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| Front Row: Christian Ceesay, Dhemonie Teague, Alex Rodriguez, Alexis Belton Back Row: Bryant Donald, Dequan Bryant, Mariam Adam, Issa Adam, Jeremy Barber Jr., Kayla Fant Not Pictured: Oliver Mollay, Julius Clark, Candace Clark, Kasaam Lytle, Anthony Vasquez |
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| L-R: Reo Austin, CJ Austin, Oliver Mollay, Evan Howard, Candace Clark |
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| Nikki Hoffler |
"A few years ago my HSCC team went to a ropes course to do team building exercises. I especially remember the 'Leap of Faith' where each team member would climb to the top of a telephone pole and jump off, knowing that their safety rope was held by the rest of the team. It was amazing to see how our team dynamics transferred seamlessly from coding on a computer to physical trust exercises. We had a great time.
Every year I look forward to doing the Cha Cha Slide with everyone: my teammates, my friendly competitors, and our lovely volunteer chaperones. Once the competition is over and the banquet is done, everyone starts to relax a little. But it still takes a little coaxing to get all the students to dance. Luckily, we have chaperones like Melvin Rogers, Markus Beamer, and Jamesetta James, who are brave enough to take the floor. It amazes the new students every time!
First of all, it was my experience in HSCC and BDPA that made me such a strong candidate for college applications. I applied to many "reach schools" and got into nine out of the ten universities to which I applied, four of which awarded me additional merit-based scholarships.
When I came to Mount Holyoke College, I knew I wanted to be a Computer Science (CS) major and although I consider myself to be an introvert, networking at BDPA conferences gave me the skills to take advantage of the resources I have at college. This year I will be both a writing mentor and a teaching assistant for a CS freshman seminar that is based upon the research I did for the department this summer.
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| Front Row: Reo Austin, Carlton Austin, Candace Clark, Tyra Harrison, Julius Clark, Jr. Row 2: Christopher Hoffler, Darrah Stubblefield, Evan Howard, Briona Goni, Breonna Harrison Back Row: Melvin Rogers (trainer), Katy Hoffler (coordinator) |
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
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.
If you've been avoiding getting your organization involved in Facebook, here are three good reasons to rethink that decision:
Here are a few guidelines for getting started with Facebook:
- Facebook has an audience of 800 million and growing, making it equivalent to the population of the world's third-largest country.
- Meet them where they're at: it is extremely likely that a considerable amount of your wired network is already engaged on the platform.
- More and more donations are happening online.
First, create a "Page" for your organization -- this is similar to a personal profile. It allows members to become a "friend" of your nonprofit, allowing them to subscribe to your updates and engage in dialogue with you and other supporters. To set up your Facebook Page, visit www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. The BDPA Foundation Facebook Page is up & running.
Second, create a Facebook Group: If you are interested in sending direct messages to the in-boxes of your supporters (and you have fewer than 5,000 followers), setting up a group is the way to go. Without a group, you are limited to posting status updates and having your supporters read them via their Facebook News Feed. To set up your group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/create.php. The National BDPA Facebook Group is up & running.
Once you are established on Facebook and your supporters are accustomed to communicating with you through this platform, it is time to start raising money. "Causes" is a tool (application) built for Facebook that allows you to fundraise within the Facebook network. Although it's difficult to build a community within Causes, it's worth exploring as a fundraising supplement to your Page or Group. Get a better feel for this tool at www.causes.com.
Once you are set up on Facebook, a great tip for integrating fundraising activities is to use the platform generously and frequently to express thanks for member contributions -- public recognition helps spread loyalty and reinforces generous support.
Markus Beamer (2012-2013)
Dear Mr. R. Wayne Hicks,
Thank you for your request Fifth Third Bank to provide support BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. Although wee do support the great work you do, we regret we are unable to provide the funding you seek.
While we know this is disappointing news, please keep in mind that Fifth Third Bank receives many worthwhile requests such as yours, and we make every effort to support a wide variety of programs that make a vital difference in the community. Unfortunately, we must decline many meaningful appeals for the simple reason that our funds are limited, while requests for those funds are not.
We wish you and BDPA Education and Technology Foundation much success in securing the funding needed for its programs now and in the future.
Sincerely,
Jada Grandy
Senior Vice President and Manager
Community Development
The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of February 2012 are:
