NCWIT and KeyBank Honor 38 Students and 2 Educators From Across Ohio With 2024 Aspirations in Computing Awards

The Ohio affiliate of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), in partnership with KeyBank, honored 38 high school students across Ohio at the 2024 Aspirations in Computing awards on Saturday, April 20th in Columbus, Ohio. These students, which included one national winner, were recognized for their leadership and involvement in technology, robotics, and applied science, along with their academic success and plans for post-secondary education. Two STEM teachers were honored as well with an educator award.

For the past ten years, the Ohio Aspirations in Computing awards have been sponsored by KeyBank. All award recipients along with their families and educators were invited to join this year’s event, which featured a panel of professionals discussing the Future of Data, Robotics & AI. All shared insight into their career paths, education, and personal growth in STEM.

“KeyBank has a long history of supporting students who are interested in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, and math,” said Amy Brady, KeyBank Chief Information Officer. “We congratulate this year’s award winners and are proud to recognize the achievements and talents of these outstanding students. They are future problem solvers and the skills they are developing today will help solve the challenges of tomorrow.”

Since 2007, NCWIT has inducted more than 10,000 young women into the Aspirations in Computing community and is helping to usher these women into technology careers. The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program is a talent development initiative designed to increase female participation in technology careers by providing encouragement, visibility, community, leadership opportunities, scholarships, and internships to aspiring technically inclined young women. NCWIT offers both national and local affiliate competitions to generate support and visibility for women's participation in communities nationwide.

For information on the national program please visit www.aspirations.org

2024 National Winner

Ella Witalec – Laurel School

2024 National Honorable Mentions

Harshita Ganga – William Mason High School
Chahak Gupta – Solon High School
Marlene Natividad Trinidad – Columbus Downtown HS
Saanvi Pandala – Olentangy High School
Ramya Rajan – William Mason High School
Sosena Tefera – Anderson High School

2024 Ohio Affiliate Award Winners

Joy Fan – Solon High School
Harshita Ganga – William Mason High School
Chahak Gupt – Solon High School
Riya Hegde – Western Reserve Academy
Marlene Natividad Trinidad – Columbus Downtown HS
Hong Bao Tran Nguyen – Solon High School
Saanvi Padala – Olentangy High School
Vaishnavi Rachuri – Dublin Jerome HS
Ramya Rajan – William Mason High School
Manya Tandon – Westlake High School
Sosena Tefera – Anderson High School
Zaynah Wahab – Solon High School
Ella Witalec – Laurel School
Julia Zhu – Hathaway Brown School
Mahee Shah – Hathaway Brown School

2024 Ohio Affiliate Honorable Mentions

Laasya Acharya – William Mason High School
Meghana Boda – Olentangy High School
Audrey Malcuit – Padua Franciscan High School
Emily McCord – Metro Early College High School
Vaishali Ramakrishnan – Dublin Jerome High School
Lillian Robey – Dayton Regional Stem School
Maria Tracy – Saint Joseph Academy
Kaovya Vel – Westlake High School
Eva Winchester – St. Ursula Academy

2024 Ohio Affiliate Rising Stars 

Hasaean Araia – Columbus Downtown HS
Shivani Arulselvan – Padua Franciscan HS
Ravia Bhullar – Nordonia High School
Mridhini Chintakindi – Dublin Jerome HS
Penelope Covey – Stow-Munroe Falls HS
Naomi Franciscus – Canal Winchester HS
Oni Hairston – Nordonia High School
Harman Kaur – Dayton Regional Stem School
Claire Line – Homeschool
Imanga Lufungulo – Notre Dame Academy
Mackenzie Minute – Padua Franciscan High School
Haasini Sanisetty – Hathaway Brown School
Maggie Smith – Padua Franciscan HS
Saira Williams – Worthington Christian High School

2024 Ohio Educator Winner 

Joe Morel – Padua Franciscan High School

2024 Ohio Educator Honorable Mention

Haley Richards – Dublin Emerald Campus

About NCWIT

NCWIT is a non-profit community that convenes, equips, and unites more than 1,240 change leader organizations to increase the influence and meaningful participation of girls and women from every community – at the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, age, sexual orientation, and disability status – in the influential field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development.

About KeyCorp/KeyBank 

KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at March 31, 2024.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.