Courtesy of Spelman College
Glamour Magazine recently selected Ava Flanigan, C’2027, as one of its 2024 College Women of the Year: STEM Edition. Flanigan was recognized for breaking barriers, setting new standards and making a positive impact in her community.
For over 60 years, Glamour has celebrated exceptional undergraduate students through its College Women of the Year list, with this year’s focus being on students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Flanigan, a computer science and computer engineering double major, was chosen along with five other students for their stellar contributions to STEM and their communities.
“I am entirely grateful and feel very blessed to have been honored by Glamour as one of their College Women of the Year. This honor has allowed me to serve as an advocate for early exposure to STEM in marginalized communities,” said Flanigan. “I’m grateful that my early efforts in amplifying Black female representation in the STEM world are being acknowledged. I want this honor to establish my voice in the STEM world as an advocate for inclusion and equity in engineering and technology.”
Flanigan is early in her career path but has already reached significant milestones. She just wrapped up a summer opportunity with Nvidia, a world leader in artificial intelligence (AI) computing, where she served as a Systems Software Robotics intern. She is a Gates Millenium Scholar, Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI) Scholar and part of the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy class. Earlier this year, she and a friend won third place in the Spelpreneur 10-day pitch competition for their smart dog collar idea.
In an interview with Glamour, Flanigan said she has learned the importance of maintaining her identity and authenticity in a field that has historically excluded women and minorities. She attributes her ability to express herself unapologetically to her time at Spelman.
In the future, Flanigan said she hopes to see technology evolve to include internal bias detection in AI. As AI continues to advance, Flanigan emphasized the importance of ensuring the technology is unbiased – a reflection of her passion for equity and inclusion in technology and engineering. To end her Glamour interview, she offered inspiring words of wisdom for women hoping to pursue careers in STEM.
“If you are a woman in STEM and you feel like you don’t have the strength, or if someone’s making you feel like you don’t have the abilities that you know you have, go where you’re appreciated. Don’t be afraid to leave. Don’t be afraid to walk away from places that don’t serve you,” said Flanigan. “Go to places where you’re going to succeed and you’re going to grow and you’re going to excel, because at the end of the day, you’re meant to achieve greatness, and so don’t go or stay anywhere where you think that you’ll be stagnant.”
