Women Who Reign: Alyssa Shah

I’ve been a fan of Michelle Obama’s ever since she exclaimed, “When they go low, we go high.” I really enjoyed her autobiography, Becoming. Much like Obama, I feel I will never “arrive.” I will continue to learn, adapt, grow, and evolve in my efforts to improve myself and the world around me.

Tell us about yourself along with a fun fact!
Hello ReigningIt! My name is Alyssa Shah and I am a rising sophomore at The Dalton School. I am the youngest of three girls and am very interested in STEM. My discovery of computing and technology was a fortunate accident. I first became interested in computer science and robotics when I joined my school’s robotics team in 5th grade. I participated in First Lego League Robotics competitions in 5th and 6th grade and in RoboCup Junior in 7th and 8th grade, and was the lead programmer all four years. I learned how to program robots in LEGO Mindstorms, Arduino, and ROBOTC over that time. I enjoyed robotics and began to develop a greater love for computing. I began teaching myself how to program in languages like Python and Java. The more programming I learned, the more my interest in computer science blossomed. Last summer, I was selected to participate in a National Security Agency and National Science Foundation GenCyber Program and learned how to program underwater seaperch robots. I am driven by the notion that my programing can affect positive change. I was selected to participate in the United State of Women Conference as a change maker scholar where I learned that teen vaping has become a national epidemic. In response, I created The DrugSense Initiative (www.drugsenseinitiative.org), a for the youth, by the youth online program to combat drug use and abuse and reduce its devastating effects. I believe that awareness is the first step in tackling this issue.

Two fun facts about me are that I love playing volleyball. I have been playing for the past four years and enjoy being a part of a team. Another fun fact is that I stress paint — I find painting landscapes relaxing!

What hashtag (#) describes you/defines your life goals or life journey?
#BeTheChange