Empowering the Next Generation: Reem Khalifa’s Journey With Hack Club’s Athena Award Program and NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing

Reem Khalifa, a 2025 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Award Affiliate Winner from New York City, is taking a gap year after graduating from Stuyvesant High School in May and leading an exciting new initiative with Hack Club. As part of the Athena Award program, she is helping to create opportunities for teenaged girls and people marginalized by gender to build and share coding projects. Participants who complete the program will be invited to the world’s largest all-girls hackathon, to be held in New York City in November 2025. Reem’s story highlights the powerful intersection of recognition, leadership, and community in shaping the next generation of technologists.

Reem’s involvement with Hack Club began in 2024 when she attended a hackathon with her two best friends and recognized an opportunity to create more inclusive events. Determined to make a difference, the trio organized Luna, a one-day hackathon through Hack Club’s Days of Service initiative, introducing girls from across New York City to coding and giving them space to share their first projects. “Hack Club showed me that computer science is about creativity and community,” Reem notes. NCWIT reinforced this sense of belonging when she received the Greater New York City AiC Award in February. “Winning the NCWIT award felt incredibly validating,” she reflects. “It gave me the confidence to see myself not just as a participant in tech, but as a leader who can help shape the field.”

Reem cites helping to launch the Athena Award as one of her proudest achievements with Hack Club. Coordinating across time zones and managing logistics posed challenges, but Reem and her team worked together to make it a success. “It taught me the importance of collaboration, persistence, and building inclusive spaces in tech,” she shares.

Looking ahead, Reem hopes to expand the Athena Initiative’s reach and continue developing her technical skills, particularly in hardware and electrical engineering. For students eager to get involved, both the NCWIT AiC High School Award and Hack Club’s Athena Award offer pathways to recognition, skill-building, and community. Through these programs, young women and students marginalized by gender are empowered to lead, innovate, and thrive in technology.