HSCC Testimonial: Curtis Mimes (Cincinnati, 2011)

I met Taft High School student Curtis Mimes last summer at the BDPA Midwest Regional High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase when I served as a judge for the programming event. I saw right away that Curtis was a leader with great potential. One of the guests at that event was Cincinnati Bell chief information officer Kevin Murray. Kevin had nothing but high praises for Curtis based on his performance as a summer intern within the Cincinnati Bell information technology department.


Our blog is pleased to share the thoughts of this young squire about his BDPA experiences:

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My local training with BDPA Cincinnati chapter was short --- I joined the program late because I had just made up with my mother and moved back to Cincinnati. I found the program exhilarating, and I loved the chance to improve my problem-solving skills by working on complex, timed business problems. Our instructor, Mr. Frank Hill, was very engaging in his lessons about ASP.NET, VB.NET, and mySQL—all very marketable skills.

The National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship was a valuable experience. The programming problem at the competition was more difficult than usual (according to Mr. Hill) by making us set up the databases for use. Although we did not win, the experience provided me something to strive towards. I am ecstatic that I got the opportunity to participate as a representative from the city of Cincinnati. I now know what “crunch time” feels like for a programmer. Between the banquets and the programming section of the test, I had a blast. Most importantly, I learned what I did know as well as what I didn't know.

My experience with BDPA affirmed that my career will be in the programming track. Also, it gave me the opportunity to experience website design. Although creating web applications will not be my main occupation, a few contracts on the side could be lucrative and fun. Since I knew what I wanted to do before I joined BDPA it did not change my career goals, but it did widen them.

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BDPA impacts hundreds of students like Curtis each and every year in our youth technology programs. Our challenge is to find the money to fund the books, facilities, supplies, materials, lunches and other expenses. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is committed to finding the necessary funds.

If you are inspired by Curtis' testimonial then we encourage you to make a donation to our college scholarship fund that supports BDPA Cincinnati chapter students.