin is also an avid volunteer in the Special Olympics Texas program, aiming to bring out the champion in every Special Olympics athlete. One of Caitlin’s many aspirations is to help budding artists by building new technologies and programs that cut down work time and foster creativity. In college, Caitlin strives to enhance her skills in computer science, life sciences, and design, believing that like the fine arts, technology allows people to create something monumental and innovative.

CAITLIN LAU | Sugar Land, TXWilliam P. Clements High School

As a multifaceted and creative thinker, Cindy brings fresh insight and efficiency to every class. Outside of the classroom, she has a long history of promoting STEM for girls, from volunteering at FIRST Robotics to serving as a teaching assistant at a programming class sponsored by the University of Washington CS department. She has been invited to appear on Seattle Komo4 TV and Radio to promote Microsoft DigiGirlz, was selected to represent DigiGirlz at SXSW and Microsoft HoloLens events, and won the Microsoft Bootcamp competition. She received second runner-up in the National American Miss Beauty Pageant for her speech, “Proud to be a Nerd,” and was profiled on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls. Recently, she was named as a Microsoft YouthSpark Star. One of her greatest technical accomplishments was creating the Cynphonia app, an easy way to manage a music library and artwork. Her future goals include pursuing a PhD in CS, pursuing an MBA, and creating startups to better the world. Her interests outside of STEM involve music, art, reading, and tennis.

CYNTHIA KOHLLEPPEL | Sammamish, WASkyline High School

2017 Winners


Dana’s love for CS started in middle school, when she taught herself how to program in Python and JavaScript. She is now experienced in C and C++ and various 3D modeling and animation programs. Dana works to help girls see that they are just as capable as boys -- instructing programming and 3D printing and mentoring for Yale Girls’ Science Investigations. Dana is also very involved in sports, extracurricular activities, and clubs. She is a competitive swimmer, lifeguard, and swim lessons instructor; has a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do; is captain of her school’s Science Olympiad and debate teams; and is also president of her school’s National Honor Society chapter. This past summer, Dana was a research intern at Yale Medical School in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, performing experimentation regarding endometrial receptivity. Dana plans to major in biomedical engineering, based on her passion for medicine and engineering (specifically computer engineering), and to pursue a career in scientific research.

DANA JOSEPH | New Haven, CTEngineering and Science University Magnet School

Elaine started programing with Scratch in sixth grade and later used her programming skills to make video games, using her sister’s artwork. More recently, she has worked in several academic labs at the University of South Carolina, including CBM, SCARR, and SDII. In CMB, she applied Python code for data-mining projects, web analytics, and creating a system to extrapolate and use data from Apache helicopter flight logs. She is also employed by Advanced Smart Systems and Evaluation Technologies, LLC to support its commercial applications of accelerometer research. Laney has presented her research annually and has received several awards and recognitions, including the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science Award and the Intel Design Award. Laney is also active in FIRST and VEX robotics, as captain, driver, and mentor for several teams. Her FIRST team, Garnet Squadron, attended the FIRST World Championships, where she was honored as a FIRST Dean’s List finalist. Laney spends her remaining time tutoring, investing in the church Student Ministry, singing in two youth choirs, and traveling.

ELAINE PATTERSON | Columbia, SCSpring Valley


2017 Winners

After teaching herself programming in elementary school, Elizabeth is now the team developer leader on her school’s robotics team, a First Lego League mentor, and an avid engineering hobbyist. Some of her independent projects include building a quadcopter, making Arduino controlled robots, and building her own 3D printer. She is also part of Appaneer, an app studio that she co-founded with two of her classmates. One app currently available, Class Reveal for sharing schedules, has been downloaded and used by two-thirds of high school students in her district. In addition to making apps, Elizabeth interned in a lab at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, where she used Zemax and Matlab to design a camera lens that uses a Tunable Acoustic Gradient Lens (TAG lens). She is also an avid attendee of hackathons, winning awards at each with her team. Apart from her technical aspirations, Elizabeth is a varsity runner and participates in Model UN. She wants to double major in computer science and business; and her dream schools include Princeton, Stanford, and Columbia universities.

