News Article

FSW Student Accepted to MIT Women’s Technology Program

May 11, 2018

Summer vacation. Students are counting down the days. For FSW student Elizabeth Swiersz, that countdown is for a different reason. She is one of only 40 women to be accepted to the Women’s Technology Program in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (WTP-EECS) held at MIT this summer. There were 696 applicants nationally for those 40 coveted spots. The ones selected have demonstrated outstanding academic talent in math and science.

“I like problem-solving because it’s very fulfilling to me,” said Swiersz. “I’m very interested in the either civil engineering or architecture.”

She’s a junior at FSW’s Lee Collegiate High School, the only STEM accredited charter school in the state, and a full-time dual-enrolled student at FSW.

“It’s wonderful to see Elizabeth take advantage of this opportunity,” said Dr. Martin McClinton,
Dean, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, FSW. “The goal of this program is to further encourage women to pursue careers in the math and science areas.”

“We emphasize science and engineering at the high school to all of our students,” said Dr. Brian Botts, principal, FSW Collegiate High School, Lee. “Our students learn to conduct research, use technology, communicate and work collaboratively, and demonstrate critical and creative  thinking. These skills, and others that students like Elizabeth learn, serves to help them take full advantages of opportunities like the WTP-EECS program.”

About WTP-EECS

The MIT Women's Technology Program in EECS (WTP-EECS) is a rigorous, fast-paced four-week academic and residential experience where female high school students explore electrical engineering, computer science, and mathematics for EECS through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based projects in the summer after 11th grade.

Since WTP-EECS was launched in 2002, 626 students have attended and over 64% of WTP-EECS alumnae have chosen college majors in engineering or computer science. Another 21% have majored in science or mathematics, with the remaining 11% in a variety of fields.

Last Updated: May 11, 2018