Tammy
Vaught has been named the South Carolina Aspirations in Computing Educator of
the Year. The NCWIT award publicly
celebrates educators who encourage high school women’s interest and
participation in technology pursuits. Educator Award recipients form a national
community of peers, share practices, and empower other educators to encourage
the participation of women in computing. IT-oLogy is the South Carolina affiliate
for Aspirations in Computing.
Mrs.
Vaught is a computer science teacher and robotics team coach at Spring Valley
High School in Richland School District Two. She attended her first gender
equity in computer science workshop in 1998 and has since worked to find ways
to entice young women to participate in technology and engineering
courses. Recently, Mrs. Vaught, along
with the young ladies from the Spring Valley High School robotics teams, hosted
a Girl Powered event for 19 middle school young ladies. The young ladies were
able to hear and meet successful women in the industry and had an opportunity
to build a robot before they were finished.
She has seen the impact technology can have on a child’s life and strives
to find ways to help them succeed. Her
favorite activity is VEX robotics and has found that once a young lady tries
it, they are hooked.
Vaught
will be honored at the South Carolina Aspirations in Computing Awards Ceremony
on January 28. The event, held annually at Columbia College, recognizes the
achievements of talented South Carolina high school women from across the
state. Eighteen high school women will be recognized at the 2017 event.
The
award is sponsored nationally by AT&T and South Carolina sponsors include
Companion Data Services, Columbia College, SCANA and Winthrop University.
About IT-oLogy
IT-oLogy
is a nonprofit working to grow the number of IT professionals in South
Carolina. Because technology shapes our world, we need current and future IT
talent to help build a better tomorrow. IT-oLogy is your IT career guide,
giving you the tools and resources to discover and start your impactful IT
career.
About NCWIT
The
National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit
community of more than 850 universities, companies, non-profits, and government
organizations nationwide working to increase women’s participation in computing
and technology. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in
recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K–12 and higher education
through industry and entrepreneurial careers. Find out more atwww.ncwit.org.
About the Award
The
NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors high school women who are
active and interested in computing and technology, and encourages them to
pursue their passions. Award for AiC recipients are chosen for their
demonstrated interest and achievements in computing, proven leadership ability,
academic performance, and plans for post-secondary education. The multi-tiered
structure includes recognition at the national and local levels, serving all 50
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam,
and all U.S. overseas military bases. The NCWIT Award for AiC is sponsored by
Apple, Bank of America, Microsoft, Motorola Solutions Foundation, and Symantec.
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