NOTE:NCWIT and Bank of America awarded the 2009 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing on Saturday, March 7th, to 32 high-school women from across the country. Elisabeth Morant won her NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing at the Bank of America Celebrating Stars of the Future Technology Showcase and Awards Ceremony in August 2008. While I have been playing video games since before I learned how to read, my first encounter with programming was at the Northwestern Center for Talent Development camp the summer before sixth grade. While not particularly robust or sophisticated, MicroWorlds harbored an opportunity for creativity and experimentation that seemed boundless. What drew me to programming the most was that it gave me an opportunity to apply my own creativity beyond the programs we were required to write. Ever since that summer experience, my interest in programming has only increased. I have taken computer science courses at summer enrichment programs, my high school, and the University of Chicago, and I am eager to continue my education in college. Winning the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing served to further motivate my enthusiasm for the subject. Not only was I able to meet twenty-seven other girls from across the nation with a similar passion for computer science, but I was also given the opportunity to meet women in the field who I can look up to as role models. It is for this reason that I encourage all high school females interested in computer science to apply for this award!
