C&IT awards 2019 scholarship to Nicole Kada

Computing & Information Technology is excited to announce the winner of the 2019 C&IT Scholarship, Nicole Kada. Wayne State University Associate Vice President and C&IT Chief Information Officer, Daren Hubbard, and the rest of C&IT presented Nicole with her award Monday, Aug. 26, including a new laptop from our partners at Dell.

"I use technology every day - I wouldn't be where I am today without it," Nicole said at the award ceremony.

Nicole was born with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis and has been blind all her life. She has been able to further her education through screen readers and special hardware that translates text to braille. Developments in technology have empowered her to succeed academically.

"I had a room at my school designated for me because of how many volumes all of my books were, how loud the embosser was, and so that I had a place to go when meeting with the independent life skills teachers. With technology, I went from having a designated classroom to a backpack. All I need is a flash drive, Braille note, and laptop and with those, I am unstoppable," Nicole says in her winning essay.

The C&IT Scholarship is offered to WSU undergraduate students annually. The award recognizes scholastic achievement, encourages continued progress, and provides financial and technological assistance for completing degree requirements. This award is made possible through the generosity of current and past employees, corporate philanthropy and C&IT's innovative entrepreneurial activities.