Bemley Scholar Cameron Reaves Begins STEM-Based Education at Harvard University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Cameron Reaves will use the Bemley Scholarship awarded all the members of the BDPA Atlanta High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team with a $5,000 college scholarship at Harvard University. He earned three Bemley Scholarships based on his work at the High School Computer Competition at the 2014 ($500), 2015 ($2,000) and 2016 ($2,500) BDPA Technology Conferences.

We asked Cameron to share his thought about BDPA with us:

Cameron Reaves * Bemley Scholar

"My name is Cameron Reaves and I am a freshman at Harvard University studying Computer Science and Environmental Science. I am from Duluth, GA and participated in four years of BDPA, beginning right when I started high school. I hope to combine my two interests to impact the energy/environmental sector using computing problem solving skills and technology expertise. I am currently planning to attend graduate school after college to earn a PHD, but anything can happen!

My involvement with BDPA was pivotal in my growth as a student and also my decision to pursue STEM. I have always been a big reader, so I loved literature and history (and still do). Prior to BDPA, I had no experience coding or learning about computers, so I probably would have continued down the path I was more familiar with. However, my father brought me to an introductory meeting my freshman year, and after that I joined the Atlanta Chapter and didn't look back! I am thankful for my time spent in the program and the many individuals I met. In the future, I hope to remain apart of the organization, volunteering to share its wonderful benefits to kids who were just like me.:

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student as a winner of the Bemley Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Cameron's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!

Preethiya Sekar Uses Her Many BDPA Scholarships at Carleton College

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Preethiya Sekar will use the Bemley Scholarship awarded all the members of the BDPA Southern Minnesota High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team with a $2,500 college scholarship at Carleton College. She also applied the Monsanto Scholarship ($2,500) and Oracle Scholarship towards her education at Carleton College as well!

Preethiya Sekar * Multiple BDPA Scholar!

Preethiya Sekar was a member of BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter since 2010. She graduated from high school in June 2015 and decided to attend Carleton College in the fall of 2015. Currently her major is undecided but she would like to go to medical school. She haven’t had much experience in the working world but she did hold a research mentee position in a molecular medicine lab. As for what she would like to do when she grows up ... she's leaning towards becoming a pediatric surgeon!

We asked her to share her thoughts on BDPA:

"For the past four years (2012-2015), I spent most of my Saturdays at BDPA talking with friends, checking my rank, and learning new things. Before BDPA I didn’t know anything about computers or programming, much less did I have any interest in learning. However, my instructors made what I was learning exciting. They taught me things and then encouraged me to go out and learn more. What was most thrilling for me was being able to create something. Seeing my code transform into a web page was just so incredible.

2014 So. Minnesota HSCC Team (Preethia, 2nd-from-right)

Being selected to go to the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) after class was done was probably one of the most rewarding things. After all who wouldn’t like to go to big cities and meet new and important people? But, when I became a part of the competition team I remember all the work we put in. We refer to the summer before competition as “boot camp”. So while all my friends were out enjoying summer, I was sitting with my BDPA friends staring at a computer screen. But I guess, it was always worth it in the end. It’s a good feeling going through the competition and knowing all your hard work was paying off. But no amount of preparation takes away the nerves and angst during the programming portion. They give you seven hours but it feels like less than one. I think we all learned to thrive under the stressful conditions. We knew our part in the team and held ourselves accountable. No matter the outcome, it was always a great experience: either something to learn from or something to remember.

2015 BDPA IT Showcase * Preethiya Sekar

The people in BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter did more than just teach me computer programming, they taught me to believe in myself (sometimes that was the biggest obstacle), they taught me to carry myself with dignity and pride, and to be thankful for everything I have. Over the past four years, BDPA has had a major impact on the person I have become, they remind me to give back selflessly and help others around me."

We just completed the 32nd anniversary of the High School Computer Competition. We are grateful to Monsanto and Oracle for sponsoring their scholarships. BDPA has given out hundreds of Bemley Scholarships over the years. However, this is truly a scholarship fund that is supported by BDPA members and supporters. I encourage you to make a secure online donation today! BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student as a winner of the Bemley Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Preethiya's career as she seeks to advance in the medical industry!

Braxton Garner-Robinson Will Use Bemley Scholarship at University of South Carolina

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Braxton Garner-Robinson will use the Bemley Scholarship awarded all the members of the BDPA Greater Columbia High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team with a $2,500 college scholarship at the University of South Carolina. He won the scholarships by working as member of the HSCC team in both 2014 (2nd place, $1,500 scholarship) and 2015 (3rd place, $1,000 scholarship).

