Each year, the National Center for Women in Technology presents an award called the National Award for Aspirations in Computing. This award is for young women in college and high school for their various accomplishments in Computer Science. This past year, 3600 high school women applied for this award. There were 40 national winners, one being Rebekah Agwunobi ’19.
“I learned about this program, this award when I attended an artificial intelligence outreach program at Stanford and was encouraged to apply,” said Agwunobi. To be a winner of this award, the National Center for Women in Technology looks into an applicant’s particular skill set, as well as a transcript, a recommendation, and essays regarding computer science. “I think what is most important for an applicant to have is an overall passion for computer science, math, and engineering.”
Prior to winning the award, Agwunobi interned at the University of Southern California. She spent two summers at USC’s Department of Computer Science with Professor Cyrus Shahabi’s integrated Media Systems Center. During her time there, she worked on big data and mobile development, primarily geospatial crowdsourcing.
“It was one of the first times I was faced with unbelievably challenging and rigorous computer science assignments, but I am so grateful because it taught me the value of persistence and resilience,” said Agwunobi. Agwunobi completed the high school computer science curriculum by 8th grade. “I just love to understand how things work,” she stated.
According to Agwunobi, this is a great opportunity for Choate students to look into if they wish to pursue the fields of math or computer science. Agwunobi said, “I would encourage every girl at Choate to apply for the award and pursue STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) fields that they are interested in. There are so many support systems for women in STEM, and this award recognizes remarkable women in technology, who undeniably exist at Choate too.”
Like many, Agwunobi has future aspirations and goals. Hoping to pursue studies in computer science and international relations, Agwunobi would like then to run her own tech company after she graduates college. She also hopes to go on to encourage as many other girls to explore or dive deeper into computer science. She concluded, “The key to success is working on projects that you are really passionate about.”
