ASPIRATIONS ALUMNAE
How has the award impacted you?
Tenzin Chokyl, Madison East HS 2017, UW-Madison
Coming into college I wish I had known how to time manage as well as had the opportunity to play around with more programming languages during high school. Time management is a crucial skill to have in college since there are so many distractions whether it be your social life or organization meetings. I know I was pretty overwhelmed my first semester. I got the hang of setting a fixed schedule for myself so I can have all my school work and projects completed on time. I would really recommend looking into notion, this has saved me throughout college and kept me on track with my work.
Megan Choy, New Berlin Eisenhower 2019, UW-Madison
NCWIT Wisconsin has connected me with a network of like-minded and inspirational women who are also passionate for STEM. As I grow older, I am now able to use NCWIT-WI to inspire other young women who are on a similar journey – to unveil and thrive in our passion for STEM. I owe many thanks to the mentors I had in high school and beyond who are connected with the NCWIT network. It was thanks to the encouragement and support from these people that has led me to succeed in my courses, internships, and now my college career. One of the most important lessons I had learned throughout my high school and college career is the importance of networking. Through connections, I was able to find internships, speaking opportunities, college advice, and so much more. NCWIT is a wonderful network of successful women who want to build each other up – take advantage of it!
Rachel Hunter, East Troy HS 2016, MSOE 2020
One thing I wish I had known when I graduated high school was the value of confidence. When you really know something, speak up and be proud to share your knowledge. Being part of the NCWIT community helped keep me motivated to finish my degree while I was in college. This is an amazing community of supportive women!
Muskan Kanungo, Wauwatosa West HS 2018, MSOE
What I wish I had known earlier is that interpersonal skills are more important than technical skills. Networking is such an underrated skill when we are programmed to believe that a good GPA can make or break your career. Technical skills are easy to learn, but interpersonal skills often take more time and effort to develop. While studying for technical skills, don’t forget your magnificent personality. Leveraging advanced interpersonal skills can help you market yourself to potential bosses, friends, etc.
Carrie Lefeber, Laconia HS 2019, UW-Platteville
While my major may not be computer science directly, I have come to realize that computer technology plays a big role in all engineering disciplines. I am currently in a thermodynamics class where we use a computer software to help us solve our math related problems. I wish I would’ve known the importance of computer science throughout the engineering disciplines in high school.
Kate Martino, New Berlin Eisenhower MS/HS 2019, Augustana
NCWIT Wisconsin has benefited me by connecting me with a group of strong, passionate, brilliant young women with similar interests as myself. The ambition and grace that I am surrounded with in this community is astounding and inspires me every day to work towards my academic, personal, and professional goals. NCWIT encouraged me to pursue my interest in technology when I was hesitant. With the connections I have made and the knowledge I have gained through being a part of this group I am happy to say that I am now integrating technology in my academic and future goals by pursuing a major in Data Science/ Analytics.
Madeline Moran, Whitefish Bay HS 2019, Loyola
NCWIT Wisconsin has benefited me by connecting me with a community of women and non-binary individuals who share my same interests in technology and wanting to use and create new technological advancements for the benefit of others. It has benefited me to know there is a great community of individuals like me out there striving to pursue degrees and innovation in technology. By engaging with my interests in Computer Science and particularly with groups like NCWIT and Girls Who Code early, I found I was really well set up to begin college courses.
Abby Myers, Mukwonago HS 2019, Michigan Tech
The most transformational experience in high school related to my interest in computing and related technologies was… getting my first internship! My internship didn’t just teach me tons of new programming skills. It also gave me a glimpse into what all of those programming skills could be used for.