Meet Us
Creator
Hi! My name is Grace Thomas, I am a 17 year old highschool student from Massachussets. I have been dreaming of creating this non-profit for years, and with the help of my mom and a few teachers, my dream became a reality. I created Covard to improve the STEM industry in diverity and inclusion, as when starting my own journy in robotics I noticed the lack of female representation.
Director and President
Shelly Thomas has been working in the biotech industry for 30 years, a Northeastern scholar, she graduated with a degree in toxicology and a minor in environmental geology. Growing up in Malaysia, she moved to Salem in her teenage years, and stayed here through college. In her free time she enjoys reading, and hiking in the woods.
Treasurer
Megan Bowen has been an educator for 11 years. She is currently the Director of Educational Technology and CS Teacher at Salem Academy Charter School in Salem, Massachusetts. Her areas of interest include LGBTQ+ Equity and Inclusion along with integrating CS and the Outdoors. In 2015 she was invited to the White House to participate in the LGBTQ Tech and Innovation Summit. Megan is also a 20-21 CSTA Equity Fellow Alum and . In her free time she enjoys going hiking and paddle boarding with her adventure cat named Scout, remodeling her house, and gardening.
Secratary
Cami Hennekens has been an educator for 12 years. She is currently the Science Chair and Chemistry Teacher at Salem Academy Charter School in Salem, Massachusetts. Her focus is increasing access and interest in STEM careers for underrepresented populations. In her free time she enjoys going knitting, playing video games, and playing with her dog and 2 cats
Why?
Currently the comupter science industry is largly male dominated, with 73.1% of all computer scientests being male. Additionally, 66.1% of programmers are white, with 25% being asian, and only 1% being black. This lack of representation makes working in the computer science field scary, because not seeing anyone who looks like you in a job you aspire to do is disheartening and makes it feel more out of reach.
Where I got the idea for Covard
At the summer camp I was working at, we were provided leds, batteries, and breadboards. Most of the staff did not know how to use them, however I took full advantage and made projects for my group of kids to work on. This led me to think about the process larger scale. I enjoyed teaching my group, and all of the kids in my group loved it, I realized it could spark an intrest in science and engineering- Even at their young age.
Contact Us
If you would like Covard to visit your educational facility, or have any questions/concerns, please reach out