40 Women Pursuing Technology Degrees Receive MCWT Scholarships

SOUTHFIELD, June 29, 2021 – Forty technology-oriented women received scholarships at a Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation virtual event on June 15. The women are pursuing degrees that will prepare them for future careers in areas such as computer science, robotics, data science engineering, cyber security and software engineering. MCWT has awarded $1.54 million in scholarships for 214 women since 2002.  

University of Michigan student and 2018-2021 MCWT scholarship recipient, Megan Worrel, spoke to the new class of awardees.   

“It’s such a powerful thing to know that there’s a whole community of people who want to support women in tech,” she said. “MCWT has definitely helped boost my confidence. They have provided me with mentorships and helped me form new connections at my internships and beyond.”  

Worrel’s advice to the scholars: “There are so many different ways to get even more involved with this organization. Take every opportunity to engage with MCWT.”  

Each recipient is paired with a mentor who meets throughout the year with the scholar to support her as she navigates her academic years. MCWT’s 2021 scholarship recipients, representing 10 colleges and universities throughout Michigan, include:   

– MCWT Scholarship Fund: Rachel Mei Lanting (Oshtemo)  

– Friends of MCWT Foundation Scholarship: Megan Blaesing (St. Clair Shores); Nina Moyski (Northville); Nicole Nelson (Fenton), Erica Mackenzie Schliem (Grand Rapids); Katherine White (Midland)  

– Ally Scholarship: Lena Elkoussy (Dearborn); Breanna Krywko (Waterford Township)  

– Amerisure Scholarship: Naamna Mody (Canton), Hafsa Sultana (Farmington Hills)  

– BorgWarner Scholarship: Miranda Gonzalez (St. Joseph); Mariam Mahmoud (Ann Arbor); Christine Zeng (Sterling Heights)  

– Consumers Energy Scholarship: Nikitha Chittela (Canton), Anne George (Novi), Sakthi Mohanraji (Canton), Katherine Nicholson (Grand Rapids), Poulami Sau (Canton)   

– Dow Scholarship: Hanna Halstead (West Bloomfield), Katherine Perry (Midland)  

– MASCO Scholarship: Savanah Barnes (Burton), Rachel Crowley (Midland), Katherine Guthrie (Delton), Priyal Shah (West Bloomfield), Alyssa Taylor (Roscommon), Sumedha Vadlapudi (Novi)  

– NTT Managed Services Scholarship: Arsha Ali (Troy); Aishwarya Arvind (Troy), Lia Boussi (Dearborn), Himaja Motheram (Canton), Linda Weng (Novi)  

– SentinelOne Scholarship: Ritika Parikh (Canton)  

– Thirdware Scholarship: Jessica Messing (Freeland)  

– Vectorform Scholarship: Alexandra Bannon (Boyne City); Mia Cusenza (Grandville); Isabela Kart (Bay City)  

– Victoria “Katie” Sweet Memorial Scholarship: Madison Connell (Commerce Township)  

– Yazaki Scholarship: Ketaki Gaikwad (St. Joseph); Gurnoor Kaur (Sterling Heights); Lisa Tauro (Novi)

A strong network of partner companies and individuals who support a diverse IT industry in Michigan make the program possible. Scholarship donors this year include MCWT partners Ally, Amerisure, Borg Warner, Consumers Energy, Dow, MASCO, NTT Managed Services, SentinelOne, Vectorform and Yazaki. MCWT supporters also contribute to scholarships. Additionally, the family and friends of Victoria “Katie” Sweet created a scholarship fund to memorialize her career and commitment to fostering women in technology.  

“While I cannot guarantee that the scholarship alone will make you successful, I do believe that it is a start,” said Jennifer Charters, CIO, Flagstar Bank and 2021 MCWT President. “It is a spark, that should you embrace it, will ignite and burn very bright.”  

MCWT Scholarship Task Force Lead Kathy Church, General Motors, and MCWT University Mission Director Marisa Bahn, General Motors, were co-emcees during the event. They also spoke about MCWT’s internship program, which has matched 110 women with partner companies over the course of the program’s four-year history.  

The Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation strives to inspire and grow girls and women in technology, aspiring to make Michigan the No. 1 state for women in technology. The organization supports Michigan’s female IT workforce, students, corporate partners, schools and the overall community with programming, scholarships, networking, learning, mentoring, and technology experiences. Find more information at mcwt.org and connect via LinkedIn and Facebook.   

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