Three remarkable young women from District 196 were honored by the Minnesota Aspirations in Computing awards for their innovation, leadership, and passion for STEM.

Bethelehem Kebede, a senior at Rosemount High School, is leveraging machine learning to advance sign language translation. A dedicated teacher at Kids for Code, Beth plans to pursue Biomedical Engineering on a pre-med track and will be interning at General Mills this summer.

Laasya Pandari, a sophomore at Rosemount High School, found her spark for STEM during an internship with Optum, where she collaborated with UX designers. A two-time state DECA qualifier and debate quarterfinalist, she is deeply engaged in student leadership and will be interning at Land O’Lakes this summer.

Advika Chaudhari, a junior at Eastview High School, was recognized with a National Honorable Mention A captain and software lead for the Eastview FIRST Robotics team, Advika also founded Her First, a global resource supporting girls in robotics. She actively champions programs like Girls Who Code and Technovation, interns in IT at Securian Financial, and serves on the District 196 Gifted and Talented Advisory Board—all while also being a debate team member.

The Minnesota Aspirations in Computing program connects students with mentorship, scholarships, and hands-on tech opportunities to support future careers in STEM.