Hotep! BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) exists to provide financial support for BDPA. We share information about fundraising, funding sources and BDPA programs on this blog. The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent BDPA’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Showing posts with label HSCC Testimonial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HSCC Testimonial. Show all posts
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to announce that Matthew Mugeni will use the Bemley Scholarship awarded all the members of the BDPA Triangle High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team with a $1,000 college scholarship at North Carolina State University.
Matthew Mugeni * Bemley Scholar (2017)
We asked Matthew to share his thoughts on BDPA:
"I am 18 years old living in Raleigh, North Carolina. I graduated from Leesville Road High School and currently enrolled at North Carolina State University for Engineering. I have been part of BDPA for 4 years and for every year and I got the chance to attend and compete at the National Conference. In my final year of competing my team and I placed 3rd in the competition. I have loved every second I've been in BDPA and owe the organization a great thanks.
Without BDPA I would not have learned the technical skills of information technology, such as computer programming, or soft skills, such as public speaking and how to act or present yourself in corporate settings. Finally, BDPA allowed me to participate in a movement of Black professionals and allowed me to work with people that looked like me especially since there is a scarcity of people of color in STEM fields. Ultimately, BDPA has pushed me further to pursue my dreams of becoming a Black Professional in the STEM field as has also taught me never to waver from that dream."
BDPA is blessed to have such a young and talented student as a winner of the Bemley Scholarship. We look forward to supporting Matthew's career as he seeks to advance in the technology industry.
One of our most active and successful chapters in the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) is from Atlanta. BDPA Atlanta students earned 3rd-place in National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship held in August 2013. The HSCC competition comprises three components: oral testing, written testing and a programming project. Suntheng Taing was a member of the Atlanta team. He earned a $500 college scholarship that he would like us to apply towards Georgia State University. Suntheng was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and he currently lives in Lilburn, Georgia.
Suntheng wrote, "Growing up, my fascination with technology and art allowed me to create magnificent projects which resulted in my efforts to major in Computer Science. With my studious mindset, I chose Georgia State University as an opportunity to grow my intellectualism in the future."
When asked to share his thoughts on the HSCC competition, Suntheng wrote,
"It was an honor to be a part of the BDPA HSCC Atlanta Chapter. I enjoyed the marvelous teachers and coordinators that work hands-on with students who have an immense passion in the field of technology. The most memorable aspect of participating in the HSCC is knowing the determination in my peers and in myself. What struck me the most about my experience was the growth that I encountered in the Chapter because of the drive that I did not know I had."
We encourage our readers to make a secure online donation to the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund so that we can continue to recognize young scholars like Suntheng in the future!
BDPA Atlanta students earned 1st place in National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship held in August 2016. The HSCC competition comprises three components: oral testing, written testing and a programming project. Malik Saafir was a member of that team. He earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship which he used at Morehouse College.
Malik is a seventeen-year-old senior at Georgia Cyber Academy. Outside of school, he is a member of the 100 Scholars Robotics Alliance (100SRA). He works with BDPA and 100SRA to lead teams that compete with other high schoolers from around the state and the country. Malik has been with the 100SRA since since his sophomore year and currently serves as the captain of two FIRST Robotics teams under its umbrella. Malik has been accepted to Morehouse College with a full ride for the fall of 2017, and plans to double major in chemical engineering and computer science. Also, he was recently named valedictorian of his high school's graduating class of 2017.
We asked Malik to provide his thoughts on BDPA and his experiences in the HSCC event:
"The most influential experience I have had so far with the BDPA was the High School Computer Competition season of 2016. The regional and national levels of the High School Computer Competitions (HSCC) took place in June and August of 2016. The HSCC is a web development competition hosted by the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA), and it involves teams of students from around the country. Of the seven students on the Atlanta team, only two were champions from the prior season. The rest of us were rookies to the program. Consequently, we had a ton of studying to do over the four months from March until the regional competition in June.
