Bank of America and National Center for Women & Information Technology Recognize 32 High School Women for Computing and Technology Achievements

CHARLOTTE, N.C. & BOULDER, Colo.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Bank of America will recognize 32 high school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology at the Bank of America Technology Stars of the Future Showcase and Awards Ceremony, on Saturday, March 27, 2010, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“With technology jobs projected to grow faster than all other job sectors in the next decade, it’s imperative that we nurture the computing aspirations of women, who will make up half the professional workforce”

The young women are winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, which recognizes high school women for their computing-related achievements and interests. Each winner will receive $500 cash, a laptop computer, an engraved award for both the student and her school and a trip with a parent or legal guardian to attend the Bank of America Technology Showcase and Awards Ceremony.

In prepared remarks for the ceremony, Cathy Bessant, Bank of America Global Technology & Operations executive, states, “One of the ways we can make sure women are better represented in information technology in the years ahead is to continue to partner with NCWIT to provide more opportunities like this program. We are counting on these young women in technology to change the face of IT wherever they may go.”

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing was created to encourage the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field and generate visibility for women’s participation in technology fields. Winners are acknowledged for their outstanding aptitude and interest in technology and computing, leadership ability, academic history and plans for post-secondary education.

The 32 young women chosen as national winners of the 2010 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing were selected from an outstanding pool of 700 applicants, representing 49 of 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico; the 32 winners attend private, public and home-school institutions, and hail from big cities, suburban communities, and rural America.

“With technology jobs projected to grow faster than all other job sectors in the next decade, it’s imperative that we nurture the computing aspirations of women, who will make up half the professional workforce,” said Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-founder of NCWIT. “Bank of America’s support for this award allows us to recognize and encourage talent that might otherwise be overlooked.”

Following are the 2010 winners of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing:

Alexa Adams	James C. Enoch High School	Modesto	CA
Divya Arcot	Monarch High School	Louisville	CO
Allison Arnold-Roksandich	Texas Academy of Math And Science	Denton	TX
Louisa Avellar	Alamo Heights High School	San Antonio	TX
Alyssa Banks	Bergen County Academies	Hackensack	NJ
Monica Chen	Harvard-Westlake High School	Studio City	CA
Jane Cotler	Stuyvesant High School	New York	NY
Celina De Leon	Ray High School	Corpus Christi	TX
Migela Evans	David W. Butler High School	Matthews	NC
Tesca Fitzgerald	Allprep Early College Academy	Clackamas	OR
Katharyn Garcia	Carl Hayden High School	Phoenix	AZ
Marissa Goldberg	Home-schooled	Saint Cloud	FL
Amber Gullatte	Captain John L. Chapin High School	El Paso	TX
Lucerito Gutierrez	Southwest Senior High School	San Diego	CA
Marissa Halpert	Deep Run High School	Glen Allen	VA
Bianca Homberg	Westborough High School	Westborough	MA
Jasmin Johnson	Paul Laurence Dunbar High School	Baltimore	MD
Brianna Jordan	Wheeler High School	Marietta	GA
Stephanie Klimczak	Villa Duchesne Oak Hill School	St. Louis	MO
Bethany LaPenta	Columbus Academy	Gahanna	OH
Anna Molosky	Sammamish Senior High School	Bellevue	WA
Alexandra Olivares	Dubuque Senior High School	Dubuque	IA
Ciara Proctor	Northside College Preparatory High School	Chicago	IL
Katelyn Schirado	Glen Ullin High School	Glen Ullin	ND
Natasha Sheybani	Appomattox Regional Governor's School	Petersburg	VA
Ada Taylor	Durham Academy	Durham	NC
Marisol Vazquez	Eastwood Academy	Houston	TX
Jinzhao Wang	Boston Latin	Boston	MA
Sherry Wu	Vocational & Technology High School - Hackensack	Hackensack	NJ
Vivian Yang	Clements High School	Sugar Land	TX
Ling Yeung	Torrey Pines High School	Encinitas	CA
Jenny Zhang	California Academy Of Mathematics & Science	Carson	CA

About Bank of America

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) 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 approximately 53 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 nearly 29 million active users. Bank of America is among the world’s leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries.

About NCWIT

NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology, a non-profit coalition of more than 200 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits working to improve U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and workforce sustainability by increasing women's participation in IT. NCWIT's work spans K-12 and higher education through industry and academic careers. NCWIT partners include Apple, AT&T, Avaya, Auburn University, Bank of America, Boehringer Ingelheim, Carnegie Mellon University, Cisco, Credit Suisse, EMC, Georgia Tech, Google, HP, Intel, Medco, Microsoft, MIT, Motorola, National Science Foundation, Pfizer, Purdue University, Qualcomm, State Street, University of Colorado. Walmart, and Zynga. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.