Abril’s Story

Like many teenage girls, Abril thought that the tech industry was a boys club she wasn’t invited to. That all changed during her freshman year of high school when a teacher, Don Yanek, introduced her to the Microsoft DigiGirlz program.

The all-female program introduced Abril to girls just like her, as well as women working in the tech industry. Abril teamed up with one of these role models, Mary Monroy-Spampinato, and hosted a Microsoft event at her school. Now a junior, Abril is enrolled in two computer science classes, heads up two girls robotics teams, and is helping create computer science curriculums for middle and elementary school students. She also recently won the National Center for Woman and Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspiration in Computing Award.

Abril is one of the many young women now applying their talents to technology and science. Microsoft’s YouthSpark programs introduce these young women to the practical skills they need to land real jobs, creating futures they never thought possible.