Midwood Science senior Bintia Keita was one of 40 winners nationwide to receive the 2022 Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). Since there were over 3,500 applicants, Bintia is almost literally a one-in-a-hundred student (one in 87.5 for the statistically pedantic out there).
The NCWIT AiC honors 9thβ12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.
Bintia’s project is a robot named "Emo" who can be used to teach children with autism about emotions. She built and programmed Emo herself at home using parts partially paid for by a grant from the New York Institute of Technology and parts 3D printed at Midwood.