Braxton Robinson * Bemley Scholar

Braxton is a freshman at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. He plans to study computer information systems, and become a network analyst. Eventually, he would like to own his own business focusing on cybersecurity. During the summer of 2014, he worked as a poll worker with the Lexington County Voter’s Registration Office for local and state elections and he has been a front service clerk (bagger) at Publix Supermarkets since June 2015.

We asked Braxton to share his thoughts about BDPA:

"Throughout middle school and high school, I have participated in the BDPA Greater Columbia as a student and also as a part of the HSCC team. This program has helped me strengthen my coding skills and soft skills such as communication, problem solving, adaptability, and conflict resolution. During my time being a part of the high school computer competition team, we have earned 2nd and 3rd place in the national competition.

My most memorable moment is earning 2nd place in the competition, the feeling of hard work being turned into results gave me a sense of accomplishment. I apply this moment to my daily life as I will begin college this fall, and I know that if I work hard there is no limit to what I can accomplish in the future. HSCC has had such a positive impact on my life, I begin every day with the goal of working hard and I know that everything else will fall in line, it has taught me so many important lessons that have prepared me for the many challenges that I have faced in life.

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student as a winner of the Bemley Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Braxton's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!

Bemley Scholar Isaac Gullickson Continues STEM-Based Education at University of Minnesota

Isaac Gullickson * University of Minnesota

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) proudly announces that a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship has been awarded to Isaac Gullickson. Isaac earned the Bemley Scholarship as a result of participating in 2013 (1st place); 2014 (3rd place) and 2015 (fourth place) won by the team trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter at the National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship.

Isaac is now a freshman at the University of Minnesota majoring in Computer Science. He is passionate about programming and web development thanks to the experiences he received in BDPA. He seeks to be a computer programmer or a full stack web developer. Isaac has a host of experiences with web development that he learned in high school. He was on a mentorship with Mayo Clinic and IBM. He also participated on his first robotics team.

We asked Isaac to share his insights about BDPA, and he wrote,

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"I had a friend in 9th grade who I thought was the bee’s knees when it came to anything technical. I’d ask some vague question about recent inventions or coding and he’d answer, narrating the tale of how programming languages were developed or describing the latest tech from Google, for instance. He’d do so with a passion that was contagious. It was from him that I heard of BDPA and the weekend class that taught some of this wondrous programming that he had told me about. I took the leap and signed my Saturday mornings away. I could not have imagined the impact that my experiences in BDPA would have. BDPA defined my future goals and gave me the skills to achieve them.

Even before I had any goals, I always liked computers. Though this was mostly because of the games I played on them as a kid, the science behind how they worked intrigued me. My only goals at the time for this interest were to wait until college, where I knew I could take courses on coding. This remained my mindset and I never took advantage of the wealth of information the internet could have provided, as I didn’t have the drive to take advantage of it. BDPA changed that very quickly. Creating website applications - tangible products of my work - was immensely rewarding. I worked on projects in class on weekends, at home, in school, whenever I could. BDPA transformed my dormant interest into an active passion. My goals became to teach myself more about web development, to take it further in college, and then a career in programming. However, skills are essential to achieving any goal.

BDPA taught me many skills, including the technical skills of web development programming, to using IDEs, CPanel, and database manipulation. Equally if not more important however, are the soft skills that are transferable to any career. These include public speaking, people skills, networking. Developing these made for some of the most memorable experiences. The experiences of preparing many summers with a team of fellow BDPA students for the competition, developing our communication, programming, and teamwork skills, but more importantly, bonding and becoming friends. Some of my favorite memories are sweating over the programming problems each year at the competition, slowly figuring them out, and implementing the solution with my friends.

2013 HSCC Champions from Southern Minnesota

In 9th grade, I never thought I could have programmed in part a complete web application that created routes for a lawn care company, or a bus routing service, or any of the professional grade problems that we worked on at the national competition. I never would have believed that I would have the focus and passion to be a part of technology and programming so soon, or to realize my childhood interest. Now in college, I find myself trying to keep building on the impact BDPA has had on me, to continue developing the skills and chase the goals I found in that Saturday morning web development class with my friends."

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BETF is proud to support young people like Isaac! However, we need your support. Please take a moment to make a secure online donation in support of the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund so we can help more young squires like Isaac!

2014 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Rankings

BDPA Washington DC HSCC Team & Coach

The 2014 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships were held in Indianapolis. We had 18 teams competing in 2014. The two-day competition was fierce and we had a new champion from Washington DC! The 2014 HSCC Champion were from BDPA Washington DC and they earned HP laptops and a $2,000 Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for attending college. They beat out the scrappy team from BDPA Greater Columbia and the perennial high-ranking team from BDPA Southern Minnesota.

