Emma Ward

Letter to Our Members

Dear Current and Future TSA members,

I am Emma Ward, a 2024 TSA Presidential candidate. I have been involved with tech for practically my whole life. My grandmother ran a school with a LEGO robotics team that I became involved with very young, building and planning ideas to help the team achieve victory. My father also works in the information technology field, doing data collection and analysis for as long as I can remember, and watching him work has inspired me to do the same. I have participated heavily in robotics, coding, and various computer science classes and competitions throughout my life. My interest and involvement in the field has only grown since high school, and I have participated in the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing challenge and the Girls of Promise Innovate for Good competition regularly since my freshman year.

 In 10th grade, I learned about my school’s recently created TSA chapter, which further flamed my interest in the activity. I joined, and soon fell in love with the organization and its ambitions for providing opportunities for youth in technology. Having strong female leadership in my TSA chapter also inspired me to take the initiative to follow in their footsteps. Since I joined TSA, I have learned an incredible amount about computing technology that I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to learn, let alone in such a hands-on environment. One example of something I’ve been exposed to through TSA is the world of Cybersecurity Capture the Flags. My school’s chapter president is incredibly passionate about cybersecurity in all aspects, and their dedication led to true interest on my behalf. I quickly became involved, and have since competed in four CTFs with an incredibly talented team. TSA also opened up the world of advanced coding to me. I’ve been coding for a long time due to my dad’s interest and participation in it, and having an opportunity to use my skills somewhere I truly feel challenged is such a wonderful experience. At my school, I have also helped to operate a coding camp for the younger children in the district hosted by our TSA chapter. The experience of working with and helping to teach them broadened my knowledge of computer science topics as well. 

I have been an active participant in every moment I have had the opportunity, and I have truly enjoyed all of my experiences provided by TSA. I have met incredible, inspiring, and remarkably intelligent people at every turn in my participation in this activity, and although I may have limited experience, I have a true love for the organization and sincerely hope to advance it. As a TSA President, I hope to create an even more accepting and open environment for all, no matter the experience level. Participation in TSA can truly be a life-changing experience, and I want everyone with a desire to be involved to have the chance. I would hope to accomplish this through furthering the message of women in computer science, offering opportunities for younger girls to become involved in computer science without the fear of others’ opinions. I would also hope to spread the word about TSA further throughout Arkansas and to hold more competitions and community events, creating equal opportunities for all regardless of location. Ideally, the combination of more information about the organization and more events would lead to the creation of more chapters, creating a larger community. I want the best for this organization, and I would be very grateful and honored with the opportunity to hold any leadership position. If given the chance, I hope to serve the TSA community and advance the level of participation on all fronts. 

With optimism,

Emma Ward.