ELIZABETH PETROV | Princeton, NJWest Windsor-Plainsboro High School South

Emily became interested in coding after discovering the “PRGM” button on her calculator in seventh grade and making her very own quadratic formula program with the help of her older brother. Through school, she has learned VB.NET, C++, and Java, and she is self-taught in SQL, JavaScript, and BASH scripting. She is also a Microsoft Office Specialist with several certifications. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with Unity3D and Raspberry Pis. Outside of school, she has led an NCWIT AspireIT program for engaging middle school girls in programming, serves as an event leader in Mason Science Olympiad, and is the treasurer of Mason’s Academic Team. She was also captain of her school’s JV Ultimate Frisbee team and is heavily involved in National Honor Society, planning the Color 4 a Cure 5K to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and tutoring in chemistry and computer programming. Additionally, Emily volunteers at a local library and Matthew 25 Ministries, and has volunteered in a hospital pharmacy department. Emily plans to major in CS while pursuing her interests in statistics and economics.

EMILY WANG | Mason, OHWilliam Mason High School

2017 Winners


Eunice was initially introduced to computing when she enrolled in the honors computer science course as a freshman. Following this class, she took AP CS A as a sophomore and self-learned multiple coding languages. She attended technology camps at various universities to get more familiar with web and application design, software development, 2D & 3D modeling, robotics, and circuits, including the Summer Youth Program’s Women in Computing at Michigan Technological University. She also completed a virtual internship with the Illinois Technology Foundation, which revolutionized her perspective on a career in computing. Additionally, Eunice has frequently volunteered at her local library through Teen Tech Tutors. She is also the vice president of VHHS’s Math Team and Computer Science Club at her school, and participates in the Future Business Leaders of America, Robotics, the leadership club, and Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering. Next year, Eunice plans on attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology, enrolling in Course 6-3, CS, and engineering.

EUNICE YOON | Vernon Hills, ILVernon Hills High School

Fayth has been on the honor roll for six years and has served in her school district as a light and sound technician and a SheTech representative. She is also the student body officer of Technology and Media for her school, and she is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and her school’s student government. Fayth adores teaching, public speaking, and inspiring others. For example, she helps her community research their family genealogy and promotes the Hour of Code to students. She wants to study computer science and web & mobile app design, and she would like to eventually open up a school. Fayth has completed college-level classes in web & mobile app development and computer programming. She has the ability to hard code and edit code in websites and programs, such as Wordpress and Photoshop, and she can read and write in Java Script, MySQL, Java, HTML5, and CSS. She believes that education is essential to innovation and loves pushing the limitations of her own knowledge.

FAYTH MELTON | Herriman / West Jordan, UTHerriman High / Jordan Academy of Technology and Careers


2017 Winners

Honya has been able to explore various technologies through internships with the University of North Florida School of Computing and NLP Logix. She has assisted in research and data development by programming codes with Python on GNU/Linux, edited images using GIMP Imaging, programmed robotic arms using Python and C++, performed computer hardware repair, learned about the depths of data and Geospatial (GIS) analysis, and acquired knowledge on two programming languages: SQL and R. Honya participates in her school’s robotics club, computing club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters program, which brings in guest speakers on the different fields in computing. She has also partaken in the Geek Squad Summer Academy and C.O.D.E (Creative Organization of Developers and Engineers) Club. Honya will attend the University of North Florida to finish her bachelor’s degree in CS, followed by her PhD. She dreams of becoming a programmer for a big company and hopes to create her own successful company.

HONYA ELFAYOUMY | Jacksonville, FLAtlantic Coast High School

To Jenna, coding is empowering, and she hopes to spread this feeling on to other girls. Her passion for science and mathematics was encouraged by her parents and teachers. Jenna began programming in middle school while participating in MESA, a STEM-based competition. She has been programming for five years, and is now fluent in HTML, CSS, Python, JavaScript, and App Inventor. Jenna participates in her school’s Science Olympiad as club secretary and earned third place at the State Science Olympiad Competition in the Write It Do It event. She is also a founding member of the Centennial Computer Science Community Service club, which teaches programming skills to children with disabilities. Each summer, Jenna attends numerous STEM-related camps to further her knowledge. Last summer, Jenna proudly won a computer science competition by creating a video game in Python. Jenna plans to attend college in the Southwest, where she will pursue both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in CS. She then hopes to work for a tech company and create programs to better the world.

JENNA MCCLELLAN | Las Cruces, NMCentennial High School

2017 Winners


In 2014, Jennifer was the youngest and only female to pass the AP computer science exam at her school. As the lead teacher assistant alongside her middle school math teacher, she created a CS elective for students in grades 7-10 and exposed more than 400 students. Jennifer is the lead engineer for Girls in Motion and competes in the Technovation Challenge, has participated in UCLA’s Tech Camp, and has attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science program. She also tutors and helps students to apply to college and receive financial aid. Recognizing that Jennifer’s main responsibility is taking care of her younger siblings, she enjoys watching Disney movies, playing video games, and creating new activities to do with them. Jennifer is a proud Latina who wants to earn two PhDs in Mechanical Engineering and Law and become a role model for underrepresented students in STEM. She also wants to create robots that can help people during natural disasters and start a non-profit for inspiring children in her community.