Malik Saafir (2nd-Left) and his Teammates
My team and I needed to internalize web development, computer theory, and history, all while working on our presentation and public speaking skills, so we met every Saturday for approximately four hours. We studied the various programming languages and theories that we would apply, including PHP (PHP Hypertext Preprocessor), HTML (HyperText Markup Language), and SQL (Structured Query Language). With the help and guidance of several dedicated mentors and instructors, we learned everything we needed to know and more.
By June our team was ready for its first competition of the season, the regionals in Raleigh, NC This competition was to determine which Southern teams would continue to compete in the nationals. The competition consisted of a multiple-choice test on computer theory and history, which was eye-opening to our dire need of more practice, and a web development component. The coding section entailed four hours of programming with one laptop, no Wi-Fi, and a prompt detailing the requirements. After those tiring hours of designing and coding, we presented a website with an expansive range of functions, but barely any visual appeal due to time constraints. However, the application’s functional nature, in addition to our presentation, brought the season’s first victory home to Atlanta.
Malik and his teammates are 2016 HSCC Champions!
Following our encouraging win in June, the rest of the summer was spent diligently preparing for August’s week-long conference and national competition. Being the GA team meant we were defending our title as the reigning champions on our own turf. I am proud to say that my teammates and I brought Atlanta its second consecutive national victory. Over 30 teams were present from across the country. Rather than four hours, this contest required each team to huddle around two laptops for eight hours straight. The moment the BDPA president said that the first place team “should feel right at home in Atlanta,” I realized we had won. I felt a sensation of extreme joy and pride in myself and my teammates. There are no words to describe my ecstasy as we received our trophies on the stage. This experience was instrumental in my journey from childhood to adulthood because it built my confidence in myself and my ability to lead."
BDPA Southern Minnesota students earned 4th place in National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship held in August 2012. The HSCC competition comprises three components: oral testing, written testing and a programming project. Michael Espey was a member of that team. He earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship which he used at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He majored in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science with two concentrations: Software Development and Information Assurance and Cyber Security. Michael had many life goals including getting a job in Rochester, MN. He was successful in his goal as he is now a software engineer at IBM. We asked Michael to provide his thoughts BDPA and his experiences in the HSCC event:
Hello my name is Michael Espey and I (attended) the University of Wisconsin-Stout majoring in Applied Math and Computer Science. Within my major I am concentrating in software development as well as information assurance and cyber security. BDPA has been a part of my life since my senior year in high school and has helped me so much giving me lifelong skills that have contributed to my successes and future opportunities.
When my brother in law, William Smith came to me suggesting that I join BDPA, I was a bit hesitant. I wasn't much of an outgoing person to try new things, but I went anyway since IT had interested me. On the first day of class I found myself sitting in a room of complete strangers, but I felt welcome and happy to be there. Once I met the instructors and the people there, I knew that i was in a good place to learn about web design and programming. I had taken a web programming class a year before in high school, so I was curious what new things I would learn in BDPA. The first couple weeks were things that I already knew - HTML and CSS. After a few weeks passed I was learning something new every week including PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript just to name a few. Getting up every Saturday to be to class by 9 am was sometimes challenging, but every week I went to class and found myself happy with that decision every time. Before i knew it, I was excited for Saturdays to come so I could be with my great instructors, peers, and new challenges. I had always been interested in computers and programming, but after I had joined BDPA is when i knew I would want to do this for my life career. BDPA has opened so many doors in my life including meeting potential employers and people interested in IT just like me!
When it came time to announce the team that would represent Southern Minnesota in the 2012 HSCC, I was eager to hear if my name made the list. I had worked very had throughout the school year, and after hearing my name as a member of the team, I was so excited! When we arrived in Baltimore, we were among big cities such as Los Angeles and the Twin Cities chapters. I knew it was not going to be an easy competition, but we had a great team and had prepared for so long. The HSCC had 3 different tasks for the competition including a team questioning, individual questioning, and team programming. My most memorable part of the HSCC was the day of the programming part of the competition. I remember being really nervous yet excited for a 7 hour task that we had been preparing for all summer long at our boot camp meetings. The thing that I can remember the most is sitting down with my team members, developing a totally functional website in only 7 hours. We worked together so well and got along great!
