The Presidential Award symbolizes not just personal excellence but also the elevation of the teaching profession as a whole. For high school computer science teachers, it is an acknowledgment of their pivotal role in shaping the technological leaders of tomorrow. It signifies a commitment to innovation, critical thinking, and the empowerment of students to excel in a rapidly changing digital world. I am truly grateful to NSF and all the people behind the scenes for this prestigious honor

Voke Ogueh Houston, TX | 7-12, Science, 2023

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Voke Ogueh is an educator with over 18 years’ experience teaching mathematics and computer science (CS) at schools including Hightower, George Bush, and Hastings High Schools. At Hastings, she has taught Fundamentals of CS and Advanced Placement CS Principles to 9th-12th grade students. Voke fosters a dynamic, collaborative environment that motivates students to tackle challenges and value learning from errors. Her efforts to organize events like the REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition, Hour of Code, and Day of AI have been instrumental in nurturing student confidence and skill. Voke's innovative teaching methods incorporate platforms such as Code.org and MIT App Inventor. As a mentor, she has guided numerous underrepresented girls to achieve computing awards and scholarships. Voke is a co-founder of Waado, a non-profit dedicated to empowering underserved communities through career and leadership mentoring, with a focus on young girls. Her influence extends across the U.S. and Africa, driven by her faith, family support, and passion for lifelong learning within professional mentorship communities such as Microsoft TEALS, WeTeach CS, and CSTA. Voke holds a B.S. in industrial mathematics from the University of Benin and an M.S. in pure and applied mathematics from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has mathematics, CS, and principal certifications. Voke has held various leadership roles, from Mathematics Department Head to AP Computer Science Principles Instructor, earning her Campus Teacher of the Year among other honors. Her dedication to education has been recognized with the Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year, National Center for Women & Information Technology Aspirations in Computing Affiliate Winner, and CSTA Greater Houston Teacher of the Year.

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