The winning team from Washington DC included Lauren Battle, Beleicia Bullock, Zion Emanuel, Johnathan Legrant and Alex Li.

Here are the rankings for all 18 teams that competed in 2014 national HSCC championships with the scholarship winnings for each student in parenthesis:

1. Washington DC ($2,000 Bemley Scholarship for each student)
2. Greater Columbia ($1,500 each)
3. Southern Minnesota ($1,000 each)
4. Atlanta ($500 each)
5. Cincinnati
6. Middle Tennessee
7. Chicago
8. New York
9. St Louis
10. Twin Cities
11. Indianapolis
12. Central Illinois
13. Triangle
14. Milwaukee
15. Dallas
16. New Jersey
17. Detroit
18. Charlotte

Our foundation seeks to increase the number of students that receive Bemley Scholarships. To do so, we need your help. Please consider making an online donation to help us interest young people in science and technology.

Zion Emanuel Uses His Bemley Scholarship at Penn State University

Zion Emanuel * Bemley Scholar

Zion Emanuel earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for his final three years of eligibility as a member of the BDPA Washington DC chapter. He attended the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George's Community College. His scholarship earnings included winning the entire High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship in 2014 and coming in second place in both 2015 and 2016. He plans to use his Bemley Scholarship at Penn State University where he seeks to complete a major in Information Science and Technology.

Zion is part of the National Honor Society which is a special group of high-level academic achievers. Zion is a responsible scholarly student who provides service to his community. He earned the Barack Obama Presidential Award and was part of his school's Dean's List in 2015 and 2016.


When asked to share his thoughts on being a Bemley scholar, Zion wrote,

"My name is Zion Emanuel and I am an incoming freshman at Penn State University majoring in information science and technology. Ever since my sophomore year in high school, BDPA has been an amazing part of my life as it showed me the joys of computer science and gave me the ability to spread the knowledge I gained to others.

2014 HSCC Champions from Washington DC

During my sophomore year in high school (2014), one of my classmates referred me to BDPA and I decided to join the Washington D.C. Chapter. I already had a little background in coding but I learned so much more about concepts like databases, java server pages, and styling. I made the competition team and we won first place in HSCC that year. During my junior year (2015), I helped new students in the Washington D.C. chapter learn how to code and the basics of programming. I made the competition team again in 2015 and 2016 and we placed second in HSCC.

BDPA has also influenced me outside of the Washington D.C. Chapter and HSCC. After my first year in BDPA I became so interested in the world of computer science that I began to research different programming languages to increase my arsenal. During my senior year in high school, I helped start a computer programming club at Prince Georges Community College where I helped teach college students the basics of coding.

BDPA has left a lasting impact on my life and will continue to influence me as I pursue a career as a software engineer in the future. Aside from my career, I also plan to increase the percentage of minorities in computer science. I want to spread the joy and excitement of coding and computer science to individuals who do not have the same opportunities as others. None of these achievements or goals would have been possible without the help of BDPA. I am very grateful for these opportunities and proud to be a member."

Zion is a remarkable young man. BDPA looks forward to following his career as he progresses through college and on into his career as a software engineer! Please note that the Bemley Scholarship Fund is made up of individual donations from people like yourself. Please take a moment to recognize young people like Zion with a secure online donation!

Zinquarn Wright Uses JnJ Scholarship at Capitol Technology University

Zinquarn Wright * Capitol Technology University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Johnson & Johnson awarded a $2,500 college scholarship to winners of the BDPA IT Showcase.  One of those students is Zinquarn Wright of Capitol Technology University.

Zinquarn Wright lives in Washington DC and is a graduate of McKinley Technology High School. He has participated in the UPO Providing Opportunities With Educational Readiness (POWER) program for the past five years. Zinquarn has distinguished himself with his participation with the Joint Educational Facilities (JEF) program led by Dr. Jesse Bemley.  Zinquarn won first place in the BDPA High School IT Showcase in Indianapolis. He was also a member of the Digital Media Arts Club sponsored by WHUT and American University Graduate Film School, where I helped produce two PSAs dealing with suspension from school and teen pregnancy. In his sophomore year of high school he was a part of the WPFW live teen radio show, '2K Nation', where he was frequently a host and part of the panel. He not only attended the National Science and Engineering Festival in Washington DC, he was also tapped by Lockheed and 4H to present Legos Robotics to youth attendees. For the last two years he has been a part of the music club at his school, where students are taught how mix beats, engineer using Logic music software.

