(05/07/2025) Five Blaine High School students are among 92 across the state to earn recognition for their work in computer science by the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Awards (MNAiC). 

Blaine High School’s Gabriella Watson earned honorable mention honors while classmates Alayna Kurland, AnnaSophia Lor, Sandara Sihavong and Anushkaa Sinha were named Rising Star award winners in the 13th Annual MNAiC Computing Awards.

Honorees were selected for competence and strong scores, as evidenced by their outstanding engagement in a variety of technology and leadership experiences provided by their high school, and community partners, and through online learning experiences.

MNAiC partners with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and an array of Minnesota companies and organizations to support high school students in realizing their computing-related education and career aspirations. 

Award honorees at various levels are provided access to mentoring, job shadowing, internships, and college scholarship opportunities. Students will also receive access to exclusive resources provided by the NCWIT. 

NCWIT is a non-profit community of more than 1,100 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase girls' and women’s meaningful participation in computing. MNAiC seeks to inspire, engage, and empower young women in grades 9-12 to pursue technology education and career paths.