2012 HSCC Team (BDPA Southern Minnesota)
Even though our team only got 4th place that year, I have gotten so much more from BDPA. BDPA has helped me become more social with others, meet lots of new people that I will communicate with for the rest of my life, develop skills that I can use for the future including time management, teamwork, working hard to achieve my goals, and preparing me for college. My plans for the future are to receive my bachelors degree in 2016, help my BDPA chapter as much as I can, and get a job that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. I couldn’t have had such a great start to college and programming if it weren’t for BDPA guiding me along the way.
We asked Pandora to share her thoughts on her BDPA experience. She wrote,
"Joining BDPA had to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. When I joined I met new people, I got to travel, and I was also able to earn scholarship money. I would recommend BDPA to all students interested in stem. I feel as if it is a really good opportunity for students to network with Black business owners. Also I feel as if it creates a bigger window of opportunity for those who may need it."
Pandora plans to serve as an officer in the United States Air Force after graduation. She is a remarkable role model for other young women in the BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. We want to increase the amount of money in our Bemley Scholarship Fund and we encourage our readers to take a moment to help us by making a secure online donation right away!
James Fields was a member of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA St. Louis chapter during his four years of high school. His chapter took home the silver medal at the 2012 HSCC championship. He earned a $1,000 Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for his silver medal win. He will use that scholarship in support of his education at Oklahoma Christian University.
James wrote, "Going through high school, I knew design was always an interest for me. I took several graphic design and illustration classes, but there was something that I knew I was missing. I also longed for technical experience. I took several computer classes, starting with basic web page creation and entering the realm of programming, going all the way to AP and programming classes. Nearing the end of high school, I was employed for a time in a programming position, as well as several other nontechnical jobs. At Oklahoma Christian, I am currently studying animation, blending my technical experience and design aptitude. After college, I hope to get a job at a game company doing animation or character design."
We asked James to share his memories of the BDPA experience. He wrote,
BDPA St. Louis students & trainers at 2012 BDPA Conference
"The BDPA High School Computer Competition was a huge help to me both as a person and as a student of the technical sciences. I joined BDPA on recommendation by a close family friend. I did not have a lot of technical experience when I entered the program, but I left with a wealth of skills that are extremely relevant to the career I intend to end up pursuing. When I started BDPA, all I had was a desire to learn, no actual skills. When I left, I had learned not only technical skills that I would need, such as programming in a variety of languages conducive to web development, but also important interpersonal skills I would need. I can remember distinctly one year during a competition when I had an idea for our project that ultimately needed to be scrapped. I learned then that not all of my ideas will be a good fit for the project that I’m working on. BDPA taught me that sometimes, I need to sacrifice what I want for the good of the overall. BDPA gave me the ability to network in a professional environment, and helped me with my group problem solving skills, so that in the future, I will have a much easier time not just creating things, but being able to create things with other people, and how to deal with everyone in a group’s ideas and input and sort it all out."
Jacqueline Nobbe participated in the BDPA computer camp hosted by our St. Louis chapter from 2010 thru 2013. She earned a place on the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team in 2011 and 2012. Her team earned the silver medal in 2012 and she plans to use the Bemley Scholarship that she earned to attend Truman State University. Currently, Jacqueline is majoring in computer science with a minor in cognitive science.
When asked about her BDPA experience, Jacqueline wrote,
"We will see what doors open up when the time comes. I hope to find a career that involves meeting inspired people and working on projects that will help make an positive impact on the world.
If it weren’t for my experiences with BDPA, chances are, I would not be a CS major, nor would I have the wonderful group of people around me that help me grow and stay inspired by the possibilities of computer science. I think what I appreciate most about my time with the HSCC was being surrounded with such wonderful mentors that were (and still are) so willing and excited to foster the same inspiration in us as students. My mentors in the program were inspired by computer science to pass that on, and it really showed during the weeks of training.
