BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Bank of America [NYSE: BAC] have announced 35 female high-school students as winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, a national award designed to increase the number of women pursuing careers in computing and technology.
The 35 national winners were selected from among more than 1,100 applicants representing all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and overseas military bases. Each Award-winner will receive $500 cash, a laptop computer, an engraved award for both her and her school, and mentoring opportunities with Bank of America employees. The young women will be honored at a Bank of America Technology Stars of the Future Showcase & Awards Ceremony on March 10, 2012, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“This award helps make opportunity possible for the next wave of entrepreneurs and innovators,” said Amy Brady, Bank of America executive and sponsor of the company’s Women in Technology and Operations (WIT&O) affinity group. “These young ladies represent our industry’s future, and it’s exciting to be able to contribute to their professional growth.”
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing is part of an NCWIT talent development program that encourages young women to succeed in a field where they are underrepresented. The Aspirations in Computing program provides young women with visibility, community, leadership opportunities, support, research experiences, scholarships, and internships. Since 2007, the Award for Aspirations in Computing has recognized more than 700 young women; 93% of the award recipients currently in college report majoring or minoring in a science or technology field.
“Technology has an increasingly important impact on all our lives,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT. “Bank of America’s sponsorship of this award helps to ensure that the technology of the future is created by people as diverse as those who will consume it.”
Following are the 2012 national winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing:
| Kimberly Abrams | Pine Lake Preparatory | Mooresville, North Carolina | ||||
| Diana Aragon | Nathan Hale High School | Seattle, Washington | ||||
| Jaden Barney | University Scholars Program AP/PA Leadership Charter School | West Chester, Pennsylvania | ||||
| Stephanie Barraza | Wastonville High | Watsonville, California | ||||
| Penelope Biggs | Benson Polytechnic High School | Portland, Oregon | ||||
| Brooke Bosley | Northeast Independent Preparatory Academy | Stone Mountain, Georgia | ||||
| Wen Chu | Clements High School | Sugar Land, Texas | ||||
| Rachel Cotterell | Spencer High School | Columbus, Georgia | ||||
| Elicia Dennis | George Washington High School | Denver, Colorado | ||||
| Stephanie Djidjev | La Cueva High | Albuquerque, New Mexico | ||||
| Brandi Duke | Spring Hill High School | Columbia, Tennessee | ||||
| Nupur Garg | Monta Vista High | Cupertino, California | ||||
| Katrina Hammonds | Glory to God Prep | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | ||||
| Helen Hastings | Thomas Jefferson High School | Alexandria, Virginia | ||||
| Courtney Hee | Lake Brantley High School | Altamonte Springs, Florida | ||||
| Rachel Kohler | North Crowley High School | Ft Worth, Texas | ||||
| Kyla Kolb | Lakewood High School | St. Petersburg, Florida | ||||
| Tiffany Le | Poolesville High | Poolesville, Maryland | ||||
| Madison McCall | Arabia Mountain High School | Lithonia, Georgia | ||||
| Katherine Miller | New Albany High School | New Albany, Ohio | ||||
| Monica Mishra | Peak to Peak Charter School | Lafayette, Colorado | ||||
| Ebone Monk | Columbus High School | Columbus, Ohio | ||||
| Noor Muhyi | Las Cruces High | Las Cruces, New Mexico | ||||
| Catherine Mullings | Sacred Heart Preparatory | Atherton, California | ||||
| Mopewa Ogundipe | Clarksburg High | Clarksburg, Maryland | ||||
| Estefania Ortiz | homeschool | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico | ||||
| Emily Peed | Ben Davis University High School | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||
| Patricia Perozo | The University of Chicago Laboratory High School | Chicago, Illinois | ||||
| Christina Quan | Newport Senior High School | Bellevue, Washington | ||||
| Aardra Rajendran | The Early College at Guilford | Greensboro, North Carolina | ||||
| Andrea Rivera | J M Hanks High School | El Paso, Texas | ||||
| Elana Stroud | Harvard-Westlake School | North Hollywood, California | ||||
| Mariko Thorbecke | Hawaii Preparatory Academy | Kamuela, Hawaii | ||||
| Ala’a Tolba | Fordson High School | Dearborn, Michigan | ||||
| Amy Wiegand | Riverdale High School | Portland, Oregon | ||||
About the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
The National Center for Women & Information Technology is a coalition of more than 300 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women's participation in technology and computing. Find out more at http://www.ncwit.org.
About Bank of America
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is one of the world's largest 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. Bank of America is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world, serving clients through operations in more than 40 countries. http://www.bankofamerica.com.