A schoolgirl is one of two students honoured with The One to Watch Award at the 2016 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards.

Supported by techUK and the world's leading technology businesses this annual event shines the spotlight on accomplished role models who are achieving success in their field while simultaneously inspiring others to pursue a career in IT.

With winners as young as 14 through to women leading corporate teams of thousands, the evening uniquely showcased both the breadth of opportunity a career in technology offers and the passion people have for it, whatever their age.

The One to Watch Award – sponsored by EMC was won by Yasmin Bey and Nayana Dasgupta.

Fifteen-year-old Nayana Dasgupta who goes to Sheffield High School was identified the moment she moved up to secondary school aged 11 – resolving technical problems in class before the IT technicians arrived.

Quickly installed in the role of School Digital Leader, she has undertaken numerous extra-curricular activities to create excitement among girls and young women for potential careers in computer science and coding.

The passion she has unleashed among her fellow students was instrumental in her school’s decision to introduction Computer Science at GCSE from 2016. She is particularly interested in areas where women are severely under-represented, working with the Stemettes to draw girls into areas such as cyber security. She has also contributed articles to a leading university publication.

Yasmin Bey is restless in her pursuit of learning, thinking and doing. At the age of 14, she is studying for her GCSEs by day, and building robots by night. From taking up coding and soldering just 12 months ago, she now understands seven programming languages and has built up a wide-ranging network through the Raspberry Pi community.

Her achievements have already seen her invited to speak at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy, while she was ‘Highly Commended’ in the national Astro Pi coding competition. In her remaining spare time, Yasmin volunteers on a weekly basis to mentor younger students.

She is described as a role model for her innovative teaching methods – helping younger pupils to learn the basics of programming languages such as ‘python’ without them realising they are learning.

Maxine Benson MBE, Co-Founder of everywoman comments: “We launched these awards six years ago to uncover the women doing amazing things in technology - women who were not necessarily known within their wider business let alone outside their company or the industry. By showcasing their talents and achievements, we are demonstrating the diversity of opportunity the industry offers so that more women will be inspired to bring their talents to it. Each year the judges are overwhelmed by the quality of the finalists, and 2016 is no exception; their hard work, determination and positive influence on others is staggering, and we wish them all the best at the awards ceremony next month.”

Adrian McDonald, President EMEA at EMC states: “We are proud to be sponsoring ‘The One to Watch’ Award again at the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards, as part of our ongoing efforts to inspire girls and young women to consider a career in information technology. It is right to celebrate emerging talent and its many exciting contributions.

"At EMC we are passionate about helping people and businesses around the world to unleash the power of their digital information.

"The future of our industry, however, depends on the next generation – and especially the young women who make up 60% of today’s graduates – choosing technology as a career.”

The 2016 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards took place on the evening of 23 February 2016 at the London Hilton on Park Lane, attended by over 500 global business leaders, government and media.

The awards champion and raise the profile of the individual women that are achieving success in their field, and the companies that are supporting them to do so.