Meet the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Award Honorees

Manasi Alegaonkar – Senior, Wayzata High School

Manasi is a National Honorable Mention. Her tech journey began with a childhood love for LEGOs, leading to an interest in engineering and technology. She explored iOS features, web apps, and block coding before advancing to website development and object-oriented programming. Passionate about equity, she improved Vidya Gyan’s website and founded HerDreams, a STEM platform. She holds a GenCyber cybersecurity certification and aims to study AI’s impact on politics and law.

Advika Chaudhari- Junior, Eastview High School

Advika is a National Honorable Mention recipient. Advika is an avid STEM learner and advocate of STEM education in underserved communities. She started her journey in STEM in third grade, learning block programming and joining FIRST Robotics. Now, she spends her time as a captain and software lead of her FIRST Robotics team. In addition, she leads STEM initiatives such as Girls Who Code, Technovation, and Her FIRST in her community.

Neha Nandhakumar – Senior, Wayzata High School

Neha is a National Honorable Mention. She has been passionate about coding since sixth grade. She has participated in hackathons, summer programs like Girls Who Code, and the MN Cup, where she developed “percent-x” to promote water conservation. She also completed the AFS Global STEM Accelerators program, gaining skills in sustainability and social impact. Her experiences have solidified her goal of pursuing an engineering degree to leverage technology for sustainability.

Mikhala Rivers – Senior, DeLaSalle High School

Mikhala is a National Honorable Mention recipient. She is passionate about providing STEM opportunities for underprivileged youth in her community. She started a robotics team in the First Tech Challenge, called B.O.B. which stands for Black, Outstanding, and Beautiful. Her team is one of the only all-black all-female robotics teams in the U.S. Mikhala is a National FTC Dean’s List Finalist. She is currently working with the Minnesota STEM Partnership to make her city a hotspot for STEM.

Hamda Aden – Senior, Brooklyn Center High School

Hamda is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She developed a passion for computer science through gaming, specifically Roblox. Her journey led to the 8-week Genesys Works program and an internship at Target, where she joined the Truscan team and discovered her love for IT. She advocates for more opportunities for young Black women in STEM and empowering under-served communities to succeed in tech. Hamda aims to make technology more inclusive for all.

Eman Ali – Senior, Wayzata High School

Eman is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She is passionate about combining psychology and technology to improve the lives of neurodivergent individuals. She is a University of Minnesota-Twin Cities “A Lab Autism Research” researcher, where she applies her skills to real-world challenges, including research on interventions for children with ADHD and autism. She plans to develop tools to support underserved communities in the future.

Jordyn Johnson – Senior, DeLaSalle High School

Jordyn is a National Honorable mention and State Winner. She is a captain of her varsity volleyball team, and she holds multiple school records. Recently, a report was conducted by WCCO discussing her accomplishments. This past summer she had the amazing opportunity to intern with the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball Team. Next year, she will be attending the University of California, Santa Barbara on a volleyball scholarship, where she hopes to study mechanical engineering or physics.

Bethelehem Kebede – Senior, Rosemount High School

Bethelehem is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She was introduced to the STEM field through a collaboration between her school and We Share Solar. She applied to the Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics. She is working on applying machine learning models for Sign Language Translation and is a teacher at Kids for Code where she mentors elementary students in Java. She plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering on the pre-med track.

Afomia Mesfin – Junior, Irondale Senior High School

Afomia is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. A junior at Irondale High School, State Speech Champion, and lead of Autonomous Programming on KnightKrawler Robotics, her interdisciplinary interests in personal relations have inspired her to take university-level courses in politics, business and computer systems like Harvard CS50. Her commitment to expanding access to STEM opportunities has led to her spearheading training development on her Robotics team and expanding her impact in programs like Technovation as well as personal projects across various programming languages.

Laasya Pandari – Sophomore, Rosemount High School

Laasya is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She discovered her passion for STEM during her internship at Optum, where she worked closely with UX designers and explored computer science. Laasya is a two-time state qualifier in DECA, a debate state quarterfinalist, and actively participates in student council. She is dedicated to using technology to solve real-world problems and looks forward to continuing her journey in the tech field.

Julia Rosenman – Sophomore, Breck School

Julia is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. Julia has spent time learning from STEM practitioners at various companies and teaching STEM-focused lesson plans in classes. She is also co-creator of the Aspirations in Computing Technology Exploration Award, which recognizes students throughout Minnesota for their dedication to reaching out to and learning from technology practitioners and frequently speaks on the topic of real-world learning in schools.

