An eighth grader at Adobe Middle School is one of 34 middle school age girls in Nevada to be recognized by the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT). Janelle Garcia was recently notified she is a recipient of the 2023 Nevada NCWIT Inspiration Award. She is the only rural student to be recognized in Nevada in her grade level.

The Inspiration Award has been piloted by the Nevada Affiliate of NCWIT for the past three years and is provided to students in eighth grade that have an interest or passion for STEM or technology. Middle school educators that help “inspire” them toward that passion are also awarded.

Garcia was nominated by Adobe Middle School design and modeling teacher, James Brawley, who will also be recognized at the Nevada award ceremony on May 13 in Reno. According to Brawley, the Inspiration Award recognizes girls who have an aptitude and interest in engineering so they keep pursuing it past middle school. “Janelle is always happy amongst her peers in class, turns in all of her assignments, and has a very good aptitude for STEM and math. When I saw the details of the award, I thought of her,” said Brawley.

Garcia credits fundamentals she learned from Brawley’s design and modeling course for sparking her interest in engineering. “This class is just awesome,” said Garcia. “Design and modeling teaches us how to build using technology and our imagination.”

According to the Nevada Affiliate of NCWIT, by generating visibility for these middle schoolers in their local communities, the Inspirations Award encourages their continued interest in STEM and Technology, builds their identity as "someone who does STEM, computing, or technology," and attracts the attention and support of educational, corporate, and non-profit institutions.

About Nevada Affiliate of NCWIT

The Nevada Affiliate of NCWIT is a non-profit organization that works to increase the meaningful participation of girls and women in computing, information technology, and STEM career fields in the State of Nevada.

About NCWIT

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of nearly 1,500 universities, school districts, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women—at the intersections of race/ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other historically marginalized identities—in the field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. NCWIT equips change leaders with resources for taking action in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women from K–12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers.

Elko County School District

Adobe Middle School Student Receives 2023 NCWIT Award