JENNIFER MARTINEZ | Los Angeles, CAUCLA Community School

Kavya is passionate about sharing her views on the underrepresentation of women in technology. She is the founder and CEO of GirlsComputingleague, a national, youth-driven non-profit that was accepted as a partner organization with the White House CSforAll initiative, working to close the gender gap in technology. Kavya has received several recognitions, including first place at the 2016 International CONRAD Innovation Challenge at NASA and the 2015 Toshibha Exploravision Challenge. An NCWIT AspireIT workshop at George Mason University, encouragement from her AP CS teacher, Ms. Galanos, and an internship at Nanosystems Group in MITRE’s Emerging Technologies, where she was the youngest employee at the time, all influenced Kavya’s decision to pursue computer science instead of biology. She enjoys participating in hackathons and building mobile apps, and she wants to pursue an undergraduate degree and career in computer science that will impact the community she lives in.

KAVYA KOPPARAPU | Alexandria, VAThomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology


2017 Winners

Kenadie gained a love for coding while taking a tour of Adobe Systems corporate office and aspires to be an electrical engineer. Since that life-changing tour, she has immersed herself in programming classes, camps, and opportunities to build her STEM skills. Her crowning moment was when she received the 4-H 2014 Linchpin Award in 2014. Her countless volunteer hours of mentoring at 4-H Youth STEM and Robotics Camps, serving as vice president of science on her 4-H Teen Leadership Council, and being elected to the office of vice president of the 4-H Southwest Region Ambassadors all led to obtaining this award. While preparing to attend Utah State University, she is building her STEM skills by taking every class and informal opportunity to learn and grow. Kenadie hopes to be able to develop many skills to be able to be a contributing member of society and a future leader.

KENADIE TERRY | St. George, UTDesert Hills High

Kiara has a strong desire to serve her community through the creation of safety-related technology and to inspire younger students to study computer science. She has co-founded two companies: SafeSide for preventing debilitating effects of concussions in athletes and SafeStart for minimizing driving under the influence. Kiara inspires kids’ interest in CS through her volunteer work at the Boston Museum of Science and her leadership at Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network CS Sparks. During prior summers, she has traveled on mission trips to Guatemala and Costa Rica. Kiara also co-founded the CS club at her school where she teaches fellow students about coding and computer systems. Kiara has received several awards by her school in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments in computer science and by several STEM-related competitions. She has taken several AP courses and is fluent in several programming languages. Kiara recently developed the web-based Java Tutor application, which is now used in MIT’s edX 6.005 CS class. She plans to double major in computer science and business.

KIARA WAHNSCHAFFT | Concord, MAMiddlesex School

2017 Winners


Kylie is strongly motivated by the available opportunities in computer science; the challenges of honing her technical skills; and building confidence within herself, her classmates, and younger peers along the way. She learns best when teaching things to others and helping people. For example, Kylie recently led a group of underprivileged elementary school students to use code to help Alzheimer’s residents at a retirement community, creating a storytelling portal to preserve their memories for them and their families. Additionally, she took on leadership through cybersecurity competitions and Tech Club, where she is not only learning and teaching scripting in Windows and Linux as well as securing systems operators, but also combining her intellectual interests with desires to lead and make a difference. She looks forward to changing the face of computer science for the next generation as part of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community.

KYLIE HUNTER | Greenwood Village, COCherry Creek High School

Lauren is heavily involved in Botball as the Youth Advisory Council global president and Los Altos Community Botball team leader, winning six awards at international tournaments. She is also a program leader of RoboMagic, an NCWIT AspireIT program to teach robotics basics to middle school girls. At school, Lauren is founder and president of the Robotics Club and has led the club in competition at the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and Botball tournaments. For the past two summers, she has been head junior counselor for the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory’s Outreach Summer program (SAILORS), an all-girl AI camp. Also at Stanford, Lauren is a member of a self-driving research team at the AI Lab (SAIL)-Toyota Center for AI Research. Additionally, Lauren published her research paper, “Applying Dijkstra’s Algorithm in Autonomous Robot Navigation,” and serves as the editor-in-chief of her school newspaper. As a prospective engineer and entrepreneur, Lauren hopes to be a founding member of an AI and self-driving car startup. She is also an avid golfer.

