Mount St. Dominic Wins 2024 AP Computer Science Diversity Award

Mount St. Dominic Academy is proud to announce that it has earned the 2024 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). This is the second consecutive year the Mount has received this prestigious honor.

The Mount prides itself on its innovative approach to education that’s tailored specifically to how girls learn best. The small class sizes and personalized instruction are hallmarks of the school's success, contributing to a college acceptance rate of 100 percent.

The award recognizes schools that have expanded access to AP computer science courses for female students. To qualify, schools must either achieve 50% or higher female representation in AP computer science courses or have a percentage of female exam takers that meets or exceeds the school’s overall female population. Mount St. Dominic Academy is among just 847 schools recognized nationwide for AP CSP in the 2023-24 school year.

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate our female AP Computer Science students and their teachers for advancing equal representation in computer science,” said Dr. Karen D’Avino, Principal. “This recognition reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where young women can thrive in STEM fields. Computer science is the source code of our economy and much of the career landscape, and it’s vital to prepare our students for the opportunities and challenges of this dynamic field.”

To highlight the impact of this achievement, Dr. D’Avino recently sat down with Mount students enrolled in the course—Mary Hladik ‘25, Lorelei Middleton ‘25, Gabriella Lipari ‘25, and Leiloni Reside ‘26—to discuss the award, their experiences in AP Computer Science, and how the course has influenced their future aspirations. Click here to view the video.

Students at the Mount recognize the impact of studying computer science, both within STEM and beyond. Reside, who plans to pursue a career in the biomedical field, believes coding plays a critical role in advancing medical research. “Data scientists use coding analysis to benefit that field by enabling new breakthroughs in understanding how to treat diseases,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of increasing female representation in tech, especially as artificial intelligence continues to shape industries. “AI is here to stay, and laws will change, but it’s still a male-dominated field. We need more female insight and influence.”

As someone looking to pursue a STEM major and participate in the pre-med program at my college next year, Middleton shared, "I've learned about the growing importance of computer science in the medical world. With advancements in science and technology, health-related research through computers is rapidly improving and it's great that we are offered the opportunity to take this course, enhancing our understanding of technology and computers.

Since its launch in 2016, AP CSP has been a driving force in diversifying STEM education. In 2024, 175,261 students took the AP CSP Exam, including 60,259 female students—an increase of over 400% since 2017. Research shows that female students who take AP CSP are more than five times as likely to major in computer science in college and nearly twice as likely to pursue advanced STEM coursework.

While some students at the Mount plan to major in computer science, others recognize its value across multiple fields. “Even though I plan to pursue business, I believe STEM is essential for any field,” said Hladik. “It teaches critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability—skills that are invaluable whether you're coding, working in a team, or launching a startup.” She also highlighted the collaborative nature of computer science, noting that although it requires independent work, it also provides “numerous opportunities to work and collaborate with peers to create great things and impactful solutions.”

For Lipari, computer science has been an enriching experience, even though she doesn’t plan to major in it. “I have greatly enjoyed taking Computer Science and hope to take some classes in college. Although I am not a Computer Science major, I am going into the STEM field, and the lessons I am learning during class will translate over to numerous subjects,” she said. “I love being in the STEM field and believe that it has helped me grow as a person and explore my interests.”

AP Computer Science isn’t just about learning to code—it is about creating opportunities and showing young women that they have a place in shaping the future.” said Alessandra Panuccio, who teaches AP Computer Science at MSDA. Mount St. Dominic Academy remains dedicated to empowering students to pursue careers in computer science and ensuring gender equity in a field that is essential to innovation and economic growth.

For more information about Mount St. Dominic Academy and its commitment to advancing STEM education, visit msdacademy.org.

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