MANCHESTER – A trio of teen students at the township’s high school recently won the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC).
MTHS students Sarah Smith and Lyndsey Vigna received the National NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) while Hailey Sales received an Affiliate Honorable Mention Award.
The awards, powered by the NCWIT, recognize 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, as part of an effort to encourage a diverse range of students to choose careers in technology.
All award recipients were chosen from more than 3,500 applicants and from all 50 states in the U.S. including Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. overseas military bases, and Canada.
They were chosen 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.
Recognition for each recipient means not only being recognized but receiving prizes; induction into the AiC Community of more than 22,000 women, genderqueer, or non-binary technologists; access to resources, scholarships, and internship opportunities; and much more.
NCWIT Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Lucy Sanders said, “encouraging all students’ 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.”
“We are proud that three of our students received this prestigious award,” MTHS Principal, Dennis Adams said. “Manchester Township High School continues to increase our computing and technology course offerings as part of our curriculum, and we are proud of our success in encouraging female students to take part in these courses.”
The high school recently received an AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award and has also established a WiSTEM (Women in STEM) chapter at the school.
NCWIT is the farthest-reaching network of change leaders focused on advancing innovation by correcting underrepresentation of girls and women in computing. To learn more about the network visit ncwit.org.