LAUREN YANG | Atherton, CAMenlo School


2017 Winners

Lily is the valedictorian of her class, a National AP Scholar, and a National Merit Semifinalist. She is also a researcher in the chemical, biological, and medical fields whose results have been featured in Toxicological Sciences and the RISE poster symposium. She also became a Regeneron STS Scholar in 2017. Lily is a Chemistry Olympiad, becoming a national finalist for two consecutive years, and is the vice president of the Math and Science Honor Societies. She also participates in Mock Trial Competitions and the FIRST Robotics Competition, and she mentors FIRST Lego League Teams. In 2016, she won the Dean’s List Finalist Award and was able to attend the International FIRST Competition. Additionally, Lily founded the nation’s first high school chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. As secretary of her city’s Youth Council, she has created many events and fundraisers for the benefit of her community. Lily aspires to double major in chemistry and bioengineering, go back into academia, and give back what she has learned.

LILY HUO | Greenville, NCJunius H. Rose High School

Maansi has been fascinated by technology and software for as long as she can remember, putting together movies and experimenting with photo editing. She now knows her true love is programming. She enjoys programming in class, furthering her knowledge at home, and attending numerous tech camps throughout the summer. Her interests include programming for robotics, as well as mathematics, which she regularly competes in. Maansi is always amazed by how she can combine her knowledge and passion for computer science with her love for other fields, such as economics and statistics. She plans to pursue a degree in computer science and a career in a computing-related field.

MAANSI DASARI | Wexford, PANorth Allegheny Senior High School

2017 Winners


Maddie enjoys creating tech-related startups. Her current startup for preventing sexual assault, her product, is officially incorporated and patent-pending. As a LGBTQ+ woman in STEAM, she hopes to intersect computer science, entrepreneurship, and social justice to fight homophobia, sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination. In her extracurriculars, Maddie ranks 11 among Minnesota seniors for playing tennis, has received numerous accolades for her drawing and painting, plays viola at Minnesota Youth Symphonies and weddings, and has designed more than a dozen websites for businesses, blogs, and foundations. Additionally, she founded an Art and Literature magazine for her district’s high schools to put the “A” back in “STEAM” and a social justice club for her school to educate others in the values of intersectional feminism, Black Lives Matter, and more through discussions, guest speakers, outreach initiatives, and fundraising events. Maddie plans to continue her journey in college where a solid foundation in computer science can help her achieve her ultimate goal: to use technology to improve society.

MADISON WANG | Arden Hills, MNMounds View High School

Marceline has been an active member of Kell Robotics for the past three years. As programming director, she organized an object-oriented system to divide tasks and roles for team members, changed the programming platform used from iterative to command -based programming, and worked with new systems, such as CAN-based motor controllers, the NavX inertial management system, custom PID, and velocity control. She was recently appointed as the executive director. One of the team’s projects, KELL-i, is figuring out how to make the aesthetics pleasing to a child’s eye, as well as engaging and interactive. Helping kids get interested in STEM is a personal passion of hers, and being able to lead a project like this has been very rewarding. Additionally, Marceline attained a job at Polaris USA, where she uses skills such as soldering and mechanical assembly to take cameras and recorders apart and make modifications or repairs. Marceline is a dual enrollment student at Kennesaw State University and plans to go to Georgia Tech for college.

MARCELINE LEWIS | Lansing, ILAmerican School of Correspondence


2017 Winners

Mihika’s start in computer science began with creating iris recognition software. Later, she became a finalist in the Conrad Spirit of Innovation for two products: WiFriend, a software designed to make private wifi safer by combatting current bruteforcing techniques, and Band-Aid, a fitness monitor used to measure vitals and correct posture during exercise. She presented WiFriend at the NASA Summit in Florida. More recently, Mihika co-founded Vivaflow, a company dedicated to solving the global water crisis by engineering a novel, portable desalination and decontamination system for rural communities in Haiti. Vivaflow has gained the backing of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other NGOs. Additionally, she attended the Summer School for Silicon Nanotechnology (SSSiN), where she learned the basics of nanotechnology and silicon chemistry. Her research on grafting techniques to stabilize porous silicon nanoparticles in basic solutions is the focus of her next science fair entry. Throughout working on her projects, Mihika is motivated to find solutions to presented obstacles and is intrigued by the underlying concepts in machine learning, which applied fundamentals from her linear algebra, calculus, and computer science.