When asked to share his thoughts on being a Johnson & Johnson scholar, Zinquarn wrote,

"Participating in BDPA through the JEF program with Dr. Bemley absolutely changed my life. I learned about aspects of technology that stretched beyond just my interests in music and music technology. Because Dr. Bemley prepared me to participate in two high school showcases at the BDPA Conference in DC and Indianapolis, I learned how to prepare professional papers, how to give informed presentations and improved my leadership skills by working in a team.

BDPA definitely improved my chances of getting into CapTech U, especially when the dean saw my paper in the BDPA proceedings from Indianapolis. The folks at CapTech U knew about the great work of BDPA and Dr. Bemley and Mr. Perry Carter. Not only was I accepted by three other students from POWER who participated with JEF and BDPA. The opportunities provided by BDPA broadened my academic interests and helped with my post-secondary matriculation. I’m thankful for the great opportunities."

BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student on board as winner of the Johnson & Johnson Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Zinquarn's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry!

Yash Shirsath Uses Bemley Scholarship at University of Pennsylvania

Yash Shirsath

Yash Shirsath is on of the rare students to earn a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for all five years of eligibility as a member of the BDPA Atlanta chapter. His scholarship earnings included winning the entire High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship in both 2012 and 2015.

Yash will use his Bemley Scholarship towards his education at the University of Pennsylvania.  Yash is a National Presidential Scholar and part of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology.  As part of this selective program, Yash will receive a bachelors degree in Economics from Wharton Business School and another bachelors degree in Computer and Information Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania. He is very interested in entrepreneurship and plans to innovate in the startup space.

When asked to share his memories of the HSCC journey, Yash wrote,

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"I have had the pleasure of being part of the HSCC program for five years. I came in as a timid rising 9th grader who knew nothing about the fantastical world of computing. HSCC not only gave me concrete and marketable but it also fostered a great passion within me.

2015 HSCC Champions

One of my favorite memories from HSCC that really encapsulates my experience in the program occurred right in the maelstrom of competition. We had just completed eight grueling hours of coding and we were pitching our product to a panel of judges. It had all come down to those few moments. Months of preparation and dedication. From myself. From my teammates. From my coaches.

I was in the middle of explaining the intricacies of the security features that we had encoded into the product, when it hit me. This wasn't just a competition. I could have just as easily been standing in a boardroom, talking to executives about our product. We had gained so many skills from this program that we blurred the line between student and professional. This knowledge has really propelled me throughout my career as a computer science student. When I look forward and envision all of the opportunities that lay ahead, I know that HSCC opened the door to so many of them."

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Yash is a remarkable young man. BDPA looks forward to following his career as he progresses through college and on into the boardroom within Corporate America or his own company! Please note that the Bemley Scholarship Fund is made up of individual donations from people like yourself. Please take a moment to recognize young people like Yash with a secure online donation!

Briana Abraham Uses Her Bemley Scholarship for Computer Science Degree at George Mason University

Briana Abraham

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to award a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship to BDPA Greater Columbia student member Briana Abraham.   This is the second scholarship provided to Briana in recent months.  Briana plans to use it to continue her studies at George Mason University. Briana seeks a computer science degree with a focus on cybersecurity. Her career goal is to become a reverse engineer. She worked the past two summers as a research intern at the University of South Carolina.

We asked her to share thoughts on her experience with BDPA.

"I joined BDPA during my junior year in high school, shortly after I became interested in Computer Science. BDPA gave me a space to hone my programming skills, while also allowing me to collaborate with peers who held similar interests, and who were passionate about software development. My time at BDPA has greatly increased my teamwork skills, presentation skills, networking skills, and of course my programming skills.

My most

2014 HSCC Team (Greater Columbia)

memorable moment in BDPA is during the 2014 National BDPA Technology Conference, when the awards were announced for the High School Computer Competition, and it was revealed that my team had placed second. That moment was filled with elation, joy and camaraderie. My teammates and I, were thrilled to see that the days spent together in preparation for the competition had paid off. We were shocked. The moment for me was particularly special, as prior to this venture, I had no experience with web development, and being able to contribute meaningfully to the team's success, was fulfilling."

This is the 30th anniversary of the High School Computer Competition.  We have given out hundreds of Bemley Scholarships over the years.   We are grateful to Best Buy Foundation and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum for providing major donations in support of the Bemley Scholarship Fund this year.   However, this is truly a scholarship fund that is supported by BDPA members and supporters.  I encourage you to make a secure online donation today!

