Kelly Z.

Kelly started her journey into computing when she joined her school’s robotics club in 5th grade. Immediately hooked, she taught herself to code and assumed the role of Lead Programmer on her FIRST and VEX teams. In the 20-21 season, her VEX v5 team placed 1st in NH and qualified for Worlds. Beyond robotics, Kelly competes on the gold level of the USA Computing Olympiad. Now a Senior at Oyster River High School, Kelly is an active member of both her school and her community. She has served as Class President and member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team for the past three years. Bettering community is one of Kelly’s core tenets. Kelly's greatest technical achievement to date is having her first-authored research paper accepted for publication in the IEEE 6th International Conference on Universal Village Journal. Her research used artificial intelligence to improve dementia care. In addition to her own interest in technology, Kelly is a believer in sharing her passions. She was invited to serve as a camp counselor for the University of New Hampshire’s EPIC camp, in person and virtually (2020) and has assisted as a judge and commentator during robotics events. Kelly cares deeply about providing opportunities and support in STEM education, especially to bridge the gender gap. The coding club she founded at her high school is now in its 3rd year with more members than ever before. Club members code games, create websites, develop apps, and compete in hackathons. They recently gained national recognition via induction into the National Computer Science Honor Society. Outside of STEM, Kelly can be found at the rink playing ice hockey or hanging out with friends. Kelly aspires to use her knowledge and passion to help the world, perhaps inspiring others to do the same along the way!