USM hosts awards luncheon for students from ‘historically marginalized groups’
The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering and the National Center for Women and Information-Mississippi Affiliate, recognized high school students at the Aspirations in Computing Award Luncheon at the Hattiesburg campus last week.
As part of an effort to encourage a diverse range of students to choose careers in computing and technology, the AiC Awards honor women, genderqueer and non-binary students in grades 9-12 for their computing-related achievements, aspirations, abilities and influential guidance.
Award recipients were selected from more than 3,300 applicants from across the U.S. and Canada. In Mississippi, recipients included two winners, two honorable mentions and a “Rising Star.”
“It is such an honor to recognize these amazing women,” said Dr. Sarah Lee, director of the School of Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering. “Our school is committed to providing programs like Aspirations in Computing to broaden and engage more Mississippi students with computing and cybersecurity.”
Mercy Jaiyeola, assistant teaching professor of computer science added: “The AiC Award plays a pivotal role in inspiring students, especially those from historically marginalized groups, to persist in their computing aspirations. It provides them with access to a supportive community with numerous professional development opportunities, igniting their passion and fostering greater diversity within the industry.”
Along with a celebratory luncheon to honor the accomplishments of the awardees, the event featured a keynote speaker. This year’s speaker was Micah Hill, a USM information technology major hailing from Laurel.
As an Honors College Presidential Scholar and Luckyday Citizenship Scholar, Hill personifies the Southern Miss spirit and is an active member of the campus community. She’s involved in several organizations, including the Student Government Association’s Freshmen Associates, USM chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Society of Black Engineers.
The recipients for the 2024 NCWIT-Mississippi AiC Awards were Makiya Wilson of Brookhaven High School and Sara Sinha of Madison Central High School. Both expressed a passion to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. Honorable mentions went to Sydney Smith of Blair Center Hattiesburg High and Emily Jia of Madison Central and the Rising Star was Sadie Seal of Forrest County Agricultural High School.
The NCWIT AiC High School Award is sponsored by Apple, AT&T, Bank of America, Bloomberg, U.S. Department of Defense STEM, Jane Street, Match Group, Microsoft, Motorola Solutions Foundation and Shopify.
NCWIT is the farthest-reaching network of change leaders focused on advancing innovation by correcting underrepresentation in computing. It unifies nearly 1,600 change leader organizations nationwide to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women –– at the intersections of race/ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status and other historically marginalized identities –– in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.
Wanda Parisien is a computing expert who navigates the vast landscape of hardware and software. With a focus on computer technology, software development, and industry trends, Wanda delivers informative content, tutorials, and analyses to keep readers updated on the latest in the world of computing.
