Pictured above from left to right are Olivia Bookout, Patricia Edou, Serena French, and Keith Jackson. Indigo Jackson is not pictured. (Submitted photo)
Four Oak Ridge High School students won state honors, and one student was a national winner—the first from East Tennessee—in computing awards given to young women in 2015.
The Award for Aspirations in Computing by the National Center for Women and Technology honors young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests, a press release said. Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education.
The four ORHS students were among 11 state winners from Tennessee. The Oak Ridge students are Olivia Bookout, Patricia Edou, Serena French, and Indigo Jackson.
Edou was also one of 35 national winners for the 2015 Award for Aspirations in Computing, the first national winner from East Tennessee, and the second-ever national winner from the state of Tennessee.
All winners are students of Keith Jackson, math and computer science teacher and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) coach at Oak Ridge High School.
The press release said the winners were selected from a record 2,691 applicants from across the nation. The 2015 state winners will be honored at Tennessee Technical University on February 21.
The national winners will also be honored at the Bank of America Technology Stars of the Future Showcase and Awards Ceremony on March 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each national winner will receive a $500 cash prize, laptop computer, and two engraved trophies, one for her and one for her school.
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