Elizabeth Qiu is a senior in high school, but has already made an enormous impact and developed a significant skillset. Whether it is kickstarting events, spearheading technology projects, or collaborating with business and political leaders, she is perpetually engaged with her community. 

She was first introduced to computer science in 9th grade, though her goal then was to be a concert pianist. However, she became more and more interested in tech, even canceling a weekend piano competition to attend a Women in Technology event to learn more about the STEM field. A friend told her about hackathons, and she committed to participating in Technica 2019 that same year. A direct result of her experience at Technica was her enrollment in a technology program, keeping her motivated and hungry for more knowledge.

Since her introduction to tech, she has served many roles at over twenty hackathons: attendee, mentor, speaker, consultant, volunteer, and organizer. She says, “I wanted to emulate the sense of community and share opportunities with others, which prompted me to organize events of my own.” She focused on expanding inclusivity, diversity, and beginner-friendly options in this role and secured significant funding and sponsorships from various organizations. 

One reason for Elizabeth’s success is her unwavering attitude and dedication. She is well aware of gender inequalities and even discrimination in tech circles. She turns that under-representation into fuel to create positive change. As she recalls, “I’ve learned a lot by working with many diverse groups, but I’ve also been used to working as the only girl on a team, from being the only girl on the dev team in an internship to being the only girl in a weightlifting class.” Her response? She became the elected president of her school’s STEM club, a heavily-involved member of Hack Club, and the only woman on the founding team of a hackathon, for which she later served as Executive Director, scaling it to become the largest high-school hackathon in her state with over 400 attendees. Her work has earned her many awards, and she is a recipient of the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award and an NCWIT Impact Winner. 

While her accomplishments are impressive, some of the most valuable work she does is for the hacker community. She brings inexperienced hackers unfamiliar with hackathons to each one she attends to make them feel as welcome as she did. She also enjoys providing 1:1 mentorship to new hackers and helps hackathon organizers run successful events. Other contributions include increasing marketing and outreach for CodeDay, collaborating with local and school-based organizations like Girls Who Code, and securing funding for scholarships for younger coders. She has also recently launched a 501(c)3 non-profit, makerspce, which distributes microgrants for STEM projects and education in underserved areas. She knows the impact that funding and computer science instruction can have, particularly on underserved populations and genders. 

Elizabeth is full of charisma, compassion, and drive to make the world a better place. She will study Computer Science and Law in college, where she hopes to continue learning and building.   

Her most significant impact may be yet to come.