April 1, 2021– Toronto, Ontario – 5 of hEr VOLUTION’s STEMing UP Students Aisha, Mashal, Gira, Lorena, and Arianne have received the National NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC). The award, powered by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), recognizes 9th-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.
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 received 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.
“Encouraging young women’s interest in technology careers is critical: our workforce needs their creativity and unique perspectives to produce technology that is as broad and innovative as the population it serves,” said NCWIT CEO and Co-founder Lucy Sanders.
“We are so excited to see the young women from our program achieve this goal so early in their school career. It is such a positive strength for them as it will inspire not only themselves to go further and study computer science but many young women around them as well,” said hEr VOLUTION CEO and Founder, Doina Oncel.
“Receiving this award and its recognition means so much to me. It just reaffirms that my hard work and dedication are paying off and furthers my devotion and passion towards my life’s mission of building technology geared towards creating social change. I feel so grateful and honoured to join a community of like-minded and talented women in computing,” said Aisha S.
“Being a recipient of this award has meant so much to me as someone that aspires to be a woman trailblazing in STEM. All those hours spent learning and bettering my abilities shaped me as a person and I am very thankful to NCWIT for this award that shows for it. I am excited to continue my journey as both a learner and a leader in STEM,” said Mashal
“It means so much to me to win this award. I feel seen and it has boosted my confidence. Winning the award pushes me to further develop my skills in programming and technology. I want to continue helping others learn code as I do that on my own journey! I feel empowered to be a woman in the technology and computing field,” said Gira C
“I am so grateful for having been recognized as an Affiliate Winner for the Canada-Ontario affiliate. Being recognized for my aspirations in technology has inspired me to continue developing my skills in computing and encouraged me to dream big dreams of my future in STEM.,” said Lorena R
“Thank you to NCWIT for putting in the time and effort in empowering women to pursue their aspirations in the computing industry! I hope that this recognition inspires minorities in tech to continue breaking the barriers. Together as a team, we can diversify the STEM community,” said Arianne G. Rull
About hEr VOLUTION
hEr VOLUTION is an award-winning charitable organization providing innovative education and employment services to girls and young women in STEM. Our mission is to advance education by providing workshops and instructional seminars on topics relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for low income and marginalized youth with a focus on girls and young women.
About NCWIT
NCWIT is a non-profit community that convenes, equips, and unites change leader organizations to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women — at the intersections of race/ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other historically marginalized identities — in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. Find out more at www.ncwit.org
For more information, visit www.hervolution.org
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