Back for a second year, the StatusGator Women in Tech Scholarship supports young women pursuing careers in technology. Our goal with this award is to make a small contribution toward improving the visibility of women in technology.
We are thrilled to announce that Alice Ziegler has been selected as our 2026 scholarship recipient. Alice will receive a $3,000 scholarship to support her as she begins studying engineering at Washington University in St. Louis this fall.
The selection process
We received hundreds of thoughtful applications from talented students across the country. Each applicant brought her own achievements, experiences, and ideas about how technology could be used to improve the world.
In our scholarship essay requirement, we asked students to tell us about a moment or experience that sparked their interest in tech and to explain what impact they hope to make with their future career. Hundreds of women and girls from across the country wrote thoughtful essays with inspiring stories and compelling backgrounds.
Many also detailed obstacles they faced as an underrepresented demographic. Our goal with this initiative is to help more women enter and succeed in technology careers, bringing a healthier balance of perspectives that is necessary for a thriving world.
Narrowing to a winner
We chose three finalists from the 377 applications. Two finalists, Kimiko Tutein from North Lauderdale, FL, and Lyra Butoi from St. Paul, MN, had strong backgrounds and excellent essays. But one essay stood out to us: Alice Ziegler from Lovell, Maine.
Alice attended the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a public magnet high school in Limestone, Maine, that offers a rigorous STEM-focused curriculum. Her profile demonstrated her passion for engineering across numerous activities and studies.
From an early interest in radio to hands-on experience coding and building robots, Alice had a clear vision for creating solutions that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Her future career goal is to build physical hardware and automated smart sensors that can help protect water supplies and optimize renewable energy networks. As outdoor enthusiasts ourselves, we love to support causes that advance climate science. We’ve also long supported reforestation projects in Maine as a carbon-neutral company.
This summer, Alice is studying abroad as a National Security Language Initiative for Youth Scholar, studying Mandarin in Taiwan. By helping to break down language barriers and improve international cooperation, Alice is contributing to another cause near and dear to us.
Shared values
At StatusGator, we believe technology is most powerful when it is used to improve people’s lives. It’s why we have built a company that values people above profits and why we strive to build a work environment that supports our team members above all else.
Alice’s goals reflect that same belief. Her interest in combining engineering, research, and social impact represents exactly what we hoped to encourage when we created this scholarship.
We are proud to help ease some of the costs of tuition and living expenses so Alice can focus more of her energy on academic exploration, research, and the projects that inspire her.
Continuing our commitment
This is the second year of the StatusGator Women in Tech Scholarship. After awarding our first scholarship in 2025, we doubled our original contribution to $3,000 for 2026.
We plan to continue supporting the next generation of women in technology and growing this initiative over time. We thank our customers and the entire StatusGator community for making it possible for us to give something back.
Congratulations, Alice!
