Women & Hi Tech Announces
Recipients of Leading Light Awards, Scholarships and Grants

On October 6, 2022, Women & Hi Tech was privileged to recognize over 80 incredible scholarship and award nominees at our Leading Light Awards and Scholarship Gala. Over 550 attendees gathered at the Indiana Roof Ballroom to celebrate these diverse women of excellence and male allies in Indiana’s STEM community. During the program emceed by Jennie Lopez, head of Global Recruiting and Talent Acquisition for Eli Lilly & Company, Women & Hi Tech announced over $50,000 in scholarships and grants to diverse women and girls at all stages of their STEM careers, and recognized 10 Leading Light Award recipients.

“In order to continue our mission, and grow our impact in Indiana’s STEM communities, we must bring educators, leaders, and all STEM professionals together with the future in mind,” said Women & Hi Tech President Maria Alvim Gaston during the event. “Women & Hi Tech firmly believes that together, we will inspire and encourage more elementary, middle school and high school girls by connecting with them through mentoring, modeling and demonstrating all the possibilities for them in the world of STEM.”

Women and Hi Tech would like to express our gratitude to all of our annual sponsors as well as our Leading Light Awards, Scholarship and Grant Sponsors. We thank our Comet Sponsor and the Leading Light Awards Signature Sponsor Eli Lilly & Co. All our community partners provide incredible continued support of Women & Hi Tech’s mission and made our gala possible. This event also would not have succeeded without the work of our Leading Light Awards Director Rebecca Bormann and the 2022 Leading Light Awards Committee: Darcy Lee, Lori Boyer, Amber Peckham, Maria Alvim Gaston, Hannah Stork, Ben Phillips, Stephanie Jeffers, Linda Hicks, Karen Hyman, Heidi Melton, and Jodie Daugherty

We are especially honored to share the announcement of our 27 award and scholarship recipients.

Mentor Me! Award Recipient

Wendy Stein, Senior Vice President, Site Head Indianapolis, General Manager Roche Diagnostics Operations, Roche Diagnostics

Leadership Award Recipient

Danielle Shockey, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana

Risk Taker Award Recipient

Brei Cecil-Satchwell, Director of Foundation Operations, Techpoint Foundation for Youth

Rising Star Award Recipient

Michelle Sharon, Manager, Roche Support Network Customer Support Center - Systems & Compliance, Roche Diagnostics

You Inspire Us! Award Recipient

Akilah Darden, President, The Darden Group LLC

Outstanding Educator in STEM Award Recipient

Genevieve McLeish Petty, Computer Science Teacher, Cold Spring School

Outstanding Achievement in STEM Award Recipient

E. ZeNai Brooks, Controller, Corporate Responsibility and Foundation, Cummins
Chief Strategy Officer, Mind Your Business Accounting and Consulting
First Lady, New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church

OperationALL Male Ally Award

Ron Frankenfield, CEO, Bell Techlogix

Equity and Inclusion Champion Award

Sonal Sheth Zawahri, Founder/CEO, Tru You

Change the Landscape Award

Christine Krull, Program Director, Roche

$5,000 Women & Hi Tech Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient

Sara Lake, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Manchester University

$5,000 Women & Hi Tech Graduate Scholarship Recipient

Kelly Orze, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Franklin College

$5,000 Women & Hi Tech High School Senior Scholarship Recipient

Jazlyn Collyear, Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, Indiana Institute of Technology

$5,000 Women & Hi Tech Rare Nickel Scholarship Recipient

Lovette Coston, Doctor of Business Administration in Information Services, Indiana Wesleyan University

$5,000 Women & Hi Tech Professional Development Grant Recipient

Dinah Allen, Creator & Owner, MuffySkates

$3,000 Barnes & Thornburg LLP Corporate or Patent Law Scholarship

Anusuya Das, Ph.D., Juris Doctor, Indiana University McKinney School of Law

$2,500 Bell Techlogix Scholarship Recipient

Zoe Barnsfather, Bachelor of Science in Biology - Integrative and Organismal Biology, Indiana University

$2,500 SIM Indy Undergraduate Leading the Future Scholarship Recipient

Evie Iles, Bachelor of Science in New Media and Informatics–Game Development/UI and UX Design, IUPUI

$2,500 SIM Indy Graduate Leading the Future Scholarship Recipient

Michiko Jackson, Master of Science in Information and Communication Sciences, Ball State University

$2,500 Ivy Tech Community College Scholarship Recipient

Corissa McClammer, Associate of Science in Biotechnology, Ivy Tech Community College

One-Year Startup Ladies Membership Grant Recipient

LaJoi Shelton Robinson, Software Architect Analyst, Accenture

$1,000 Professional Management Enterprises Scholarship Recipient

Odessa Lyon, Bachelor of Science in Biology, Indiana University

$1,000 Professional Management Enterprises Scholarship Recipient

Rebecca Boyd, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Purdue University

$2,500 Central Indiana ISACA Scholarship Recipient

Ella Virt, Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, Purdue University

$3,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship Recipient

Amerti Guta, Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, DePauw University

$3,000 Jo Basey Spirit Scholarship Recipient

Rashi Tyagi, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, IUPUI

$6,535 #InThisTogether Scholarship Recipient

Jessica Djessa, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Hanover College