Rosalind Shaffer * BDPA Epsilon Professional Achievement Award

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors. One of the five award areas is professional achievement. Rosalind Shaffer (Eli Lilly and Company) earned the 2009 Epsilon Professional Achievement Award.

Her nomination read as follows:

Rosalind Shaffer started her career at Lilly in 1996 as a system analyst. Rosalind has had many promotions over the course of the last 13 years. She is currently an associate information consultant in IT for the US Affiliate. Over the course of her career, she has been an IT leader in the submission of Evista to the FDA, in the preparation for the launch of Prasurgril, in collaborations with other companies including NovaQuest, Daichi Sankyo and Imclone.

Rosalind has ownership for the collaboration process for IT for the US Affiliate, as well as serves as the liaison between brand teams and IT for the work related to cardiovascular and oncology products. Rosalind distinguishes herself from others by her ability to deeply engage in business process discussions, drive clarity out of ambiguous situations and stepping out of her role to add value where needed.

Over the years, she has supervised teams of up to 20 employees and has managed significant third party vendors. She has been very effective in building a team that can get results. Over the course of her work with Lilly, Rosalind has managed more than 50 IT projects. Rosalind is highly respected and frequently sought out as a mentor to others.

She is one of the most highly requested consultants in the U.S. to solve complex business problems. Rosalind is known for her “Can Do Attitude” and her teamwork with peers and business partners. The teams that she has worked with over the years have recognized her both formally and informally.

Take a moment to congratulate Rosalind in the COMMENTS section below!

Justin Wulf is a Bemley Scholar Destined to 'Make Moves'

One of the joys of my volunteer experiences as BETF executive director is passing out Bemley Scholarships to the young people that perform well at the national BDPA high school computer competition (HSCC) each year. BETF awarded over $100,000 in Bemley Scholarships over the past three years.

Bemley Scholarships were awarded earlier this year to the HSCC students trained by BDPA Twin Cities chapter. Justin Wulf (shown in photo on the far right) is a member of the BDPA Twin Cities team. His chapter didn't have enough funds to afford airfare to get the kids to and from the national championships in Raleigh NC ... so they rented a van and drove for over 20 hours on each leg of the round trip. Justin created some music in his mind during the trip ... please take a moment to enjoy his vibe!




I truly look forward to seeing where Justin's ambition takes him in the future! Methinks that this is the first time that BDPA has been used in a song ... and I know it is the first time that anyone has laid down tracks about scholarships given out by the BDPA Foundation!

What did you think? More importantly, what are you going to do about it? Isn't it time that you helped us 'make moves' to increase the Bemley Scholarship Fund?

HSCC Testimonial: Alan Rosales (New York)

I have followed the journey of BDPA New York chapter for a number of years. The current chapter president, Judaea Lane, is a passionate leader who has given everything to support the progress of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in New York. The chapter funds that ordinarily would have taken her to the annual conference in Raleigh NC were diverted to ensure that New York chapter students could participate in the IT Showcase.

One of the students that is helping to uplift the NY chapter SITES program is Alan Rosales. Alan and his teammates earned Jesse Bemley Scholarships from the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF). Here are his thoughts about the national competition held in Raleigh NC.

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The national conference was great, especially the high school computer competition [HSCC]. The New York Chapter team consisting of Frantzy Jean Philippe, Cazmeba Richards, Kevin Castillo and myself, Alan Rosales, first arrived at Raleigh, North Carolina early in the morning. We stayed at the hotel all day brushing up on our programming skills and quiz factory scores.

The next day we woke up early in the morning for the first two parts of the competition. We had to do the oral part [where we answer 5 questions as a team] and the written part [where we individually answer as many questions as we can correct in 15 minutes]. But, there was a complication that day. Since last year it was announced that it was going to be the last year that we were going to use the quiz factory software and the operating system Windows XP, we were provided with a new software, Adit Software and our computers were upgraded to Windows Vista.
When we arrived at the orals, we found out that there were some problems with the setup, so instead of starting at 8:00AM we were told to go back to the hotel and come back until 2:00PM. We were able to complete the oral portion, but then another issue came up for the written and it was delayed again. We had to come back and ended up starting around 7:00PM. We did find out that the National team had to switch to using XP due to hardware problems, focusing the whole competition on Friday, the programming part.