Sara Rosenman – Sophomore, Breck School

Sara is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. Sara has spent time learning from STEM practitioners at various companies and teaching STEM-focused real-world learning and professional skills lesson plans in classes. She is also co-creator of the Aspirations in Computing Technology Exploration Award, which recognizes students throughout Minnesota for their dedication to reaching out to and learning from technology practitioners. Sara is co-captain of her school’s robotics team.

Cecilia Ratemo – Junior, Eden Prairie High School

Cecilia is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She is passionate about technology, social justice, and education. Her love for technology began in 10th grade with Science Olympiad, leading her to join programs like Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy, learning Python, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. This summer, she became an Athena EdTech student ambassador, focusing on responsible AI in K-12 education and co-founded her school chapter, Athena EPHS.

Riddhi Singhvi – Sophomore, Stillwater Area High School

Riddhi is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She began coding in 4th grade with Khan Academy and expanded her skills through middle school. Since 7th grade, she has competed in the Congressional App Challenge. A Broadcom MASTERS Top 300 and ISEF finalist, she has conducted science projects since 6th grade. She is a Business Professionals of America captain and competes in speech and debate. She is passionate about using coding to help manage chronic diseases like diabetes.

Ivanka Sonkusare – Junior, Woodbury High School

Ivanka is a National Honorable Mention recipient and a State Winner. She founded Methane Matters, an initiative to spread awareness about methane emissions and its impact. Her effort was recognized by the President. Ivanka is engaged in methane reduction research at Cornell and USDA, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She started an Artificial Intelligence club at her high school.

Ariya Tikoo – Junior, Wayzata High School

Ariya is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. Ariya is currently working on developing a large language model based chatbot system that aids type 1 diabetics in health-related decision making, inspired by her own journey with type 1 diabetes. Ariya recently submitted the first working draft and a paper on her project to Minnesota Scholars of Distinction in Computer Science. Ariya plans to double major in computer science and pre-law while in college.

Zhoujinyi Wen – Senior, Jefferson High School

Zhoujinyi is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. She has a passion for inclusiveness in STEM. She has led initiatives such as founding a girls’ solar boat racing team, launching a middle school code club, and hosting events as a Code.org Ambassador. She was named a Scholar of Distinction in Computer Science for developing an AI tool for generating game dialogue. She has co-authored a paper on racial biases in facial emotion recognition.

Isabella Wittwer – Senior, Princeton High School

Isabella is a National Honorable Mention recipient and State Winner. Her STEM passion ignited in elementary school through Ozobots and VEX IQ. She honed her programming and engineering skills, competing in VEX Robotics and excelling in advanced STEM courses like engineering and AP computer science. Committed to mentorship, Isabella empowers young students, particularly girls, to build confidence in STEM. Aspiring to further her impact, she plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Yosan Asbu – Senior, Breck School

Yosan is a State Winner. She started learning to code with Scratch and has never looked back. As a member of her school’s FIRST Robotics team and selective Advanced Science Research program, Yosan combines her interest in math and science with her love for coding. She also advocates for inclusivity in STEM and is a leader in her school’s math league and Black student affinity group. In the fall, she will study Computer Science at the University of Chicago.

Jia Chenchlani – Junior, Eden Prairie High School

Jia is a State Winner. A co-founder of Tech to Transform, a non-profit for digital literacy, Jia bridges the digital divide through tech drives and education. She has taken every CS course at her school and is active in the CS Honor Society. Her interests include law and politics, and she captains her school’s speech, debate, and mock trial teams. An internationally ranked DECA competitor, Jia plans to double major in computer and political science and attend law school to become an IP attorney.

Elianah Dollar-Simmons – Junior, Tartan High School

Elianah is a State Winner. She began her journey in computer science by taking a web development class at Saint Paul College. She is an alumna of the Computer Science Scholars program at Carnegie Mellon University and contributed significantly to Hack Club’s “Athena” initiative. Elianah helped run the Evergreen event at the Amazon HQ, the Oasis event at the FUTO HQ, and the Ascend event at the SpaceX HQ, which was the biggest hackathon for high-school girls in 2024.

Reeha Ibrahim – Junior, Totino Grace High School

Reeha is a State Winner. Her love of coding began in seventh grade with Technovation, where she made apps to help with fast fashion, diabetes management, and food sourcing. She has since participated in the Congressional App Challenge, various camps, and advanced courses in coding. Reeha’s favorite STEM activity is coding for her school’s FIRST Robotics team, where she is lead developer and a driver. She also does DECA, Mock Trial, and volleyball.