I currently work as a service representative at Truman State University’s IT Service Center, and will be working as an intern at Strategic Sales Systems this summer."
We encourage our readers to make a secure online donation to the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund so that we can continue to recognize young scholars like Jacqueline in the future!
Ask any non-profit, and they'll tell you there's nothing better than a personal, heartfelt story to put a face on their cause. Far better than organizational blah-blah or sterile statistics, stories help donors (and future donors) learn an organization's personality. Stories help donors feel engaged in the work - and see the difference they can make in a real person's life. They empower the organization and its supporters to continue on. Messaging Shangri La!
But getting stories (good stories especially) is easier said than done. Here are a few tips we've learned from interviewing hundreds of people who have received help from charitable organizations.
Start with the End in Mind - Do your homework. Get the "story behind the story" from the program manager before you ever pick up the phone. Think of the story you want to end up with and backtrack from there to draft your questions.
Never Use the Word "Interview" - The word "interview" makes people feel like they're being interrogated by Woodward and Bernstein. It can cause anxiety and stage fright. Instead, ask if you can "chat for a few minutes about the assistance he/she received."
Talk Less, Listen More - Use the first minute or so to make the interviewee feel at ease-express your thanks. After that, zip your lips. Closed-ended questions will give you just what you might expect-one-word, dull answers. Ask questions like "what did the help mean to you?" and give people time to think about and respond to the question. Resist the urge to fill dead air as some of the best responses come when the interviewee is given the floor.
Veer from the Script - As mentioned in #1, a list of questions is always a good idea. But that said, it's a starting point. Listen closely to the interview, and be ready to jet off in another direction if needed. Use probing questions to get more in-depth answers.
Get Approvals - No surprises. That's our motto. After you've drafted the story, give the interviewee a chance to review for accuracy. Most make no changes, but it's better to know any problems before publishing it. Keep a paper trail-you might need it.
Be Prepared for Anything (and I mean anything) - Interviewing for non-profits is unique. You're talking to people who were-or are-in crisis. Don't be surprised if you encounter hostility, tears and any other emotions. Listen and be empathetic, but never say, "I know what you're going through." Most importantly, stay calm no matter what's thrown at you.
Source: Merritt Engel is Vice President of Merrigan & Co., a Kansas City-based agency that specializes in messaging for non-profit organizations.
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:
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.
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.
Jonathan Hernandez is a three-time participant in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC). He and his teammates were trained by BDPA Philadelphia chapter. We asked him about his experiences and he wrote:
"During my time with the BDPA's HSCC program as a teenager, I earned deep skills in web, application, and database technologies which have served me to this day. The experience from my teens endowed me with an edge over my competition right out of college, allowing me to find more innovative, competitive, and empowering offers from the biggest players across industries. These skills allowed me to broaden my degree in Political Science, into an active position where I make equitable change on a daily basis to my clients and stakeholders as a technology consultant and project manager.
Jonathan (standing, 2nd-from left)
Additionally, the BDPA has empowered me with the ability to socially engage and manage cross-functional technical roles with a high level of effectiveness, building consensus and clarity across the organization, and in the direction of any goal. I would not be so fortunate without the help of the BDPA, and its most brilliant group of supporting members. Furthermore, as an adult within my career, the BDPA's dividends continue to provide me with access to mentors and leaders, who have given me invaluable advice in the direction of my dreams."
Jonathan graduated from Temple University and he's now working for Accenture as a data center migration consultant. He believes in the power of technology and the real social impacts it can make across organizations and borders. His work at Accenture allows him to provide technical project management services to businesses to realize best value and technical support. Jonathan has come back to serve as a volunteer with BDPA ... particularly with young people seeking to learn programming and professional skills before they ever enter a college lecture hall.
Della currently is the webmaster for New Ideas Education, a start-up that allows Chinese students to improve English by video chatting with college students. Della also runs the College Lowdown, a podcast that gives advice on what it’s like to navigate and study at an elite college for low-income and first generation students. Della plans to work in the tech world and isn’t quite sure which area she wishes to pursue, but figures it will be in either data structures or design.
