Swetha Prabakaran

High School Graduation Year: 2017
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship, School: 2015, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Sponsored by: The Carson Scholars Fund

Swetha is studying Computer Science and Dance and Performance Studies at the University of California at Berkeley.  Swetha’s societal impact cannot be overstated.  She is the founder of the non-profit organization, Everybody Code Now!, which engages students, especially young women, in the Computer Science and STEM fields through the organization’s various coding programs.  Her organization is responsible for raising over $65,000 that has helped schools expand their Computer Science education programs. Further, Everybody Code Now! has had over 1,500 students worldwide complete their programs.

Thanks to her non-profit work, Swetha had the opportunity to share her passion for technology on a tremendous scale over the past few years.  She has spoken about her work at various venues including the White House after being named a Champion of Change in 2015 and on Google DC’s “Future of Innovation” Panel alongside Code.org’s COO and President Obama’s Senior Policy Advisor for Tech Inclusion.  She has also spoken with audiences ranging from 500 middle school girls and families at an AAUW conference to educators at Columbia University on a number of topics.