OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 29, 2025) – A trusted advisor in managed IT services for the past 30 years, FNTS is proud to announce the three Omaha high school recipients of its 2025 Women in Tech Scholarships. This initiative is designed to help close the gender gap in the technology industry by empowering young women to pursue tech-driven careers.
This year’s $500 scholarships were awarded in partnership with Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to three exceptional high school students who are using technology to inspire change in diverse fields.
The 2025 scholarship recipients are:
Zareena Abdessalam, Omaha North High School
Having an interest in the criminology field, Abdessalam hopes to advance investigative technology to protect lives, using innovations such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality to enhance criminal investigations and efficiently rescue victims.
Isabella Worden, Omaha Central High School
Worden is passionate about music production technology and is using digital tools to create, produce and share her own music. She aspires to break barriers for women in audio engineering and open creative pathways for others in the industry.
Maya Apedjinou, Omaha Benson High School
Apedjinou aspires to combine her interests in psychology and technology to create a virtual reality platform that supports mental health treatment for individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder, in addition to making therapy more accessible and affordable.
“Empowering young women with an interest in technology isn’t just about equity, it’s about innovation,” said FNTS President Kim Whittaker. “When we nurture their curiosity and give them tools to learn and succeed, we open the door to smarter solutions, stronger communities and a future shaped by the full spectrum of talent. These remarkable students demonstrate how technology can drive meaningful change across industries. We are honored to support their journeys as they shape the future of technology.”
FNTS launched the Women in Tech Scholarship program for Omaha high school students in 2021.
About FNTS
As a nationally recognized trusted advisor in managed IT services for 30 years, FNTS has a proven history of optimizing and modernizing mainframe environments, along with a wide range of operating systems including: Windows, Linux, AIX and IBM i. FNTS also has a passion for all things multi-cloud and provides flexible, industry-specific cloud solutions, with a continued focus on orchestrating agility, transparency and IT optimization for our customers, all while keeping cost containment top-of-mind. With an elevated security posture consisting of layered security solutions, FNTS specializes in partnering with customers in highly regulated and compliance-driven industries.
FNTS operates one of the most secure, technically advanced data centers in the United States, where the full scope of its operations is based. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, FNTS is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska (FNNI). FNNI and its affiliates have $32 billion in assets and nearly 5,000 employee associates. For more information, visit www.fnts.com.