Emily Oberleitner – Senior, Eden Prairie High School

Emily is a State Winner. She created an AI program to expedite pain research, winning 1st place in the World AI Youth Competition. As an intern at CorRen Medical, she worked on prototyping an AI-driven Doppler device and presented and published her work in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Digital Collection. Additionally, she is passionate about supporting women’s education as a Senior Fellow at the Joyce Ivy Foundation.

Thanishka Shetty – Senior, Mounds View High School

Thanishka is a State Winner. She is a passionate social entrepreneur who believes in the power of technology to inspire innovation and create meaningful change. Committed to bridging the STEM education gap across Minnesota, she works with nonprofits, including serving as an ambassador for TechnovationGirls, to create opportunities for all. Thanishka aspires to further explore business innovation through technology, driven by a desire to contribute to both fields and create positive change.

Tvisha Talwar – Junior, Wayzata High School

Tvisha is a State Winner. Her interest in computer science was sparked in elementary school through Code.org and further developed in fifth grade when she joined a FIRST Lego League team. She has attended coding summer camps like Kode with Klossy, where she learned iOS development and built her first application. Tvisha is currently working on an AI project for the agriculture industry and furthering her knowledge through advanced coursework at the University of Minnesota.

Bella Ahmed – Senior, Edina High School

Bella is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Her interest in computer science began in middle school when she joined her school’s STEM Club for Girls and explored robotics, sparking a passion for technology. Last summer, Bella participated in Girls Who Code, where she learned cybersecurity, web development, and data science and created projects using these skills. Since then, she has learned JavaScript and Python. Bella plans to continue pursuing her passion in the future.

Kayna Aneja – Senior, Eden Prairie High School

Kayna is a State Honorable Mention. She is a 2024 National CyberStart Scholar, earning a scholarship for the GIAC certification. As the co-owner of “Light & Lens Photography,” she developed an online tracker to streamline operations, blending her passion for technology and business. Her problem-solving skills extend to DECA, where she has gained international recognition, showcasing her ability to merge cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and strategy.

Adeline Barmann – Junior, Edina High School

Adeline is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She is the co-leader in the Technovation club and an engaged DECA member. Adeline’s cutting-edge computer science innovation plan propelled her to DECA state qualifications. She serves as a valued member of her city’s Career and Technical Education Student Advisory Board. She hopes to advocate for more diversity in computer science and STEM related fields as well as work to find ways to use computer science to combat environmental issues.

Bhama Binu – Senior, Wayzata High School

Bhama is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She quickly recognized the disparity in women in technology as she began to incorporate more STEM classes in her educational journey. Being one of the few females in Chess Club, and now the Chess Club Captain, she became a passionate and inclusive leader. Bhama aspires to study Informatics and Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She looks forward to continuing her efforts to reduce the gender gap in STEM.

Brooke-Lynn Byfield – Freshman, Eden Prairie High School

Brooke-Lynn is a State Honorable Mention recipient. As a rising 9th grader, Brook has progressed greatly in her STEM journey. She is an integral part of the Eden Prairie FRC robotics team, learning Rust. She challenges herself with rigorous academic courses and coding summer camps. Brooke mentors younger FIRST robotics programs year-round. She also enthusiastically takes on many personal coding projects from building python web scrapers to learning cybersecurity and system internals in Linux.

Lynn Carter – Junior, Edina High School

Lynn is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Lynn spends a lot of their efforts focused on computer science within their school’s computer science department. Their STEM enthusiasm extends beyond the classroom, as they spend ample time on personal computer science pursuits including developing digital games. Outside of academia, they are focused on music and artistic interests. They hope to continue their studies in computer science or computer programming in college.

Ziwei Chen – Senior, Eden Prairie High School

Ziwei is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Eager to learn more about the field of computing, her coursework spans from iOS Mobile App Development to MATH 2243 at the University of Minnesota. She works to expand STEM access in her community by volunteering with the middle school Science Olympiad team in addition to competing at the high school level. To continue pursuing her interest in technology, Ziwei plans to major in Computer Science with a focus on computer systems and optimization.

Avital Coleman – Sophomore, St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Avital is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She is a self-taught coder, athletic diver, outdoor enthusiast, demonstrated leader, and active community member. Currently, her focus is on a science fair project developing smart irrigation systems for developing countries, using rainfall and soil moisture data to enhance agricultural climate stability. In the future, Avi plans to apply her knowledge about technology and AI to broader global health issues to help serve her community.

Astou Dione – Junior, Roseville Area High School

Astou is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Astou stays active in various STEM focused school clubs and encourages her female peers to stay passionate in STEM. Astou has served a year-long term on the Minnesota Youth Council and for two consecutive years held the position of Class Representative on her school’s Student Council. She is currently part of the Youth Executive Board. Astou plans to attend college and study Aerospace Engineering and aims to push the boundaries of space exploration.

