5 West Virginia Students Win National Computing Award at Fairmont Luncheon

2 articles · Updated · The Dominion Post · May 13

Five West Virginia high school students received the National Center for Women and Information Technology’s “Aspirations in Computing” award Tuesday at the Innovation Center in Fairmont.
Kathryn Southall of Robert C. Byrd High School was among the honorees, alongside Sreyan Das of Morgantown High, Kennedy Fisher of Cabell Midland, and Valley High students Rylan Adams and Gavin O’Neal.
The award recognizes students seen as likely to build careers and innovations in computing, with Agile5 Technologies hosting the luncheon and executives urging students to see varied paths into tech.
Southall, who plans to study cybersecurity at Fairmont State University this fall, said she hopes to work for the FBI, while WVU STEM leader Gay Stewart used the event to encourage broader entry into engineering and science.

Can West Virginia’s new tech hubs provide enough high-skilled jobs for its aspiring cybersecurity graduates?

As AI supercomputers arrive in Fairmont, how will this tech boom impact surrounding Appalachian communities?