Twelve young women have been selected as winners and runners up of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing – South Carolina from dozens of applications. They will be honored in February at a tea sponsored by Columbia College.
Following are the winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing – South Carolina:
Lillian Meng, Southside High School, Simpsonville, SC*
Amanda Billings, Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, SC*
Maxeen Borland, Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, SC
Nikki Bregman, Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, SC
Selen Berkman, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville, SC
Abby Holdeman, Chapin High School, Chapin, SC
Runners up for the award include:
Zhuri Solan, Dreher High School, Columbia, SC
Crystel Sylvester, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville, SC
Ann Gaillard, Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, SC
Jessica Davis, Denmark-Olar High School, Denmark, SC
Florence Faith, Porter-Gaud School, Charleston, SC
Amanda Prevatt, R.B. Stall High School, Charleston, SC
The award is part of a national effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology and is organized in South Carolina by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and IT-oLogy.
“With technology jobs projected to grow faster than all other job sectors in the next decade, it’s imperative that we nurture the computing aspirations of women, who will make up half the professional workforce,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT. “This award allows us recognize and encourage talent that might otherwise be overlooked.”
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing was created to encourage the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field, and generate visibility for women’s participation in technology fields. Winners are acknowledged for their outstanding aptitude and interest in technology and computing, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.
*National award runner-up