Evy Fieldseth – Senior, Roseville Area High School

Evy is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Her passion for technology began in math and science and grew through experiences in coding, aviation, and engineering. She became Hack Club leader, earned her Commercial Drones License, and is a part-owner of an aircraft painting business. Evy plans to study business, aviation, or computer science and is considering a future in the Air Force. She’s passionate about using drones to solve real-world problems, particularly in critical supply delivery.

Catie Ingrisone – Senior, Edina High School

Catie is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She secured a 2024 internship, was selected for the Seminar for Top Engineering Prospects program and won third place in the 2024 National Design + Construction Competition. She delivered a TEDx talk on mental health awareness and law enforcement interaction. She aspires to develop AI tools for architectural planning that environments focused on improving spaces for the mentally disabled community.

Zohha Khan – Senior, Math & Science Academy

Zohha is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She is a PSEO student at the University of Minnesota, where she combines her passion for technology, medicine, and biomedical engineering. As Student Council President, Debate Team Captain, and founder of the Muslim Student Association, she leads meaningful initiatives within her school. She advocates for youth as a Minnesota Youth Council representative, spearheading policy efforts and lead a press conference at the State Capitol.

Annie Klyn – Senior, Hermantown Senior High School

Annie is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Her love for video games led her to programming. As co-captain of her school’s FIRST Robotics Competition team, she oversees strategy, programming, and logistics, applying her coding skills in an engineering environment. Beyond robotics, she enjoys game design and creative writing. Already on her way to a computer science degree, she hopes to pursue a career in video game design, combining creativity with technology.

Pranika Kumar – Junior, Edina High School

Pranika is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She is passionate about using technology to address social inequities and is ranked first in State Congressional Debate. As the lead developer of Eyeda, she integrated AI to improve road safety, earning grants and partnerships. She researches computational protein modeling at the University of Minnesota and has presented at Johns Hopkins. She teaches coding through Vidya Gyan and leads Science Olympiad. Pranika aims to advance AI in healthcare.

Savanna Larson – Senior, Minnetonka High School

Savanna is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She is passionate about quantitative ecology, using data science to drive conservation efforts. Her research on Canada lynx and bob sympatry in Minnesota earned first place the Twin Cities Regional Science Fair and multiple STEM awards. She is expanding her skill set in R and ArcGIS to further ecological niche modeling. Savanna aspires to pursue a PhD and conduct research that advances conservation policy and projects.

Aaratrika Mondal – Junior, Wayzata High School

Aaratrika is a State Honorable Mention recipient. What began as a volunteer project for her dance school has blossomed into a deep passion for coding, which she aims to integrate into her future career in computational biology. She applies her technical skills to support her community and enhance technological accessibility to Indian culture and heritage. She plans to continue her coding journey through college and beyond, using her expertise to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

Ananya Murugavel – Junior, Eagle Ridge Academy

Ananya is a State Honorable Mention recipient. In 2023 she won her district’s Congressional App Challenge with her website act1on 4 chang3. She is the 2024 SVP MN YouthSparks Competition winner for her innovative idea, HotSpot. In addition, her research project and app, Serenidia, which interprets nutritional labels, was recognized as a finalist in the 2024 National STEM Competition. Ananya uses her youth organization, Digital Dreamers, to educate and inspire the next generation.

Ishika Nanavati – Senior, Eden Prairie High School

Ishika is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She enjoys implementing technology to drive innovation, particularly at the intersection of business and computer science. She has pursued advanced coursework, including AP Java, iOS Mobile App Development, and college-level programming. Passionate about making technology more inclusive, she developed an app for the Jain community and engages in STEM diversity initiatives. She plans to major in Management Information Systems and minor in Computer Science.

Prisha Rathore – Junior, Math & Science Academy

Prisha is a State Honorable Mention recipient. Her passion for coding began in second grade. She has explored web design and game development through courses from the University of Michigan and the University of London. She is a 3M Personal Safety Division Award Winner and continues to expand her skills by taking AP Computer Science A. Outside of technology, she plays varsity soccer, practices piano, and is a member of NHS. Prisha plans to pursue a degree in Software Engineering.

Ayza Rizwan – Junior, Wayzata High School

Ayza is a State Honorable Mention recipient passionate about computer science and cybersecurity. After moving from rural Saudi Arabia to Minnesota in 2022, she discovered coding and quickly excelled in Java and HTML. She has developed programs, from student databases to a slot machine simulator. A top student in AP Calculus BC and AP Computer Science A, she will study cybersecurity with industry mentors and plans to major in software engineering and cybersecurity to drive meaningful innovations.

