DANIKA YOUNG,

Class of 2008

West Holt High School | Atkinson, Nebraska

 

Danika was recently named "America's Youngest Web Wizard" as part of a nationwide contest by Hostway Corporation, a global web-hosting company. She is a straight A student, and has won numerous scholastic awards including the Leta Hollingsworth Gifted Student Award. Danika is a Who's Who in America award recipient and runs her own start-up business called Danika's Dynamic Designs, helping local businesses design their websites. Not bad for a ninth grader from a small Nebraska farming community!

 

The area of computers and web-design has been one of gratification and success for the young web-wizard. She designed her school district's High Ability Learners (HAL) program's website, and redesigned the Atkinson city business section's website. But her most ambitious project involved the "hundreds of hours" she spent developing and perfecting a web project based on the popular children's book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. The site has a target audience of fifth and sixth graders and their classrooms, and resulted in Danika winning statewide recognition as the Nebraska Educators and Technology Association's (NETA) champion. As a result of her work, teachers across the country and the continent have e-mailed to ask for her suggestions on how to teach Spinelli's novel in their classes or to incorporate her website into their lesson plans.

 

Danika plays softball at school, is a member of her school's varsity track team and state qualifying cross-country team. Danika is active in band and the school drill team. She was class secretary this past year, is a member of the school's quiz bowl and mock trial teams, and has competed in algebra, physical science and world history scholastic contests. She is also very active in her school's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In her community she has participated in the Atkinson Hometown Competitiveness Program, an effort to keep rural towns alive and thriving, and has interviewed World War II veterans for the Library of Congress. At her church she makes, designs and runs PowerPoint presentations and is a member of the church leadership team.

 

She has an extremely supportive family but credits her fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Katie Morrow, for inspiring her to investigate technology. Danika says of Mrs. Morrow that "…she is an incredible person and somebody I still value as a huge resource and mentor".