Student earns technology award

Harrison Prep junior earns national technology award
Posted on 01/27/2020
HP junior Kathleen Julca

Harrison Prep junior Kathleen Julca recently earned the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC). She is one of 40 students nationwide to receive the honor.

The AiC award is given each year to high school students who self-identify as women, genderqueer or non-binary in recognition for their computing-related achievements and interests. More than 4,700 students submitted an entry for the award this year.

Julca’s entry focused on her efforts creating a coding club aimed at female students at Harrison Prep and some of the experiences she has had with regards to gender disparity related to her interest in computer science. She started the coding club in March 2019 and has grown membership to more than 20 students.

“I’m generally a pretty quiet person but I work really hard, so it was very validating to get recognized at that level,” Julca said. “I put a lot of work into the coding club, starting it virtually by myself and getting the support we needed was really hard.”

AiC award winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to North Carolina for an awards celebration and opportunities for scholarships and internships. NCWIT is a non-profit community that convenes, equips and unites change leader organizations to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women in the field of computing.