CHARLOTTE, N.C. and BOULDER, Colo., July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) will be honoring 28 high school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050720/CLW086LOGO-b )
The young women from across the United States will be honored at the 2008 Stars of the Future Technology Showcase and Awards Ceremony in Charlotte, N.C., on August 2 with the prestigious NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes young high school women for their computing- related achievements and interests.
"Encouraging young women's interest in technology careers is critical: our workforce needs their creativity and their innovation," said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT. "Bank of America's sponsorship for this award helps us recognize and encourage talent that might otherwise be overlooked."
The award-winners are being acknowledged for their outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology and computing, solid leadership ability, good academic history and plans for post-secondary education. Winners were selected from metro-area Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas and New York City high schools.
"Technology innovation differentiates Bank of America", said Chief Technology Officer Marc Gordon. "We believe these young women may one day develop innovative products and services such as mobile banking and Keep the Change. This partnership with NCWIT is one way we can develop and tap into this critical talent pipeline".
The NCWIT Award was created to acknowledge the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field and generate visibility for women's participation in computing-related pursuits.
"Bank of America is pleased to partner with NCWIT to help more young women pursue technology-related careers," said Mary Ellen Baker, senior vice- president and Consumer and Small Business Bank Technology and Operations executive at Bank of America. "These skills are in demand across the world, so it's imperative we invest in our students and give them the resources and opportunities they need to compete and thrive in the global economy."
The winners are:
Natalia Alvarez: The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Wendy Cheang: Trinity School, New York, New York
Paulina Karpis: Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York
Diana Liskovich: Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York
Connie Liu: Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York
Katherine Argueta: School of Business & Management, Dallas, Texas
Lillybeth Garza: The Academy of Irving ISD, Irving, Texas
Elizabeth Lass: School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas, Texas
Gracie Saunders: TAG Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, Dallas,
Texas
Lauren Yew: Prosper High School, Prosper, Texas
Meredith Derr: Barrington High School, Barrington, Illinois
Dessirree Gray: Simeon Career Academy, Chicago, Illinois
Aimee Lucido: University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago,
Illinois
Elisabeth Morant: University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago,
Illinois
Kathryn Vanderwater: Plainfield North High School, Plainfield, Illinois
Khalia Braswell: Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, Charlotte, North
Carolina
Jennifer Dudeck: METS at Olympic High School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chasity Holt : Zebulon B. Vance High School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Monique Jones: Garinger High School, Charlotte, North Carolina
Ranika Kejriwal: Cannon School, Concord, North Carolina
Connie Chan: Boston Latin Academy, Dorchester, Massachusetts
Symaj Davis: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Noelle Devoe: Haverhill High School, Haverhill, Massachusetts
Courtney Edwards: Brookwood High School, Snellville, Georgia
Brittany Freeman: Creekside High School, Fairburn, Georgia
Nina Henry: Creekside High School, Fairburn, Georgia
Laura Stahley: Morrow High School, Morrow, Georgia
Nichole Wiggins: Frederick Douglass High School, Atlanta, Georgia
Each award winner will receive:
-- $500 in cash
-- A laptop computer to enhance their future in technology
-- An engraved award for both the student and the student's school
-- Inclusion in a video highlighting her accomplishments in computing, her
future aspirations and her participation in the awards ceremony
-- The opportunity to apply for a three-year internship with Bank of
America beginning the summer following her freshman year of college
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 59 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 25 million active users. Bank of America offers industry leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
National Center for Women & Information Technology
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a coalition of over 120 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women's participation in information technology (IT). Member organizations include Apple, Avaya, Bank of America, Catalyst, Cisco, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc., Georgia Tech, Google, Harvard, HP, Intel, IBM, Kauffman Foundation, Lehman Brothers, MIT, Microsoft, Motorola, National Science Foundation, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Illinois UC, Pfizer, Princeton, Qualcomm, Sally Ride Science, Spelman, Stanford, Sun, University of Colorado, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, University of Washington, Wal-Mart, and many more. To find out more visit http://www.ncwit.org/
Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050720/CLW086LOGO-bAP Archive:
http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
SOURCE: Bank of America
CONTACT: Kelly Sapp of Bank of America, +1-980-386-9514,
Kelly.e.sapp@bankofamerica.com; or Jenny Slade of NCWIT, +1-303-735-6600,
jslade@ncwit.org
Web site: http://www.bankofamerica.com/
http://www.ncwit.org/
