The first Nebraska and SW Iowa Affiliate Award recognized six winners and three runners up as well as a high school educator for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology on April 13, 2012. The event was held in the Peter Kiewit Institute Atrium at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Winners of the 2011-2012 Nebraska & SW Iowa Affiliate received an engraved trophy for home and school, a Kindle Fire, a $50 Amazon.com gift card, as well as other prizes from national and local organizations supporting the award. The 2011-2012 winners of the Nebraska & SW Iowa Affiliate NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing are:
Patricia Hanus – Hanus Homeschool – Fremont, Neb.
Emily Kadavy – York High School – York, Neb.
Berkley Lyman – Papillion-La Vista Senior High – Papillion, Neb.
Karlee Schwisow – Meridian High School – Tobias, Neb.
Grace Siy – Omaha North High School – Omaha, Neb.
Katherine Slump – V.J. and Angela Skutt Catholic – Omaha, Neb.
One of the honorees at this event, Berkley Lyman of Papillion-La Vista High School, was also selected as a runner up for the national NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. She is the first applicant to ever be honored nationally by NCWIT from the state of Nebraska.
Three students were recognized as runners up for the 2011-2012 Nebraska & SW Iowa Affiliate Award during the ceremony. These runners up received a certificate and a Kindle Touch, as well as prizes from national and local organizations supporting the award. The runners up are:
Deirdre Burgdorf – Omaha North High School – Omaha, Neb.
Dominique Edwards – Central High School – Omaha, Neb.
Ellan Hasenkamp – West Point High School – Beemer, Neb.
In addition to recognizing these students, Therese Laux from Omaha North High School was recognized as a winner of the national NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award. This award identifies outstanding educators who encourage young women to continue exploring their interest in computing and technology. Ms. Laux created the Music and Media Technology Program at her high school. She has received numerous accolades for bringing her passion for technology into the classroom and her commitment to her students.
The event featured a keynote address by Ms. Karen Krabbe, Assistant Vice President at Union Pacific Railroad in which she shared her own personal journey to a leadership position in information technology. Mayor of Omaha, Jim Suttle, was also in attendance. The ceremony also included Stephanie Hamilton from NCWIT and the Dean of the College of Information Science & Technology, Dr. Hesham Ali.
The Nebraska & SW Iowa Affiliate of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing is a collaborative effort by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Engagement Link for Women & Information Technology. This group is led by Dr. Stacie Petter from the College of Information Science & Technology, and includes faculty, staff, and students from across the university as well as business community members.
For more information about our first award and advice for future first-time affiliate award hosts, check out our unposter shared at the 2012 NCWIT Summit.
