By William H. Kelly III
Ari Avant is taking the computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) world by storm as a Jackson State University (JSU) Fall 2023 graduate. Avant will walk off the stage with cum laude honors and a Bachelor of Science in computer science this Friday, Dec. 8, at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.
After three and a half years, the Nashville, Tennessee, native will complete her collegiate journey with job offers from Deloitte, Lockheed Martin – Space, and the Panama City Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, and a mission to change and diversify the computer science field.
“By being at the forefront of AI technology and development, I feel like I can make a difference in this field by introducing a more diversified perspective to it,” Avant said.
The young tech professional is driven to ensure that Black women’s thoughts are at the forefront and “have a seat at the table” with the development of artificial intelligence. As an intern at Deloitte in the summer of 2022 and 2023, Avant worked closely with cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
However, Avant’s passion and interest in science date back to her childhood. She recalled dreams of becoming an astronaut, which later transformed into meteorology and then computer science upon joining her high school robotics club. She mentions that more Black people just need someone to instill them with confidence and somebody who’s “in your corner.”
“I joined [robotics] and fell in love with it. It was a no-brainer when I came to college to choose computer science as my major,” said Avant, who wishes to introduce more people to computer science at a young age. “I feel like a lot of people, especially a lot of Black people, are intimidated by science, and that shouldn’t be the case at all. We can definitely do it. Anybody can do science.”
Avant began her collegiate journey during the start of the global pandemic. During this time, she lost a childhood friend and some family members due to complications with COVID.
She thanks her support system – God, family, friends, and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science – for helping her overcome hardships. She hopes her story will inspire others to keep going.
“I wanted to share my story because I feel like it could help someone else. You’re going to face hardships and hard realities throughout your collegiate journey, but it’s possible to persevere through these hard times and come out on the other side victorious.”
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Media Contact: William H. Kelly III, William.h.kelly@jsums.edu