Gabriella Watson – Sophomore, Blaine High School

Gabriella is a State Honorable Mention recipient. She has a passion for learning that spans various subjects and is exploring AP Computer Science A through self-guided learning. Gabriella is part of her school’s Engineering (PLTW) program. She is the business/media lead and a Java programmer on the 2181 Gears robotics team, where she contributes her skills in coding, creates media posts, and organizes community outreach events to captivate and encourage children with a passion for STEM.

Shawn Anto – Junior, Wayzata High School
Calin Baenen – Senior, Richfield High School
Sumeya Barre – Sophomore, Camden High School
Ameya Bhaskar – Junior, Maple Grove Senior High School
Alysia Brezai – Sophomore, Wayzata High School
Yao Buchl – Senior, Highland Park Senior High School
Amran Dahir – Senior, St. Louis Park High School
Snow Due – Sophomore, Austin High School
Hailey Fast – Junior, Redwood Valley High School
Anika Fokken – Junior, Highland Park Senior High School
Jasmine Freund – Junior, Central High School
Ananya Goli – Freshman, Eden Prairie High School
Madison Hinton – Senior, Home School
Gabriella Hudson – Senior, Minnetonka High School
Abigail Hudson – Senior, Minnetonka High School

Shanaya Jana – Junior, Edina High School
Delmariea Joseph – Senior, Tartan High School
Navika Kishore – Senior, Eastview High School
Samhita Krishnamurthy – Freshman, Minnetonka High School
Autumn Kron – Senior, Rocori High School
Alayna Kurland – Sophomore, Blaine High School
Claire Langworthy – Junior, Maple River High School
Vivi Lauer – Freshman, Mounds View High School
Yang Youa Lee – Senior, Hmong College Prep Academy
Melody Li – Senior, Eden Prairie High School
AnnaSophia Lor – Senior, Blaine High School
Addie Lovaas – Junior, Edina High School
Brenna Lundquist – Sophomore, Austin High School
Rayan Musse – Senior, Minnetonka High School
Abby Ochanda – Senior, Rosemount High School

Maya Page – Sophomore, Woodbury High School
Hailie Peterson – Junior, Austin High School
Krisha Pillai – Junior, The Blake School
Brindha Rajkumar – Junior, Wayzata High School
Eh Htee Sher – Junior, Hope Community Academy
Shreya Shobankumar – Sophomore, Rosemount High School
Sandara Sihavong – Junior, Blaine High School
Anushkaa Sinha – Sophomore, Blaine High School
Anisa Suber – Freshman, Thomas Edison High School
Anisha Surily – Junior, Eden Prairie High School
Jaeda Swanigan-Wright – Senior, Camden High School
Cyrena Vaught – Senior, Rosemount High School
Noelle Wanken – Junior, Rosemount High School
Sarah Yi – Senior, Edina High School

Jessica Brent, State Winner, Eden Prairie High School

Jessica teaches computer science at Eden Prairie High School and Eden Prairie Online. Before joining EP Schools, she taught English, English Language Learners, AVID, and Math in St. Anthony Village, MN, as well as in San Bernardino, Beaumont, and San Jose, California. She was among the first teachers in the country to launch AP Computer Science Principles, an experience that fueled her passion for the field. As the demand for computer science classes increased, so did her own learning. She earned a CS teaching certificate from the College of St. Scholastica, followed by two cybersecurity certificates from Google Coursera and ISC². Most recently, she joined a national cohort studying Quantum Computing at a conference for computer science educators. A lifelong learner, Jessica is always adapting to meet her students’ needs. She uses her philosophy degree daily—grappling with the epistemological implications of ChatGPT, the ethics of algorithms, and the social justice imperative of expanding access to computer science education for all students.

Joee Winter, State Honorable Mention, Austin Senior High School

Joee Winter is currently teaching computer science and math at Austin High School in Austin, MN. She started teaching computer science courses in 2020 and has been working to grow the computer science pathway at her school, including adding 4 new courses in 5 years. She is a leader for Austin High School’s implementation of MTSS, a Link Crew Coordinator and leads a Girls Who Code club at her school. She continues to work towards growing student access to computer science education at her school and in Minnesota. Previous awards include 2022 CSTA/Infosys Foundation USA CS Teaching Excellence Regional Award winner and STEM Forward Outstanding Educator Nominee 2024.  Her family includes her husband and two young daughters. In her free time, Joee enjoys spending time with her family and friends. knitting, reading and spending time outside, no matter the season.