“The Search for Hidden Figures” is officially over. According to Shadow and Act, the scholarship contest, inspired by the film “Hidden Figures,” awarded its two grand prizes to Joy Buolamwin and Yuna Shin.
Originally announced in November, “The Search for Hidden Figures” is a initiative supporting young women with STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) career ambitions. After reviewing upwards of 7,300 submissions from students across the country, the final prizes were granted to Buolamwini, in the Professional category, and Shin, in the High School category.
A panel of judges including “Hidden Figures” producers Pharrell Williams and Donna Gigliotti, Fox 2000 President Elizabeth Gabler, and President of the New York Academy of Sciences Ellis Rubinstein selected the two grand prize winners from a group of 50 semi-finalists. And it seems the competition was steep.
“Judging ‘The Search for Hidden Figures’ contest was a tremendous experience for me,” said Gigliotti. “Each and every contestant’s passion for STEM was exhibited with grace, humor, integrity, humanity, and intelligence. They were awe inspiring. […] May they all persevere and flourish like [“Hidden Figures” heroines] Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan.”
The enthusiasm and talent displayed by the young applicants wasn’t surprising, according to Rubinstein: “The quality of submissions was phenomenal and demonstrated the extraordinary breadth of creativity and ingenuity that is unleashed when students are given opportunities to shine.” It just goes to show why we need more STEM initiatives aimed at young women. The skills and interest are there — but the opportunity isn’t.
As “The Search for Hidden Figures” winners, Buolamwini and Shin will both receive resources, financial support, and incredible experiences that will give them a head-start in their respective careers. Each woman will be awarded “$50,000 in scholarships, a trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida, and access to STEM training materials and programs from NYAS,” Shadow and Act details.
Buolamwini, a Rhodes scholar, is from Cambridge, Massachusetts. She plans “to conduct STEM research to develop tools that can help identify and mitigate algorithmic bias that can often lead to discriminatory practices and behaviors in society.” Shin hails from Bothell, Washington. She will explore “new ways to develop solutions in health sciences, specifically using STEM skills to detect abnormal brain waves that could help prevent seizures for those facing epilepsy.”
You can watch Buolamwini and Shin’s prize-winning presentations below or over at Shadow and Act. “Hidden Figures” is in theaters now. Co-written by Allison Schroeder, the inspiring drama is based on a true story, and centers on Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), brilliant African-American women who worked at NASA and played an instrumental role in the space race.