The next day it wasn't a surprise that we weren't going to start early as planned. We started around 10:00AM instead of at 8:00AM and only 7hrs were given to us instead of 8hrs, since we had to present our application to the judges when were done, so the pressure was on. That day it was very chaotic because time was of the essence and we had to finish the problem in order to rank high. We used PHP, MYSQL, HTML, JavaScript and CSS to complete the problem and as lead programmer it was my job to code and use the programming languages to complete the task.

This year's conference brought up many challenges living up to the 2009 national conference theme, "Challenges For Today, Strategies For Tomorrow". The winners were announced on Saturday evening during the banquet [the judges consider placing 1st through 5th] and the New York team came in 5th place. We weren't very happy with the outcome but we were satisfied. I had loads of help from my team members and without them we probably wouldn't have placed.

So for next year, being that it will be our last year in the HSCC team, we are working hard towards winning 1st place. I hope that every HSCC team is ready for next year because New York will definitely be ready; I can't wait to see everyone at Philadelphia for the 2010 national conference and if this year's conference was great, I can't even imagine how next year's conference will be.

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BETF will make a decision shortly on the amount to allocate for 2010 Bemley Scholarships. It appears we will need to cut back on those scholarships next year unless we get some support from donors over the coming weeks. Please consider making an online donation to the Bemley Scholarship fund today in support of Alan and the other students who are working so hard around the nation.

Message from New Jersey Chapter President

BDPA New Jersey is the 11th largest chapter in the nation. The chapter has a strong leadership team that is focused on the chapter's vision and mission. I always find it a pleasure to interact with any member of this chapter. I encourage you to take a moment to digest this September 2009 message from BDPA New Jersey chapter president Coram Rimes:

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Greetings BDPA New Jersey Chapter members!! I can’t believe that it is September and the 2009 National BDPA Conference has already passed. We were all looking forward to this important event and were well represented with thirty chapter members in attendance in Raleigh, North Carolina from August 5th through August 8th.

Our high school students have been in preparation for months under the leadership of our HSCC coordinator Michelle Springs, and they were poised to meet the challenge of the fierce competition.

We were also very pleased that Beverly Place, who was one of our featured ‘Members on the Move’ in our first newsletter earlier this year, presented again this year. Her workshop titled ‘Going Lean in Healthcare’ was well received.

Our chapter delegates were busy as well during the conference voting on the by-laws changes and new leaders for the National Board of Directors for the positions of President-Elect and VP-Finance.



Highlights from the National Conference:

• Incoming President Elect - Monique Berry (Philadelphia)
• Incoming VP, Finance - Charles Moore (Charlotte)
• HSCC Champions - Southern Minnesota
• Navy awarded $180,000 scholarship to BDPA Greater Columbia student member to fund her college education at Duke University
• 2010 Conference is in Philadelphia and the early bird conference rate is
  $200 until 10/31/09.

BDPA New Jersey Chapter continues to be committed to providing the best possible programs for our members. An essential component to ensure that this happens on a consistent basis is you. There are various opportunities available for you to apply your project management, organizational, leadership, technical, management or communication skills. We even a have few positions on the Board where you can participate and work closely with the particular business areas that support the chapter.

If you only have four hours a week to contribute, no problem! We have the perfect opportunity for you! Please contact Goldie Bonney, our VP of Membership Management, at membershipmgmt@bdpanewjersey.org if you are interested in taking your participation to the next level.

There is so much excitement as the BDPA New Jersey Chapter continues to provide quality monthly program meetings. Our Program Meetings are geared to help you sharpen your technical leadership and personal development skills. Consider presenting your topic at a program meeting, the rewards can be priceless. To inquire about presenting at an upcoming program meeting contact our VP of Member Services, Nekeisha Rouse, at memberservices@bdpanewjersey.org.

We are preparing for several upcoming events, such as our 6th Annual Families In Technology Day on September 12th, CIO Symposium on October 5th, and our Awards & Recognition Banquet on November 13th.

This is your BDPA and the NJ Chapter can achieve and aspire to great heights with your active involvement. Your ideas, support and creative minds are needed to help sustain our chapter’s growth. Take the first step on the journey to elevate the mission of BDPA NJ Chapter and be the supportive link to make a difference.

Feel free to contact me at president@bdpanewjersey.org to share a comment or your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you and more importantly working with you to make this the best chapter we possibly can!

Coram J. Rimes, President
BDPA New Jersey Chapter

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You can learn more about BDPA New Jersey chapter from their current newsletter or their online groupsite. In the meantime, I invite you to POST A COMMENT to Coram to share your thoughts on his message!

