Lesley Martin is a teacher who works with students in business education. She has been awarded the 2016 NCWIT Aspirations in computing educator award. This award recognizes educators that have demonstrated commitment to young women’s aspirations in computing.
“It feels pretty good, it’s nice to be recognized and to see that people are seeing that I’m trying really hard to promote computers and work really hard,” Martin said.
This year her classes have won many awards. Three female students were nominated for the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in computing programing. This award recognizes female students in technology class and encourages them to aspire to do things in technology. The technology field is mostly made up of men and there are very few women. Two female students won and one got runner up. One of the winners was junior Miranda Haryo-Putri. The award recognizes young women for their computing-related achievements and interests.
“It means a lot to me because I was never really confident that I could excel in the field but getting the award kind of reinsures me that if you work hard, then you can definitely make it” said Haryo-Putri.
One of the awards is the Verizon Innovation App Challenge. The challenge is where kids come up with a non-existent app that betters the community. Before they make the app, they have to sell it.
“That’s the hardest thing for my programmers because they just want to make it and I have to get them to think how would you sell your idea before you actually make it,” Martin said.
The app they made was ‘Teacher Assistance’ and it won at the state level.

“It feels amazing,” said Martin. “It’s fun to watch the kids get excited because at first they’re kind of nervous about it and not quite sure what it is going to turn into and to watch them get excited when they see where their idea goes is pretty cool.”