MIHIKA NADIG | San Diego, CATorrey Pines High School

Neha began programming when her father gifted her the simple Arduino circuit board in seventh grade. Since then, she has learned C++, Java, and Python, and she has attended many hackathons and programming competitions. Neha found these events so inspiring that she co-founded STEMcademy, an organization for making STEM accessible to all elementary and middle school students through workshops and hackathons. For her STEM outreach efforts, she became an #include fellow with Stanford University’s She++. Neha also enjoys participating in VEX robotics competitions and partakes in all parts of the process. Additionally, she serves as president of her school’s Jr. Medical Reserve Corps club and received the Jr. MRC Challenge award for her efforts in mental health outreach for high school teens. Currently, Neha is developing a low-cost EEG device that can measure brain waves and do real-time analysis to predict epileptic seizures through machine learning on Azure. She plans to major in biomedical engineering. Aside from her technical aspirations, Neha is a Harry Potter fanatic and loves to play badminton.

NEHA HULKUND | Redmond, WATesla STEM High School

2017 Winners


Originally from Vietnam, Ngoc became interested in computer science because it had never occurred to her that a girl from a small country could learn something so cool and interesting. She became the co-president for Future Business Leadership of America and was a national winner in the Computer Problem Solving competition. She is also involved in Robotics and Cyber Patriot as one of the key members and participants in competitions. Ngoc’s experience as a timid kid inspires her to create an AI that can be her friend. Ngoc will attend UNC Charlotte and major in CS with a focus on artificial intelligence. She then wants to pursue a graduate computing program in Germany. In ten years, she sees herself at a job working with what she loves the most: computer science. Ngoc is also an animal and plant lover whose hobbies include watercolor painting, collecting pens, and drinking tea to reduce stress. (Her Office Depot co-workers jest at the number of pens in her collection). Ngoc is thankful for her teachers, Gates and Ramey, for supporting her throughout her pursuits.

NGOC NGUYEN | Greensboro, NCWeaver Academy

Nicole was introduced to computer science in eighth grade when she used an Arduino Uno to log voltage values for a solar panel science project. From that experience, she has become fascinated with the power of the Arduino and has worked on many projects utilizing this powerful prototyping platform, including applying her skills through an internship at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. There she worked on implementing on calibrating and testing magnetomter sensors, writing collision avoidance code, and using ROS to connect the Arduino to a Raspberry Pi. Nicole has also participated in the Technovation App challenge on multiple occasions, encouraging and leading girls to code, market, and pitch their self-made app. Since starting with MIT App Inventor, she has progressed throughout the years and currently develops Android apps in Android Studio. Nicole aspires to study computer or mechanical engineering.

NICOLE MEISTER | Ellicott City, MDCentennial High School


2017 Winners

Nicole is currently programming captain of her FRC robotics team as well as CEO. She is most proud of completing research at Rutgers University - Newark for two consecutive years in analytical chemistry and nanochemistry; presenting her research at the 250th ACS Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts; being nominated for the Dean’s List Scholarship for FRC (Semi-Finalists); and helping to launch her school’s first FLL team and teaching middle school scholars how to code through the East Orange Coders program. Nicole wishes to double major in astrophysics and chemical physics and also minor in either computer programming or computer science. She then hopes to work for SpaceX, NASA, or to continue academic research.

NICOLE TAYLOR | East Orange, NJEast Orange S.T.E.M. Academy

Olivia’s favorite projects involve a combination of science, service in helping people and animals, art, environment, and Catholic faith. She earned a provisional patent from the USPTO on her “Green Highway Project,” a renewable energy technology that aims to put an end to climate change. She is also one of the thirty members of the Jane Goodall Institute’s USA National Youth Leadership Council, where Olivia works closely with Dr. Jane Goodall and her staff to spread a message of hope and empower youth as she travels nationally. Additionally, she leads community service projects, such as beach cleanups and electronics recycling drives, paints portraits for kids with cancer to brighten their day, conducts climate change research with NASA, and teaches kids how to play with robots. Some of her biggest accomplishments include a national title from ProjectCSGIRLS, a fine art Boston Globe Scholastic Gold Key, and being recognized as a teen “Witness to Life” through videography by His Eminence Cardinal Seán O’Malley. For fun, Olivia runs long distance and ponders how to change the world.

OLIVIA COLOMBO | Kingston, MASacred Heart High School

2017 Winners


Olivia is excited to bring creative and interesting computing projects and initiatives to the classroom, and she looks forward to sharing her programming knowledge with her peers. She occupies elected leadership positions in her school’s coding and technology clubs, serves as executive editor of her school newspaper, and competes in varsity cross country. Olivia also enjoys volunteering at the Special Needs Activity Center for Kids, developing online technology conferences for students around the world, and acting as liaison between her school’s technology and feminist clubs to bring more attention to women in STEM. In the years to come, Olivia looks forward to using her computing knowledge to mentor the next generation of women in a community that embraces critical questioning, service, ingenuity, and empowerment.

