Meet the Core Team
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We are a team of Holy Names students who run the organization. We create the curriculum, recruit volunteers, teach classes, and manage the day-to-day operations.
Julia Zhang
(she/her)
Core Team Leader
Hi, I'm Julia! I'm a senior at Holy Names Academy, and I was first introduced to programming in middle school. Both WATT and my APCSA class have helped me gain confidence in implementing code. I started volunteering at WATT during the fall of 2023. Almost immediately, I noticed the passion my students had for programming. My work at WATT is meaningful because I introduce young girls to STEM at an early age. As Core Team Leader, I hope to foster even more curiosity and inspire girls to become leaders in STEM.
Hi, I’m Chloe, a junior at Holy Names. I started my computer science journey by taking AP computer science sophomore year and was eager to learn more. I decided to join WATT to help and inspire young girls like me to learn about coding and computer science. I hope the work that we do can teach girls that they have a place in STEM.
Chloe Harris
(she/her)
Outreach Coordinator
Mohini Kaplan
(She/Her)
Core Team Leader
Hi! My name is Mohini, and I’m a junior at Holy Names Academy. I love coding and am also a member of Reign Robotics. After taking AP Computer Science in sophomore year, I knew I wanted to keep learning while helping other girls become confident in their coding skills. I’m so excited to be part of WATT again this year and help reach even more students!
Anais LiChong
(she/her)
Volunteer Recruiter
Hi! My name is Anais, and I am a Junior at Holy Names Academy. I took APCS last year as a sophomore and loved getting to dive deeper into coding. I especially enjoy the creativity and problem solving that comes with programming, and I'm always excited to learn more. I'm excited to be this year's volunteer coordinator for WATT because I'm passionate about supporting other young women in technology and helping create a community where we can all learn and grow together.
Gabby Richter
(she/her)
Social Media / Website Manager
Hi! My name is Gabby and I’m a sophmore at HNA, and I’m so excited to be on the WATT core team this year! I joined since I’m passionate about empowering women in underrepresented fields such as STEM. I hope to expand our impact to as many as possible and can’t wait to inspire kids in STEM
Jaslene Carreon
(she/her)
Curriculum Developer
Hi, I'm Jaslene and I'm a senior at HNA. I'm really excited to be on the core team this year after first volunteering for WATT in 2024. I first learned about code when I was a little elementary school kid and I haven't stopped learning since! I want to instill the same passion for computer science onto the students I teach and help shape them into future innovators.
Hi, my name is Lillian and I am a Senior at Holy Names Academy. I began using block programming in fifth grade and then learned Java and Python is high school. I started working with WATT during the spring of last year because I believe that STEM education and exposure is important for all kids.
Lillian Balet
(she/her)
Growth Director
Meet the Board
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We are a team of Holy Names alumnae who guide the organization at a higher level. Having been on the core team previously, we are committed to WATT's mission and driving the organization's long-term goals and vision.
Mackenzie J.
Co-President
I started WATT back in 2015 with my friend and colleague, Laura, while we were Holy Names Academy juniors. I am so proud of the impact WATT’s team members continue to make! I graduated from Villanova University in May 2020 magna cum laude with a BSc in Computer Science. I am currently a PhD student in Computer Science at King’s College London, researching how to mitigate the harms of AI decision making. I completed a PhD internship with the UK Government's Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation in London over the course of 5 months in 2022. When I'm not working on PhD research, I am a Graduate Teaching Assistant for courses like Machine Learning, AI, and Big Data Analytics and a STEM Ambassador inspiring young people (and especially girls!) in the UK to learn more about and pursue STEM in their studies and careers.
Madeleine D.
Co-President
I graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Santa Clara University and currently work as a Project Manager at Epic Systems. My journey into computer science began in 8th grade at a computer science camp, which sparked my passion for technology and problem-solving. This led to the creation of my startup, SlideNotes. I am dedicated to inspiring young women in STEM through teaching and mentorship roles with WATT.
Lia H.
Treasurer
I took my first computer science class my sophomore year of high school, and since then it’s been one amazing adventure after another. Getting involved in WATT was one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made, and it helped me discover my passion for the use of technology in education. I graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a B.S. in Computer Science and am now a software engineer at Microsoft working on the Edge developer experiences team.
Halina T.
Secretary
I graduated with a degree in Computer Science from Cal Poly SLO with a specialization in security. I currently work at Strava as a server engineer on the trust and safety team. I was introduced to Computer Science at Holy Names Academy in the AP Computer Science course my junior year and loved how it combined my passions of languages and math into one subject. I got involved in WATT soon after and have been involved in WATT ever since. Learning STEM and coding concepts in a safe environment was crucial to building my confidence in the technology field and is what motivates me to continue to provide those spaces to the next generation of coders!