2025 Aspirations in Computing Event Honors Local Student Innovation and Success
On April 26, 2025, students and educators gathered at UC Irvine for the Regional Affiliate Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Awards for the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program. These annual awards recognize students in grades 9-12 for their “unique talents, aptitude, and aspirations in technology and computing.” This year, over 80 local students were honored from schools in California – from San Diego, Irvine, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, to Cupertino, Los Gatos, San Jose, and many more.
UC Irvine and the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) have a longstanding relationship with NCWIT and the AiC program. Founding Dean of ICS Debra Richardson played a critical role in supporting NCWIT in its early days, and ICS has continued to partner with NCWIT in supporting the program.
The AiC program is part of NCWIT’s larger goals to “expand access to critical knowledge and opportunities” and create environments where students can thrive. AiC offers community, mentorship opportunities, and awards to support students as they pursue technology and computing-focused careers. The program leans on a large network to build pathways to student achievement and success, bolster innovation, and support workforce development in technology-related fields, and it has seen great success so far: according to NCWIT, 90 percent of AiC award winners go on to pursue degrees in STEM fields.
This year’s AiC program was centered on “community, inspiration, and empowerment.” Organizers hoped for students and families to feel supported by the UC Irvine community in their STEM career pursuits, for students to network with others who share similar interests and goals, and to feel empowered in their abilities to leverage technology to address problems that are important to them and their communities. In addition to the awards, the event featured panels and networking opportunities with both faculty and industry professionals for students.
Local awards and honorable mentions recognized projects across an array of focus areas, including: socially impactful tech innovation, cybersecurity, AI-powered app development, drone education, biomedical engineering, ethical hacking, advancing neural engineering for transformative health technology, AI for mental health innovations, coding and engineering for developing assistive technology, STEM and robotics in bioenvironmental engineering, and tech development for disaster response and conservation solutions.
Educators play a key role in the AiC event and the overall achievements of the program, and are also recognized at the annual awards. This year, both regional educator awards went to educators at Westminster High School: Honorable Mention to Kyle Vu, a CS teacher who also leads a robotics team and a CS club, and develops partnerships with a community college for cybersecurity workshops for students, expanding access to opportunities; and the Educator Affiliate award to Huy Pham, a STEM teacher who also co-leads his school’s STEM program, has organized Hispanic and Girls in STEM conferences, and also partnered with local colleges to connect students with mentorship and career development opportunities.
Pham was recognized for his support of students in following their passions and connecting them with possibilities for innovation, career paths, and personal growth. His success as a mentor in the AiC program is mirrored by his enthusiasm for its impact on his students. “I am very grateful for NCWIT AiC at UCI,” he said. “I am not a technical computer science or technology teacher, but can support CS/Tech [students] through other means, namely providing them the opportunity to connect with technical experts and mentors at UCI through NCWIT.”
Pham also highlighted the extended connections and support systems the program creates for the students involved:
“The NCWIT AiC [program] is not just an amazing networking and recognition event, but a lifelong community where my students can grow and thrive together. As much as the students appreciate the medals and recognition, they love the conversations with college panelists and peers from other schools. The best part [for me] was having to ‘kick’ the students home after the event because they didn’t want to leave.”
– Jenna Abrams