OLIVIA MILLER | New York, NYMarymount School of New York

Payal took AP computer science during her freshman year and has loved coding ever since. She went on to take data structures and discrete mathematics, and she is heavily involved with Girls Who Code, interning at the VMware chapter, where she collaboratively created an educational app to teach Java and Python in a more interactive way, serving as a teaching assistant at the Microsoft chapter, as well as being featured in the Girls Who Code blog and a Huffington Post video, “Why Girls Should Learn To Code.” In the future, Payal would like to major in computer science and work with Natural Language Processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence, as she has some experience through FIRST Robotics. Additionally, Payal is co-president of her school’s Mock Trial team and a reporter for her school newspaper. She is also involved in Red Kettle Club and Spanish Honor Society. She speaks English and Hindi fluently and is currently taking college-level Spanish courses (A ella le gusta la clase de español mucho). In her free time, Payal shares her random doodling and enjoys reading. Her favorite books include the Harry Potter series (she’s a Gryffindor, if you were curious).

PAYAL AHUJA | Brookfield, WIBrookfield Central High School


2017 Winners

Quincy has always been attracted to the creativity and innovation that comes with science while still being connected to laws and order through mathematical principles. She had no experience with programming before signing up for a class in middle school, just to try it, and turned out loving it. Now, Quincy is on her school’s robotics team, which has helped her to link physical technology to what she knows about software. She is also taking AP computer science and has attended conferences like SheTech to explore technology’s many applications. Quincy started the first Girls Who Code club in Utah high schools and is a member of The Junior Academy at The New York Academy of Science, where she leads a team of students to build a sensor for detect water contamination in urban areas. Ultimately, Quincy wants to apply her computer science skills to her passion for physics and engineering in order to build more accurate and efficient research tools that contribute to scientific exploration and the advancement of humanity.

QUINCY TAYLOR | Provo, UTTimpview High School

As an accelerated student, Rebecca was required to take a Game and Simulation Foundations class, which quickly became her favorite class ever taken. Using languages like Alice and Scratch, she was able to create unique games for public consumption. Rebecca founded a Girls Who Code chapter as an inclusive community for young women at her school to explore the different fields of computing. As chapter president, Rebecca is responsible for overseeing the extensive design, programming, and assembly of a 3D-printed, life-size robot named Willy. She and her chapter peers also teach programming to interested middle school students. Rebecca has landed internships and educational development opportunities at Florida International University School of Computing and Information Science as well as Cornell University Catalyst Academy. Last summer, she proposed a novel technique for distributed data cleaning in wireless sensor networks using a game-theoretic approach, determining the ideal scenario to promote cooperation. She has been accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, Drexel University, and the University of Miami thus far, and she aspires to have a career in engineering.

REBECCA CHERY | Coconut Creek, FLMonarch High School

2017 Winners


Sanjana became interested in technology after receiving full scholarships to engineering camps at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, San Francisco while in middle school. Since then, she has received several awards and acknowledgements, including the President’s Environmental Youth award, a Bluetooth Breakthrough national award, the IEEE Electro-Technology award, an Office of Naval Research Medallion, and the ACM Outstanding Young Women award. Sanjana is also a gold-level contestant in USA Computing Olympiad, a team member of NASA’s FRC Robotics, a mobile app developer, and an Apple WWDC scholarship recipient. Sanjana has worked as a research intern with 3M’s Development Scientist on reducing flash floods using optimal drainage pipe sizes, location, and elevation. Additionally, she was invited to give a keynote about her Java project at the Oracle OpenWorld conference, and she has also spread her knowledge of programming as a co-founder of a non-profit that introduces young girls to STEM. Aside from her technological pursuits, Sanjana enjoys swimming and Bollywood dancing.

SANJANA SHAH | Cupertino, CAMonta Vista High School

Growing up in Georgia, Sara spent more time climbing trees and playing in the dirt than computer hacking. It was not until high school when Sara realized that coding was actually something that kids could do, and she took an introductory coding class. Since then, Sara has started to experiment with graphic and UX design. Sara is particularly interested in reducing student suicides and making computing more accessible to all. Like everyone else, she can’t wait to see what is next for self-driving cars, smart homes, and AI. She collects all types of gadgets, follows news outlets, and watches product reviews online in order to keep up with what is trending. Sara also enjoys the outdoors, junior varsity basketball and golf, as well as achieving her signature goggle tan from varsity swimming. Additional hobbies include shooting videos and timelapses, taking pictures of symmetrical things, and checking out popular local restaurants.

