Area high school woman recognized as computing aspirations leader

COLUMBIA, SC, January 20, 2016 Alaina Smith has been selected as an Aspirations
in Computing South Carolina award recipient. She attends Westwood High School
in Columbia, 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, its imperative that we nurture the computing aspirations of women, who
will make up half the professional workforce, said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Cofounder 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 womens 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.
Twelve young women have been selected as winners of the NCWIT Award for
Aspirations in Computing South Carolina from dozens of applications. They will be
honored in April at a reception sponsored by Columbia College.
Following are the winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing South
Carolina:
Amanda Billings Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC
Jessica Davis Denmark-Olar High School, Denmark, SC
Florence Faith Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC
Meredith Hoover Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC
Rebecca Kahn Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC
Lillian Meng Southside High School, Simpsonville, SC
Elizabeth Thompson Chapin High School, Chapin, SC
Annemarie Thompson Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC
Mary Kathryn Davidson Homeschool
Alaina Smith Westwood High School, Columbia, SC
Runners-up include:
Brandy Barfield, Lexington High School, Lexington, SC
Garis Grant Porter Gaud, Charleston, SC

About NCWIT: NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology,
a non-profit coalition of over 200 prominent corporations, academic institutions,
government agencies, and nonprofits working to improve U.S. innovation,
competitiveness, and workforce sustainability by increasing women's participation
in IT. NCWIT's work spans K-12 and higher education through industry and academic
careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.
About IT-oLogy: IT-oLogy is a non-profit collaboration of businesses, academic
institutions and other organizations dedicated to growing the IT talent pipeline and
advancing the IT profession. IT-oLogy has three major initiatives: Promote IT (K-12
schools), Teach IT (Higher Education) and Grow IT (Professionals and Businesses).
For more information about IT-oLogy, visit www.it-ology.org or contact Rachel
Barnett at 803.354.5735 or rachel.barnett@it-ology.org.