Megan Howell, Oceana Covington, and Laysa Sreenivasan, who are students at Paradise Valley High School’s Center for Research, Engineering, Science, and Technology (CREST) program, have received Honorable Mention in the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) competition.
“Lasya, Oceana, and Megan are outstanding members of PVSchools Women & Information Technology (PVWIT) initiative. They are talented and passionate in their work and commitment to the program,” says Karen Mensing, PVWIT advisor. “They all capture the spirit of promoting women and equity within information technology.”
The award recognizes ninth-12th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests as part of an effort to encourage a diverse range of students to choose careers in technology.
“I am extremely proud of these young women for representing the many talents of students in PVWIT,” Mensing adds. “I have watched all three of them grow not only as exceptional students, but also as amazingly passionate and hard-working young ladies, promoting equity among women in information technology. I am confident they will be tremendously successful in their future endeavors.”
Four hundred award recipients were selected from high schools across 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and all U.S. overseas military bases for their outstanding aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Each recipient will receive recognition and prizes; induction into the AiC Community of nearly 20,000 technical individuals who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary; access to resources, scholarships, and internship opportunities; and more.