SARA DU | Irvine, CAArnold O. Beckman High School


2017 Winners

Using accumulated knowledge from years of programming and instruction, Saumya is able to build programs for websites, robotics, and competitions. Saumya programs in many languages, including Java (her favorite), Javascript, HTML, IBM Bluemix, Flash, and App Inventor Android App Development. Saumya is also a member of the Robobusters FRC team, which recently advanced to globals; she worked on programming the robot using LabView. Additionally, Saumya has conducted impressive research in the Biotechnology field. Currently, she is developing and analyzing a new approach to create implantable medical devices that could be used to study the nervous system and ultimately treat neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. She won the 2016 Siemens Competition regional finalist award with this project and hopes to continuing competing to increase recognition for her novel approach. Throughout each school year, she works diligently, exceeds her goals, and earns exceptional grades. Saumya strives to receive a PhD in CS, start a technology company that creates life-saving applications, and encourage girls into CS.

SAUMYA RAWAT | Dallas, TXSchool of Science and Engineering

Shandler has received several certifications, including IC3 Global & Digital Literacy, which consisted of three different tests on software, hardware, and applications of a computer; and NOCTI - Computer Programming, which consisted of more than 150 questions on programming and coding. Shandler is currently a NASA Virginia Earth Science Systems Scholar and is a part of many different clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America, National Society of Black Engineers, Technology Student Association, and Dalia Tri-Hi-Y, a community service club. She has also played junior varsity hockey and cheered on the varsity winter team for her school. Additionally, she has obtained acceptance into her school’s National Honor Society. In Summer 2016, Shandler attended the U.S. Naval Academy Summer STEM Program and proceeded to participate in CTech2 at Virginia Polytechnic Institution and State University. Her goal is to achieve the gold award in the STEM academy by completing six STEM courses, an exit portfolio, an internship, and two industry certifications. Also, she plans to graduate with a GPA above a 4.0. Shandler is the only daughter of two master chief petty officers who served and retired from the United States Navy.

SHANDLER MASON | Chesapeake, VAGrassfield High School

2017 Winners


After being hacked, Shreya made it her personal mission to protect others from experiencing data breaches by endeavoring in cyber security. She became a two-time national qualifier and a state champion in the competitive event of cyber security through Future Business Leaders of America. Being one of the only women winners in her event made Shreya acknowledge the conspicuous gender disparity in information security, leading her to form Project Intege, a non-profit program that helps adolescent girls in East Africa become aware of majors and jobs available in computing. Additionally, Shreya interned for the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Security as a security analyst and is currently researching mathematical defense mechanisms against low rate TCP distributed denial of service attacks. At her school, Shreya is president of the debate club and the STEM Initiative club. Shreya is also an ardent classical Indian dancer who has been recognized by Governor John Hickenlooper. In her spare time, Shreya loves watching the Food Network and Pretty Little Liars, along with spending time with her wonderful brother and amazing parents.

SHREYA NALLAPATI | Highlands Ranch, CORock Canyon High School

Sona was first introduced to computer science through her middle school’s robotics club and has won the silver medal for best of show at the International ROBOGames. After her freshman year, she interned as a software engineer Chute where she prototyped a digital parallax advertising display. She also helped a local startup develop components of a Kindle App using the open source Ionic framework. This past summer, Sona was the only high school intern at the UC Berkeley Laboratory for Automation Science and Engineering, where she worked alongside PhD students to design a status indicator for YuMi, a dual arm assembly robot being tested for TESLA Motors. Additionally, Sona founded Reaching Out With Robotics (ROWR), a mechanical engineering and computer science outreach program, that has engaged more than 1,300 middle school students through robotics. In Fall 2016, ROWR expanded to include a monthly robotics club just for girls through NCWIT AspireIT. Sona hopes that this will inspire young women in her community to pursue STEM in high school and college.

SONA DOLASIA | Mill Valley, CATamalpais High


2017 Winners

Sophia’s passion for computing was fueled by her experiences with mobile application prior to high school. Now, she is a head programmer at her school, writing code for the interactive kiosks of her senior capstone project, “Arcade of Physics,” and programming the hardware for each interactive game. She also founded a local FIRST robotics team, Infinite Loop. Sophia plans on pursuing a career in biomedical engineering and in computer science. She has been conducting research for the past two years at UCSB’s neuroscience and biochemistry fields, using her computational skills to study the raw material of evolution to help us understand how early life functioned and evolved and the function of an unknown gene within the eye. Her research studies have been awarded “Best in Fair” at the Santa Barbara County Science Fair. Additionally, she has a passion for helping others flourish, which stemmed from her service as a teen board member of the YMCA. As founder and president of the international non-profit Together to Empower, she inspires girls locally and globally to pursue their passions and attain financial independence and literacy.