Beleicia Bullock Plans to Use her Bemley Scholarship at Bowdoin College

Beleicia Bullock

Beleicia Bowdoin earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for her work on the 2015 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Washington DC. Her commitment to leadership is exemplary. Beleicia is graduating from the Maret School, where she has had a chance to grow both academically and socially. She is involved in a variety of clubs, including the Black Student Union, Student Admissions Tour Guides, and The Woodley Leaves, Maret’s newspaper.

In addition to being a devoted student-leader, she maintains an unwavering commitment to community service. Currently, she is concluding her Gold Award, which is the highest award that any Girl Scout can earn. For her project, Beleicia founded Operation: GirlCode. This initiative fosters a sisterhood among girls in the male-dominated HSCC championship and has retained a record number of girls for the HSCC team trained by BDPA Washington DC chapter. In addition to her Gold Award, Beleicia also serves as a teen advisor for the National Campaign for the Prevention of Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Here, she contributes her time to promote the Planned Parenthood and create more effective campaigns for the organization.

Many of the skills that Beleicia learned by participating in and leading community service projects, she was able to apply in the workforce. In 2012, Beleicia obtained her first internship at the Hirshhorn Museum. Here, she was the editor-in-chief of the museum’s teen newsletter and a social media intern. The next summer, she interned at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as a summer English instructor. There, she worked with youth on improving their writing skills, while also promoting the exploration of African American art, literature, and poetry. Finally, after graduating from high school, Beleicia started working at the Rock Creek Group, a global investment and advisory firm for institutional investors.

2015 Silver-Medal Winning team included Beleicia Bullock, Lauren Battle, Johnathan Legrant, Micah Moore and Zion Emanuel.

When asked to reflect on her experience with BDPA, Beleicia wrote, "After a scary introduction to computer science, I was so sure that programming was not for me. However, my mother thought that I should give it another try, so she signed me up for the HSCC. It was probably the best decision she has ever made for me. Three years later, I am looking forward to creating the foundations for my computer science career at college and really exploring all that technology has to offer. The HSCC helped to mold my thinking and trained me to think technically and efficiently. Simultaneously, I was able to learn a great deal of social skills, such as how to lead a team, take criticism constructively, and plan projects."

While she is sad to leave her life at Maret, family and friends, Beleicia is incredibly excited to attend Bowdoin College in the fall. There, she plans to double major in computer science and Arabic, as well as minoring in economics and finance.

Anthony Coleman Uses BDPA Scholarships to Attend Midlands Technical College

Anthony Coleman

Anthony Coleman capped off his BDPA experience in high school by winning two scholarships -- Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship and the Human Capital Logistics Scholarship. He will use the scholarships to help fund his Computer Technology degree at Midlands Technical College and Winthrop University.

Anthony grew up in a military family. Both his father and grandfather served in the Armed Forces for over 20 years. Anthony was born in Richmond, Virginia, however he has lived in five different states, including Alaska. The constant movement that comes with being a 'military brat' was stressful at times, however, it allowed Anthony to become an adaptive and resilient person.

Anthony graduated from Dutch Fork High School where he was actively involved in numerous extracurricular activities, such as the Beta Club, Future Business Leaders of America, and Distributive Education Clubs of America. He also graduated from the Youth Corps leadership program, and was the team captain of the BDPA Greater Columbia High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team from 2012-2014. He capped his BDPA experience on the HSCC team by taking home the silver medal at the 2014 National HSCC Championship held in Indianapolis, IN.



He spent his first year of college studying Computer Information Systems at Winthrop University.  He is currently attending Midlands Technical College this fall to continue to work towards his career aspiration of becoming employed as a Computer Programmer. He plans to return to Winthrop complete his college education.

Anthony shared his testimonial on being part of the BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program:

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After being a part of BDPA for 5 years, I can definitely say that BDPA has helped steer me in the direction of studying Computer Science in college. Before joining BDPA, I had already developed an interest in working with computers. However, I did not have an outlet to further explore my interest and develop skills in the field. When my mom first introduced me to BDPA, I was intrigued because I would be able to do something that I enjoyed while being with my friends from school. As time passed, my friends lost interest in the program due to the early meeting times on weekends. Nevertheless, I stayed with it as my passion for Computer Science and Web Design grew.

By the end of the year, I was a part of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team. After my first competition, my team finished in the lower half of the standings. I was not discouraged after this result; it only proved that we had room to improve.

At the start of my second year in BDPA, there was a new focus within the chapter. There were new students and instructors, but there was clearly a different mindset. Everyone felt like we could really compete with the top teams. We took this new attitude straight to the HSCC competition in Baltimore. We finished the competition 7th overall. Although this finish might not seem that meaningful, it was huge step up from how we had performed in previous years. We believed that with a few tweaks to our formula we could easily make it into the top five. With this in mind, we trained harder than ever for the next competition in Washington, DC. I was even named captain of the team before heading to DC. On the night of the Gala, we all expected to finish in the top five. Unfortunately, we ended up finishing in the exact same spot as last year. I felt discouraged after such a disappointing result.

