About Us
WATT is a non-profit organization founded in 2015 by two Holy Names students as a way to introduce girls to computer science at a young age; by doing so, we hope to improve diversity in the tech space, where women are underrepresented.
Our Founders
Mackenzie and Laura graduated from Holy Names Academy in 2016. Both recently finished their undergraduate degrees: Mackenzie at Villanova and Laura at the University of Washington.
Their inspiration for starting WATT is rooted in the mentorship that they received as young women, and the belief that continuing the cycle of mentorship is an opportunity to grow personally and to uplift the computer science field for women.
Mackenzie Jorgensen
Laura DeBoldt
Meet the Core Team
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.
Sophie Fong
(she/they)
Core Team Leader
Hi, my name is Sophie and I'm senior at Holy Names Academy. I am passionate about programming and hope to bring WATT to more students this year! I'm a part of my school’s robotics team and like to hang out with my dog in my free time.”
Dina Tsang
(they/them)
Core Team Leader
Hi! My name is Dina, and I am a senior at Holy Names Academy. I took APCS sophomore year and found that I really enjoyed coding! I joined WATT as a volunteer spring of 2023, was the volunteer manager last year, and am excited to be one of this year's core team leads because I want to help extend the reach of WATT not just as a learning opportunity for younger students but also an opportunity for the volunteers to learn more in both coding and teaching.
_edited.jpg)
Hi, I am Allie Staiger and I am a senior at Holy Names Academy. I took AP Computer Science as a Sophomore and have been hooked on programming ever since. I joined WATT the fall of my Junior year. I love creating more opportunities for women to become involved and develop a passion for STEM, as I have. As the outreach coordinator this year, I hope to expand the reach of WATT in the Seattle area by encompassing even more schools.
Allie Staiger
(she/her)
Outreach Coordinator
Julia Zhang
(she/her)
Volunteer Recruiter
Hi, I'm Julia! I'm a junior 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 last year. 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 part of the Core Team, I hope to foster even more curiosity and inspire girls to become leaders in STEM.
_edited_edited.jpg)
G Rosen
(she/her)
Social Media / Website Manager
Hey, my name is G and I'm a senior at Holy Names Academy. My first experience with coding was during sophomore year when I first joined the school robotics team and I have been hooked ever since! I am thrilled and extremely grateful to have received the opportunity to work with an organization like WATT, and am honored to be a part of the core team this year.
Mohini Kaplan
(she/her)
Growth Director
Hi! My name is Mohini and I’m a sophomore at Holy Names Academy. I really like coding and I am taking APCS. I am also joining the robotics team this year. This is my first year volunteering with WATT and I'm excited to join the core team and help others learn to code!
Meet the Board
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!