Seniors Aimee Pak, Malia Libby, Weiyi (Chloe) Huang and Michaela Graves have been recognized as winners of the Award for Aspirations in Computing from the National Center for Women and Information Technology  (NCWIT) Hawaii region.

The four students were nominated by Math department chair and computer teacher Deborah Kula for their outstanding contributions to the field of technology.

Kula said, “This program is about encouraging women to get involved in technology fields and recognize those students who are already involved in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”

Pak was also a runner-up for the national award.

“I felt extremely grateful. It was as if all the work I had put into robotics and programming was acknowledged,” she said.

In the future Pak wants to be an aerospace engineer.

“I want to be the best one at my job and a person who is in high demand for my skills,” said Pak.

The award provides more opportunities to learn computing and help in the community. Winners can also earn scholarships, internships or job opportunities.

Pak said, “I believe that this award will help me to physically show colleges and scholarship committees that I am a hardworking student.”

Kula herself was recognized as an Educator Awardee for her contributions. In addition to chairing the department, she is a mentor for the robotics team and Oahu Mathematics League (OML) adviser.

Kula said, “I think it’s nice for the students to be recognized and call attention to what they are doing. It also shows that you can be a normal person and be involved in STEM and computing.”