EXETER– Superintendent David Ryan and Principal Sharon Wilson are pleased to share that three Seacoast School of Technology students were selected for the 2020 Aspirations in Computing Award.
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) named senior Jayden Otwell an Affiliate Honorable Mention, senior Samara Holmes an Affiliate Winner and junior Shanelle Kan an Affiliate Rising Star in the 2020 Aspirations in Computing Award (AiC).
Each student submitted an application which consisted of a portfolio of their accomplishments and a letter of endorsement.
The NCWIT 2020 Aspirations in Computing Award honors freshmen through seniors who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions.
“We are extremely proud of all our female STEM students for pursuing their passions and interests in a field primarily dominated by males,” said computer science teacher Norman Messa. “This award helps to recognize our young female computer scientists’ tenacity within computing-related fields and their desire to continue to pave the way for other women in the computer sciences.”
The recipients are selected based on their 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. Since 2007, nearly 14,000 students have received an Award for AiC.
The award structure includes: Winner, Honorable Mention, Rising Star and Certificate of Distinction designations at national and regional affiliate levels. The AiC recognizes recipients in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and all U.S. overseas military bases.
Award prizes include scholarship and internship opportunities, recognition at a Regional Affiliate Award event, automatic induction into the AiC Community, and various prizes, such as computing resources, gadgets, swag and more. Prizes vary by award designation.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards luncheon to recognize award recipients in April was cancelled. In its place, the NCWIT hosted its first-ever award event for all 2020 Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) recipients.
The 2020 Award for Aspirations in Computing was hosted on Saturday, May 30 at 4 p.m. on NCWIT’s YouTube Channel.
Additionally, NCWIT will be mailing award packages to students’ homes.
To learn more about the different award designations, visit the Award for AiC webpage.
About Seacoast School of Technology:
The Seacoast School of Technology is the regional Career and Technical Center serving high school students from Epping, Exeter, Newmarket, Raymond, Sanborn Regional and Winnacunnet high schools.
SST offers selective coursework preparing students for their lives after high school- college, work or the military. Many of their 12 programs allow students to earn college credit and industry-recognized certifications while fulfilling their high school graduation requirements. Most importantly, students get the opportunity to explore areas of interest in a hands-on environment with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology.
To find out more, visit seacoasttech.com.
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