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Kyla L.

Kyla, a Senior at Kalani High School, is a self-motivated individual that manages Girls in Technology, Engineering, and Computing (GTEC), which is a week-long student-run cyber camp that targets elementary and middle school girls in areas that do not typically have high STEM participation. She organizes, plans, teaches and helps little kids for the ‘Aha!’ moments they get when their faces light up with excitement when they see that what they’ve worked so hard on actually works. Kyla has a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and competes in FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) on Team Magma 9378, FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) on Team Magma 3008, Oahu Mathematics League, CyberPatriots, GirlsGoCyberStart, and CompuGirls Hawaii. She is Captain of both FTC and FRC robotics; LEO club, which is a community service and outreach club; computer programming club; and mathematics team. She has gotten first place in engineering and mechanical design in the ISSEF science Fair, gotten recognition from the governor of Hawaii for getting first place in GirlsGoCyberStart and 6th place nation-wide, Novice Award for CyberPatriots in her first year competing. Most recently, she has been recognized for the Worlds Dean’s List--which an award presented by Dean Kamen (Creator of FIRST Robotics) that recognizes 20 individuals world-wide that have proven to be a young inspiring leader in the world of science and technology that and awards tenacity and go-getters. She loves giving back to the community as she is very involved with various volunteering, such as emceeing and hosting various FIRST Lego League tournaments; participating in beach clean-ups; VEX volunteer Chinese translator; running the Kalani Robotics Academy and Girls in Technology, Engineering, and Computing camps; craft fairs; various STEM nights at different schools; tutoring; volunteering at the Special Olympics, and volunteers almost every Sunday at her youth church. Using COVID-19 as an agent of change, she has utilized her engineering and computer aided design (CAD) skills to make flute shields for the local band departments (selling over 200), partnering with Hawaiian TelCom to create key ring door openers, and producing face shields to address the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also started a small business designing and producing laser cut wooden ornaments. Kyla plans to attain her masters degree in computer science, then pursue a career in the cybersecurity field as a project manager. She looks forward to her future in continuing her journey through the wonders of the cyberworld.

Awards Received

  • 2020 Hawai‘i AffiliateWinner
  • 2021 Hawai‘i AffiliateWinner
  • 2022 NationalHonorable Mention
  • 2022 Hawai‘i AffiliateWinner
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