We asked Della to share thoughts about her BDPA experience:
Della Anjeh
"Ever since I received the email in ninth grade that an after school computer teaching club called BDPA would meet on Wednesdays, I never knew that it would lead to me becoming a second place national champion at the 2012 BDPA conference, that I would become the lead webmaster for a start-up, or that I would major in computer science at one of the best schools in the country. It’s just one of those things that turned out to be bigger than I ever anticipated.
I remember being at the conference in Chicago during the oral question part of the competition. For fun, our team learned from a YouTube video to count in binary with our fingers, so for every binary question our team or the other teams received, we would quietly count with our fingers together. Needless to say, we were always correct. I also remember the courses in robotics we took that taught me a lot about an aspect of computer science that at that point I hadn’t had to opportunity to explore. And of course, I’ll never forget when we were called out as the second place team in the competition that year. It was amazing especially since I was going off to college in a few weeks making 2012 my last year to be eligible to compete in the HSCC championship. All the hard work I put in since 9th grade and up to my senior year of high school truly paid off.
I can’t ever forget what BDPA has done for me, and I continue to reap the benefits of the program now as I’m starting my 3rd year of college, and my first semester as a declared computer science major. I have no idea what my future will be like, but I know that BDPA will continue to stay in my mind as one of the places I felt that I could let my talent shine."
BDPA created the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship program to propel students in our community from the classroom to the boardroom. We want our children to have their best chance to 'win the future' by getting grounded in science, technology, education and mathematics. Della is showing us that we're on the right track. We need your help to keep it going! Would you please consider making a secure online donation to support BDPA programs, scholarships and services?
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?
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!
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) proudly announces that a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship has been awarded to Austin Little. Austin earned the Bemley Scholarship as a result of the silver medal won by the team trained by BDPA Detroit chapter at the 2011 National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. The scholarship will be used to participate in Morehouse College’s dual degree engineering program where he will obtain degrees in mathematics and operations research. With these two undergraduate degrees, Austin hopes to matriculate into a doctoral program in operations research. From there he will explore in the areas of consulting, research, and professorship.
Austin agreed to share his remembrance of the HSCC experience:
Growing up in West Bloomfield, Michigan most of the kids in my neighborhood were asleep on Saturday mornings while I was at Wayne State University taking engineering classes. I have always had an interest in engineering and technology. My father introduced me to technology because he believed I would benefit from the knowledge. He was right in following his instinct because I participated in very selective programs that developed my critical thinking and curiosity. The challenge for me was to maintain balance, and I did this by participating in sports, the community, civic groups, and school organizations. My involvement in sports, technology programs, community service and school organizations helped shape the person I am today.
In addition to being involved in sports my entire life, I have also been involved in DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre College Engineering Program) since kindergarten. Through this program, I have been exposed to technology such as QBasic and VEX Robotics. QBasic exposed me to the world of programming, and this is when I realized I would like to major in Operations Research.
I remember my father forcing me to attend the BDPA Detroit chapter informational session for HSCC. However after the first class period, I became extremely interested building websites and programming. Even though giving up Saturday’s to a five-hour programming class sounds rough, I left each class hungry for more knowledge so that I could try new ideas at home.
2011 HSCC Team (Detroit)
The entire HSCC experience was one like no other. The length of the classes and the entire program required tremendous sacrifice, but each hour in and outside the classroom was worth the skills I obtained. To this day I still think back to my HSCC class periods and wish I could go back. Outside of the programming and web design skills, I also learned valuable team work and time management skills. Working in a high-pressure environment provided me with experience few other programs can replicate.
Although I am no longer directly involved in computer science, I still use my programming skills and they will be instrumental in my future study interests.
BETF is proud to support young people like Austin! 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 Austin!
Pooja Chebula is a 3-time member of the national high school computer competition (HSCC) team trained by our BDPA Los Angeles. She earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship for the high-level of performance with her team in the 2012 and 2013 HSCC championships. Pooja informed us of her enrollment to the University of Southern California (Class of 2018) seeking her degree in Computer Science and Business Administration.
