Leila Armand

About this Nominee

Leila Armand is a senior at Valencia High School, a dual-degree Val Tech and International Baccalaureate candidate. Passionate about using technology for equity, she empowers underrepresented communities through advocacy. As the student board member for the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD), Leila serves on the Board of Education, bringing student voices to the forefront of district decisions and championing policies that support inclusivity and access.

A Google Code Next Scholar and Bank of America Student Leader, she explored AI’s role in civic engagement, interning with the Orange County CEO Leadership Alliance to expand the AI talent pipeline in underserved communities.
Committed to service, Leila also volunteers with Black Girls Code and Girl Up, leading coding workshops for young girls, and organized district-wide events to amplify Black student voices as president of her school’s Black Student Union. She served as a keynote speaker for Empowering Women in STEM, advocating for greater support for women in engineering.
Her journey began in middle school, and she has since honed her technical skills through Girls Who Code and a research internship at Pomona College’s Mathematics Department, where she studied graph theory.
A TEDx speaker and Pomona College radio guest, Leila has shared insights on the power of diversity in tech. An athlete as well, she earned Defensive Player of the Year on Valencia’s varsity basketball team.
This fall, she will attend Northwestern University, majoring in Computer Science, with plans to reduce AI bias and develop inclusive technologies.