Home McAuliffe, Virginia Council on Women announce STEM Essay Contest winners
Local News

McAuliffe, Virginia Council on Women announce STEM Essay Contest winners

Contributors

Governor Terry McAuliffe and the Virginia Council on Women announced the winners of the sixth annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Essay Contest for young women enrolled in their junior or senior year of high school.

writing essay“It is my pleasure to join the Virginia Council on Women to announce this year’s STEM Essay Contest winners,”said Governor McAuliffe. “Encouraging young women to pursue their interest in STEM is critical to growing the new Virginia economy.  I am grateful to the Council on Women for helping women explore the ever-growing STEM field and giving them resources to prepare for a successful future.”

The Council on Women established this contest to award scholarships to high school junior and senior young women who plan to pursue STEM careers at institutions of higher education.  The winners represent five geographic regions across Virginia and each received a $7,000 scholarship. More than 500 young women from across the Commonwealth submitted essays, which focused on their vision for a future STEM career.  The awardees were recognized at a reception hosted by the Governor and First Lady at the Executive Mansion today.

The 2017 STEM Essay Contest winners are:

  • Eastern Virginia/Hampton Roads: Helen Dekker, Norview High School, Norfolk, VA
  • Richmond/Central Virginia: Morgan Logsdon, Mills E. Godwin High School, Henrico, VA
  • Northern Virginia: Suzie Bae, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Fairfax, VA
  • Southwest/Southside Virginia: Naomi Kane, Chatham Hall, Chatham, VA
  • Valley/Western Virginia: Rachel Tomei,  Spotswood High School, Harrisonburg, VA

The Council extends its sincere thanks to all of the sponsors and judges of this year’s STEM Scholarship Awards.  This year’s sponsors were:  Capital One, Dominion Resources, Hunton & Williams LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, Latham & Watkins LLP, Murphy & McGonigle PC, Troutman Sanders LLP, Pace Collaborative PC, Patient First, McGuireWoods LLP, and Appalachian Power Company.

The judges, who generously gave their time to judge these entries, were: Srilatha Ainala, Jessica Ankey, Hala Ayala, Ada Bacetty, Swapna Sandla, Erin Evans-Bedois, Mimi Bender, Lanessa Bryant, Meta Braymer, Julie Brown, Raymon Burton, Ikeita Hinojosa Cantu, Jennifer Chambers, Nicole Colon, Kat Cox, Katie Crepps, Shalini Gloyal, Melanie Gubbels Bupp, Christine Hales, Meredith Harbach, Kristen Herring, Sonia Hinson, Jennifer Onoaker, Lalisha Hurt, Ngozi Ibe, Stephanie Iverson, Da’Shaun Joseph, Barbara Kapas, Leigh Kesler, Paula Kindberg, Allison Lawrence Jones, Lori Merricks, Janice Miller, Devin Pugh-Thomas, Mary Quillen, Belinda Rabonese, Carol Rick Gibbons, Tina Robertson, Katy Sawyer, Kristen Shannon, Melissa Southworth, Eulonda Skyles, Traci Stevens, Michelle Strucke, Lekeisha Terrell, Kelly Thomasson, Diane Tomb, Katherine Waddell, Norifo Wade, Katie Wilke, Jennifer Wilson, Ann Yauger, Celeste Young, and Kit Young.

The Council was pleased to partner, once again, with the Math Science Innovation Center, who serves as the fiscal agent for the contest.

The Virginia Council on Women was created to help women reach their potential and maximize their contributions to society and the Commonwealth as wage-earners and citizens.  The Council has initiated several projects to meet this goal, in addition to the annual STEM essay contest.  For more information on the Council or on available sponsorship opportunities, visit commonwealth.virginia.gov/council-on-women/.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

uva basketball andrew rohde shooting
Basketball, Sports

Live Coverage: UVA Basketball grits out 73-70 win at Virginia Tech

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in Florida
Sports News

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in Florida

The Daytona 500 will zoom into action on Sunday, February 16th, 2025 and it promises to be one the best races of the year. The NASCAR season will kick into high gear this week and the best Florida sportsbooks are giving away up to $5,625 in free bets for the race. Read on to learn...

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in South Carolina
Sports News

How To Bet On The Daytona 500 in South Carolina

The 67th annual Daytona 500 is right around the corner and NASCAR fans in South Carolina can put the pedal to the metal by cashing in with some of the top online sportsbooks. With the season-opening race set to kick into high gear on Sunday, the best offshore betting sites are giving away up to...

5 Best Betting Apps for the 2025 Daytona 500
Sports News

5 Best Betting Apps for the 2025 Daytona 500

uva ryan dunn ncst
Basketball, Sports

UVA Basketball alum Ryan Dunn set for NBA All-Star Game Tournament on Sunday

South River Greenway
Local News

Waynesboro: Section of South River Greenway to close for 30 to 60 days for improvements

uva football o line
Football, Sports

UVA Football: Elliott adds talent, depth, experience to O line from the transfer portal