Pooja is fascinated with creating technology to help society. She is intrigued by methods to mine and correlate data to revolutionize dimensions of information management, especially as applied to health care. She wants to help ensure that the society we build with the Internet is the sort we intend. Dreams are the sine qua non of success and by joining a creative enterprise that encourages "out of the box" thinking, Pooja seeks to discover her passions and help engineer a brighter, healthier, and sustainable tomorrow.
We asked Pooja to share remembrances of her BDPA experiences with us:
My life had been overtaken by a virus. A computer virus, that is.
Los Angeles (2011)
In January, 2011, I enrolled in an extracurricular computer programming course sponsored by BDPA. Little did I imagine that only a few months later, bitten by the computer bug and effectively enamored of coding, I would serve as the program manager for the Los Angeles High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team and lead our chapter to several regional victories. As we qualified for the national HSCC, our instructors had high expectations that, for the first time in our chapter's history, we would discover our Midas touch and bring home the golden trophy. The thought of partaking in a national competition was quite daunting in itself, but being expected to win while competing against experienced teams made the journey a stressful one.
2011 HSCC Team
As we entered Chicago's Hilton hotel for the opening session of the national conference, we certainly felt like the underdogs. The HSCC consisted of three sections: an oral, written, and programming portion. While our team flew through the first two sections, we faced grave difficulties in the programming portion. The 2011 business case called for the development of a custom Laptop purchasing application akin to Dell.com. At first glance, I was relieved to note that we were capable of executing nearly all of the functionality requirements. As we delved into the actual coding, however, I discovered that the case was far more complex than it had initially seemed. Cut off from the rest of the world and without access to the Internet, we were trapped: we simply did not understand the presented database schema. Unable to create the application without a clear understanding of the database relations, we essentially accepted defeat within the first few hours of the competition and solely coded preliminary pages of the site that did not involve convoluted database linkages. Naturally, we were shellacked in the competition, emerging a petty fourteenth place out of seventeen competing teams.
As project manager, I felt especially guilty as we landed in LAX and prepared to relay the news of our disappointing loss to our eagerly awaiting parents. I had failed my team: some of my teammates not only bid goodbye to one another, but they also left the programming field altogether. In striving for the prize, we had lost sight of the bigger picture, of valuing our newly acquired programming knowledge and enjoying our HSCC experience. Engulfed in the minute details of database linkages, I had led my team astray. Had I instead encouraged my team to build the entire application with dummy pages, we might have demonstrated our programming aptitude and felt content with our efforts. With one decision stemming from my poor lack of judgment, eight months of our toil had been rendered worthless.
As I ruminated over our performance in the following months, I noted that while mistakes are a part of life, we certainly had learned much from the experience. Practice does make perfect, and our team simply was not ready to compete against accomplished programmers: we were severely inhibited by our lack of programming experience. I was naturally disappointed with the news of our placement, but my rather embarrassing loss gave me the motivation to expand my programming skill set and the tenacity to adapt and implement various solutions.
2012 HSCC Team
As our newly woven team strove for contentment rather than accolades in the 2012 HSCC, success naturally followed suit such that we emerged as the third place winners and the year after secured first place in programming (second overall). If you learn from a loss, I discovered through the 2011 HSCC, you have not failed. As Richard Bach aptly concludes, "Losing, in a curious way, is winning."
National HSCC Silver Medalists (2013)
It had taken three years to truly implement the lessons from my failure, but I finally emerged victorious.
One of the shining stars in BDPA history is James Arama. James is a 2-time national BDPA High School Computer Competition champion who used his Jesse Bemley Scholarship money to help fund his computer science degree at Marist College.
BDPA cannot take full credit for the educational achievements of this young squire. He had a powerful example set for him by his mother.
James wrote, "The graduates to be! My mom graduates today from South Central College with her nursing degree. I'm graduating from Marist next week with my computer science degree! Flew in for the day to capture this moment. We made it!!!! #beyondblessed"