2014 BDPA Greater Columbia HSCC Team

Heading into my final year being a part of the HSCC team, I was determined to have my best performance ever. I was not aiming to merely finish in the top five; my goal was to win the competition. We showed up to the competition more focused than ever. Each day of competition our team was like a well-oiled machine. After the last day of competition, I had no doubt that we would have a great finish. At the gala, my teammates were nervous about the results, but I was calm. When we found out that we had finished second, I was elated. All the hard work and training I had endured had finally paid off. It didn’t even bother me that we missed winning by only a couple points. I was content with our success.

Being a part of BDPA helped me in so many ways. I have greatly helped my public speaking skills and taught me how to lead a group of people to common goal. This was a bonus to all the knowledge I would receive in Computer Science that would aid me during my first year of college. I am eternally grateful to my BDPA teachers, teammates, and chapter leaders.

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We are very proud of the work that Anthony has put in over the years and we're glad that these college scholarships will help him further his education. Our hope is that those of you reading this message will support the young people being trained in BDPA Greater Columbia.

Wordless Wednesday: Ogochukwu Eburuoh (Bowie State University)

BDPA Mobile Application Showcase: Richard Watts III (Central Illinois)

BDPA Central Illinois member Richard Watts III (University High School) earned first place (and a $6,500 college scholarship from State Farm!) for his efforts during the 1st Annual BDPA Mobile Application Showcase.



BDPA used this initiative to expose its student members to mobile application development and showcase the students' expertise during the annual national technology conference. The students were provided with foundation training for mobile application development and mentoring throughout the pilot. The 2014 BDPA Mobile Application Showcase featured high school and college students that designed, developed and deployed a mobile application (business, personal productivity or game) to a mobile device for display at the national conference.

L-R: Craig Brown, Markita Payne, Michael Tyson, Richard Watts III, Tonji Zimmerman, Jason Gibson

The BDPA Mobile Application Showcase was sponsored by State Farm.

Classroom to the Boardroom: Nicholas Reid (New York University)

 BDPA believes that it can help the Black community 'win the future' by providing programs, scholarships and services that will move folks from 'the classroom to the boardroom'. Back in 2003, we created the BDPA Information Technology (IT) Showcase as part of that process. Our vision at the time was to find a way for the students trained by BDPA in coding (programming), database management, web development, presentation skills and teamwork in our local chapter computer camps and the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships to stay within the BDPA family as they moved on to college.

Dr. Jesse Bemley

The IT Showcase was created by BDPA Hall of Fame member Dr. Jesse Bemley with the idea that HSCC alumni (high school or college) could continue to compete at the annual conference. These young people were encouraged to document their research on a relevant technology topic ... write a 10-page paper, create a poster board display and then defend their research in person in front of judges from industry and academia.

This blog wants to begin to highlight some of the young people who have begun their 'classroom to the boardroom' journey in both the HSCC and IT Showcase initiatives. One such student is Nicholas Reid. As a high school student Nicholas represented BDPA New York chapter in the 2010 national HSCC championship. His team finished in sixth place that year.

In 2012, he served as the technical coordinator for the high school students being trained by his local chapter.

2014 IT Showcase Award: Dr. Bemley, Nicholas, Dr. Brown

The past two years (2013 and 2014) Nicholas has been a participant in the college division of the BDPA IT Showcase. In fact, he took home the silver medal at the BDPA IT Showcase held in August 2014!

 Nicholas is the future face of technology. He is currently studying physics and computer science at New York University with a career goal of becoming an astrophysicist.

BDPA is excited to support the efforts of youngsters such as Nicholas. We expect great things from him and others who follow the BDPA path. However, we need support from BDPA members, sponsors and supporters to increase the funds available for BDPA programs, scholarships and services. Won't you take a moment to make a secure online donation right here and right now in the name of Nicholas Reid?

BDPA Mobile Application Showcase: Itobore Odje (Cincinnati)

BDPA Cincinnati member Itobore Odje (University of Cincinnati) earned second place (and a $5,500 college scholarship from State Farm!) for her efforts during the 1st Annual BDPA Mobile Application Showcase.



BDPA used this initiative to expose its student members to mobile application development and showcase the students' expertise during the annual national technology conference. The students were provided with foundation training for mobile application development and mentoring throughout the pilot. The 2014 BDPA Mobile Application Showcase featured high school and college students that designed, developed and deployed a mobile application (business, personal productivity or game) to a mobile device for display at the national conference.

