Jillian LaRosa, a junior at Long Beach High School (LBHS), was recently named a Mississippi Affiliate Winner in the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) initiative, which provides technical girls and women with ongoing engagement, visibility and encouragement for their computing-related interests and achievements from high school through college and into the workforce. The program is sponsored by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT).
The Award for AiC honors qualifying 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
LaRosa has been a member of the Bearcat Belles Dance Team since her freshmen year and is also an active member of the LBHS Student Council, BETA Club, National Honor Society, Key Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She is also the vice president of LBHS's Women in STEM, a club dedicated to promoting women's involvement in areas of STEM.
LaRosa is currently top-ranked in her class and has challenged herself with honors and AP courses, including AP Computer Principles, for which she earned a five (the highest possible score) on the exam.
This past summer, LaRosa was able to apply her computing skills with her volunteerism at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies using a program that matched dolphin dorsal fins. In the future, she plans to attend college and major in biology or biomedical engineering, and then she plans to go to medical school to become a dermatologist. As a dermatologist, she says she plans to optimize her practice by using the most advanced technology to provide her patients with the best preventative and curative treatments.