SOPHIA QIN | Goleta, CADos Pueblos High School

Sophia first developed her interest in technology, specifically computers, at the age of 10 and has been enrolled in college-level math courses since seventh grade. Since then, after feeling frustrated with the lack of opportunities for girls in STEM in her area, Sophia founded C3: Code, Create, Collaborate, WNY’s first program educating girls from middle school about the fundamentals of computer science. Sophia has also conducted workshops for girls through NCWIT AspireIT. Sophia is the vice president of New York State’s Technology Student Association (NYSTA) and is an active member of ProjectCSGirls, Teens Transforming Technology, and Ladies Learning Code. She was named the NYSTSA Student of the Year for her four, first-place finishes. Additionally, Sophia interns for the Australian-based Institute of Code. Outside of tech, she is a Science Olympiad officer, an WNHS TSA chapter president, and the Chinese Youth Club of WNY’s president. Sophia aspires to attain either a double major in CS and business or a BS in computer science, followed by an MBA.

SOPHIA WANG | Williamsville, NYWilliamsville North High School

2017 Winners


Stephanie first became interested in technology and programming in fifth grade, when she wrote an essay in school about Tim Berners-Lee. After doing a little more research, she began learning HTML, CSS, and Python and continued to learn other languages in middle and high school. Stephanie co-founded the Kansas Student Technology Leaders and Programming interest groups and has won awards at the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference as well as the Kansas Student Technology Leaders competition. She participates in FIRST Robotics as a Java programmer and has also participated in several hackathons, including Hack K-State and B-STEM We Hack Too. Her projects include Umuros, an app that senses the overall mood of Twitter; and AirQual Mobile, an Arduino air quality sensor. At Kansas State University, she worked with a group of students to build cybersecurity mini-games for teaching online security. Additionally, she has taken a class at Kansas State University to strengthen her business skills and taught students about 3D printing at the STEM Summer Institute. Stephanie has CS and entrepreneurship in her sights for the future.

STEPHANIE FU | Manhattan, KSManhattan High School

Stephanie is co-president of Girls Who Code @ Stuyvesant, with her twin sister Sarah, and a sensei at Computer Science Dojo. She is also a member of the Stuyvesant and New York City math teams; an alumna of Girls Who Code @ AppNexus, where she was elected student speaker; an alumna of the Celebration Team of the National Dance Institute; and she was a member of the GWC @ AppNexus Hacking Team at the SpaceApps NextGen NASA Hackathon. She is captain of her school’s varsity girls fencing team and editor-in-chief of the award-winning school magazine. Stephanie has completed AP computer science, AP calculus BC, and AP physics 1&2; she is currently taking software development, systems level programming, multivariable calculus, and AP physics C. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and has participated in the Columbia Science Honors Program, the New York Math Circle, and Gradus ad Parnassum at Courant. Additionally, Stephanie plays piano, has performed at Carnegie Hall, and is a songwriter for Senior SING! at school. She plans to study computer science in college.

STEPHANIE YOON | New York, NYStuyvesant High School


2017 Winners

Veronica has always loved STEM and computing. Her vast amount of experience and knowledge of computer science has helped her lead efforts on her FIRST robotics team to have an advanced vision processing system and scouting system using a custom mobile application and communication between tablets. Veronica plans to study computer science or engineering in college, and she wishes to further develop her passion for vision processing by continuing to do research at the postsecondary level and finding more applicable uses for computer vision to advance technology for the better.

VERONICA BUSS | Portage, MIPortage Central High School

Vilina first became interested in computer science in eighth grade, after discovering that mobile applications and games were built using code and completing a “Using Soluble Factors to Bioengineer a Kidney as Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease” project. As a freshman, she completed her “Correlating Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) to Parkinson’s Disease” project and also participated in an NCWIT AspireIT program, which led her to develop a nutrition app that calculates the amount of calories one needs. Since then, she has focused her research on targeted drug delivery for protein interactions involved in Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Additionally, Vilina encourages girls to learn; she has been an instructor for the Computer Programming Club for Girls and has started an AspireIT program called SparkIT. Vilina aspires to attend a university with a strong bioinformatics/computational biology program where she can continue to focus on research.

VILINA MEHTA | Scottsdale, AZBASIS Scottsdale

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technology stars of the future · in 2016, lucy received the bob newman lifetime achievement award...

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