L-R: Craig Brown, Markita Payne, Michael Tyson, Itobore Odje, Tonji Zimmerman, Jason Gibson

The BDPA Mobile Application Showcase was sponsored by State Farm.

BlueCross BlueShield Shows New Robotics Technology at BDPA Career Fair

Did you see the Double telepresence robot showcased at the 2014 BDPA Career Fair by the folks from BlueCross BlueShield of IL, MT, NM, OK, TX? The Indianapolis Recorder was enamored enough to place a video vignette on their YouTube channel.

Message from BDPA Corporate Sponsor: MillerCoors

Norm Fleming

Norman Fleming (senior director, MillerCoors) is a long-time member and supporter of BDPA programs, scholarships and services. He believes that BDPA is filled with information technology thought leaders that are making a difference when it comes to preparing the Black community to win the future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Norman introduced BDPA to his company ... MillerCoors ... and the corporate partnership has flourished over the past few years. In addition to being a major sponsor at the national level, MillerCoors is working closely with our local BDPA chapters in Chicago and Milwaukee. In fact, MillerCoors hosts many of the public meetings for BDPA Milwaukee chapter!

Norman shared the following message earlier this month:

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"Great news for MillerCoors. We were named “Outstanding Corporation of the Year” at the 36th Annual National BDPA Technology Conference & Career Fair held August 5-9, 2014 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis. The following BDPA awards/acknowledgements have been achieved during that conference week:

• BDPA “Outstanding Corporation of the Year” - BDPA recognizes exceptional companies that provide African Americans with challenging and fulfilling career opportunities in Information Technology. MillerCoors was recognized as a company who have demonstrated a commitment to BDPA’s mission, people and an understanding that Diversity has a bottom line business case value. Key contributors: Karen Alber (BDPA/SIM CIO Panelist, BDPA Chicago Chapter Award of Excellence), Bill Eismont (Dignitaries Panelist), Carmen Giles (Milwaukee Chapter President), Ashton Clark, Adrienne Williams, Melodi Warren Anderson, Treccy Marquardt-Thomas (BIS summer intern), Dave Hora and BISLT.
  

Carmen Giles & Craig Brown

• BDPA “Comeback Chapter of the Year” - BDPA recognizes chapters across the country that are committed to developing the Information Technology talent pipeline from the “Classroom to the Boardroom.” BDPA Milwaukee Chapter was recognized as the “Comeback Chapter of the Year” for its accelerated growth and commitment to students, members, and corporate sponsors. Compared to 45 other chapters across the nation, BDPA Milwaukee has attracted the highest percent of new members in one year. And, for the first time in its history, the Milwaukee Chapter sponsored eight local high school students in this year’s National High School Computer Competition championship. Key contributors: Carmen Giles (Chapter President), Allen Baylor, Adrienne Williams, Melodi Warren Anderson and Matt Brahm (HSCC Instructor)

• BDPA Dignitaries Panel Discussion on the topic “Executive Presence” - MillerCoors sponsored the IT Senior Management Forum Networking and BDPA Dignitaries Panel Reception. CIOs, CTOs, SVPs, VPs, and senior leaders from Fortune 500 companies, federal agencies, and educational institutions convened during the BDPA conference to learn from top executives on the key “leadership presence” attributes required for aspiring IT and business leaders in their respective careers. The CIO/EVP of Eli Lilly, Global CIO of Deloitte (moderator) and VP of Johnson & Johnson were some of the key members of this distinguished panel. Key contributors: Bill Eismont (MillerCoors Panelist), Carmen Giles and Ashton Clark

• JW Marriott Indianapolis – Point of Distribution (POD) - MillerCoors was the exclusive adult beverage provider of beer/cider products throughout the entire conference at every BDPA corporate reception, post reception party, and the Black-Tie Awards Gala. As MillerCoors recently launched Redd’s Wicked Apple nationally, this brand was the #1 consumed FMB product throughout the National BDPA conference at the second largest JW Marriott in the nation. MillerCoors promoted Wicked Apple, Miller Fortune, Crispin Original, Smith & Forge, Redd’s Apple Ale, Redd’s Strawberry Ale, Summer Shandy, Blue Moon, Peroni, Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Batch 19. And, MillerCoors’ branded glassware was showcased at the receptions. Furthermore, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Summer Shandy, and Redd’s Apple Ale were also served on draft at the JW Marriott sports bar. Key Contributors: JW Marriott (Amy McNeely), Monarch Beverage Co. (Ashley Searer), MillerCoors (Ryan Tohill, Norm Fleming)
  

Thanks to the MillerCoors team that spent the week in Indy promoting our company. We are proud to be America’s Best Beer Company!"

