Christie Thornton Reflects on Bank of America Scholarship for BDPA Students

Christie Thornton was a member of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Charlotte chapter to compete in the 2006 national HSCC championship. Christie learned about the Bank of America Scholarship for BDPA Students while she was gaining her STEM experiences with BDPA. She became one of the first recipients of that college scholarship funded by Bank of America. She used the scholarship to further her education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

We asked Christie to reflect on the impact that the scholarship had on the direction of her college and professional career. Here is what she had to say:

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My name is Christie Thornton and I won the Bank of America Scholarship for BDPA Students back in 2006. The BDPA High School program was my first exposure to Information Technology. After participating in the program and winning the scholarship, I went on to UNC Charlotte to pursue Graphic Design degree. However, after a semester of studying Art, I decided to also begin my studies in IT with a minor in Computer Science.

That minor in Computer Science turned out to be one of the best decisions I made during my Undergraduate studies. I became a teacher's assistant for a programming class, participated in Undergraduate Research, and joined a technology focused community outreach program. I was even afforded the opportunity to attend a Grace Hopper Conference!

I am currently a Catalog Specialist with Lowe's (Home Improvement). I started off developing digital catalogs for in-store ordering, and am transitioning to a role as a Services Platform Specialist. Had it not been for that initial exposure to IT through the BDPA, I do not believe I would have ever discovered all of the opportunities provided by Computer Technology.

I strongly urge Bank of America to continue your support of BDPA High School students! We are students with great promise, who will use our education as an opportunity to learn and grow into the IT workforce that America needs.

Best,
Christie Thornton
www.graffictraphic.com

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is hopeful that Bank of America will consider funding these college scholarships for exceptional BDPA student members in 2013. If not, we hope that other corporations or entrepreneurs will consider working with us to significantly increase the quantity of college scholarships that we provide to young people interested in careers within the IT industry.

You've heard Christie's story. What say u?