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This is an example of the multi-dimensional relationship that BDPA seeks to have with each of its corporate sponsors. We are convinced that BDPA provides a remarkable 'return on investment' for Corporate America. If you or your company would like to learn more about BDPA sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to us by email (corpsales@bdpa.org) or phone, (301) 584-3135, ext. 108.

Grant Disbursement: BDPA Los Angeles ($2,743)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is pleased to announce approval of the funding request made by BDPA Los Angeles in the amount of $2,743.00. This grant disbursement flows smoothly with our vision to achieve, through investment in education and technology, an informed minority community prepared to lead and leverage the knowledge revolution for the benefit of the community-at-large.

The funding request was made earlier this month by BDPA Los Angeles chapter president David Malonson. The funding will be used to cover expenses incurred within the chapter's Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. Specifically, the chapter needed the funds to ensure the full participation of three students and a chaperone at the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference held in Indianapolis, IN.

BETF appreciates the aggressive fundraising efforts by BDPA Los Angeles chapter over the past year. We are hopeful to see similar activity from the other 45 local BDPA chapters around the nation. The funding process is explained in more detail on the BETF website.

Technology Expresso: 2014 National BDPA High School Computer Competition Champions (Washington DC)

National BDPA crowned five young people trained by our Washington DC chapter as the 2014 national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) champions! This was the third national HSCC championship for BDPA Washington DC and the first since 1990.

L-R: Naomi Matthews (coordinator), Lauren Battle, Zion Emanuel, Johnathan Legrant,
Alex Li, Michael Wood (chaperone). Not Pictured: Beleicia Bullock

Throughout the year, local chapters provide after-school or weekend computer camps for the youth in their communities. These computer camps are designed to teach our young people to code (program), design websites, create databases, make presentations and work as part of a team. Eventually, each local BDPA chapter selects a team of up to five students to represent its city in the annual HSCC championship. This year the HSCC students were competing for over $43,000 in college scholarships sponsored by Oracle and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).

Listen to the interview of the remarkable BDPA Washington DC youngsters conducted by David Blackman and Jacqueline Sanders (Technology Expresso Cafe'):

Current Education Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Tech Expresso Cafe on BlogTalkRadio

BETF would like to double the amount of college scholarships that we give out next year via the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund. We need your help to do so. It's not an ice bucket. It's simply an appeal to our members and supporters to help us advance the careers of African Americans in the IT industry from the classroom to the boardroom. All you need to do is make a secure online donation today. Doable?

Bemley Scholar Alex Li Seeks Engineering Degree from University of Maryland

Alex Li

Alex Li has been part of the BDPA computer camps hosted each Saturday by our BDPA Washington DC chapter for the past five years. He earned a place on the chapter's national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team in 2012-2014.  The excellent performance by his HSCC team in 2013 (4th place) and 2014 (1st place) earned this young squire $2,500 in college scholarships from the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund.

Alex graduated from Poolesville High School in June 2014. He now attends the University of Maryland College Park where he plans to double-major in Electrical Engineering and either Finance or Business Management. He has been focused entirely on his education so he doesn't have any employment experience at this point. Our hope is that one of our BDPA corporate sponsors will scoop Alex up for a summer internship next year. Alex tells us that his ultimate career goal is to start and manage his own company!

We asked Alex to share some memories of his BDPA experience with our blog readers:

"When I first joined BDPA Washington DC in the 8th grade, I did not know what to expect. I was unfamiliar with the group and the subject matter for the weekend computer camp. I had very little understanding of what programming was and what it was used for. Over the course of the past five years in the BDPA program I have been enlightened to a whole new world of computer programming and information systems.

BDPA steered me towards the undergraduate degree I will soon be obtaining. I never considered majoring in something like computer science or electrical engineering. Participating and competing in BDPA has opened countless new opportunities for me. The experience I gained these five years convinced me to pursue a career in the STEM field.

2014 National HSCC Champions! Alex is 2nd from right.

My most memorable moment in BDPA came earlier this month when my teammates and I were called up to the stage to be recognized for winning the gold medal in 2014 National BDPA HSCC Championship. I was very grateful when my team won first place after working for five years towards that goal."

Alex is a remarkable young man. He is the reason that the BDPA volunteers in Washington DC and around the nation work so hard to advance the careers of people in our community 'from the classroom to the boardroom'. You can help. Please take a moment and make a secure online donation in support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services. Do it today. Let's work to give out twice as many college scholarships next year!