Scholarships for College Dwindle as Providers Pull Back Their Support

Students looking for college scholarships are going to have a harder time this year as providers, hammered by falling investment returns and declining philanthropic support, cut back.

The recession has led foundations, corporations, state governments and colleges themselves to reduce their support of providers of scholarships, and in recent months programs have been reduced or canceled outright. The cuts come as economic conditions make it harder for families to pay for college and as more unemployed people look for financing for retraining.

Read full text.

Top 10 BDPA Chapters (Membership, Sep 2009)

The National BDPA Board of Directors de-chartered six chapters (Albany, Fort Wayne, Greenville, Kansas City, Rocky Mountain and Toledo) last month. As such, we now have 45 BDPA chapters in the nation. Each chapter averages 50 members (up 5 from last month).

Congratulations to BDPA Triangle chapter (president, Rick Leggett) for setting a new chapter membership record high (189) this month ... breaking their previous high of 181 (Aug 2009). I encourage BDPA leaders to reach out to Rick for tips and 'best practices' that can help them grow membership. If we can grow a large and powerful BDPA presence in Raleigh/Durham ... we can grow it anywhere in the nation.

The same ten chapters make our list this month. However, we do congratulate BDPA Washington DC (president, Perry Carter) for making the largest jump this month ... they moved from the #9 slot last month to #7 largest chapter this month.

The top ten chapters in terms of membership as of 9/1/2009 are:

1. Chicago - (chapter president Rhonda Boyd shown in photo)
2. Triangle - (all-time chapter record high, 189 members)
3. Philadelphia
4. Atlanta
5. Richmond - (jumped 1 place this month)
6. Detroit - (dropped 1 place this month)
7. Washington DC - (jumped 2 places this month)
8. Cincinnati
9. Dallas - (dropped 2 places this month)
10. New York

The first five (5) chapters on this list are in the BDPA Century Club with at least 100 members. BDPA Chicago chapter tops the list with 493 members!

BDPA Education & Technology Foundation provides funding to support the programs and services carried out by these chapters at local level. Our hope is that you will consider making a donation to BETF this year. You can securely donate online or you can give BETF a call on (513) 284-4968 to discuss your pledge offline.

What say u?

BDPA Twin Cities Chapter Success Grows in High School Computer Competition

The success demonstrated by BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter in winning four of the past five national BDPA High School Computer Competitions (HSCC) is truly remarkable. However a few hours north in Minneapolis, MN is an untold story that I've enjoyed watching just as much.

BDPA Twin Cities chapter president Aaron Young and the chapter HSCC coordinator Michael Wulf and co-coordinator Kelly Martin have been quietly, persistently and passionately working to create a youth technology juggernaut in Minnesota.

The HSCC team from BDPA Twin Cities chapter came in 19th place during the 2006 national competition held in Los Angeles CA.


The BDPA Twin Cities chapter went back home, studied harder ... and at the 2007 national competition held in Washington DC the team took home 14th place honors.

Persistence and dedication to the educational process was evident during the training in 2008. The team traveled to Atlanta GA for the national competition and walked away with a 9th place finish.


Many of the members of the BDPA Twin Cities chapter HSCC team were entering their senior year in 2009. For many, this might be their last competition. They didn't have the funds to purchase air tickets ... so they rented a van and drove over 20 hours to compete in the 2009 national championship held in Raleigh NC ... and they walked away with $1,000 Bemley Scholarships as a result of their 4th place finish.


The sky is the limit for this chapter's youth education program in 2010. Judging from their progression over the past four years ... we shouldn't be surprised if the 2010 national HSCC championship banner remains in Minnesota next year! If any of our BDPA corporate sponsors in the Minnesota area are reading ... now is the time to sign up as a sponsor for this chapter ... trust me!

Drops in Corporate Giving Exceed Forecasts

By Miriam Kreinin Souccar

Big corporations are cutting back their charitable donations more than they had expected to just six months ago.

In a survey conducted this month, 52% of corporations reported that they have cut their charitable giving because of the recession. Just six months earlier 42% of those same companies had predicted that their budgets for charitable giving would decline this year, according the LBG Research Institute, a nonprofit that conducts research on community investment. The move comes despite a big upswing in pleas for funds, with over 72% of the corporations reporting an increase in grant requests.

Corporations aren’t turning their backs completely. More than 84% of those surveyed say they are encouraging more employee volunteerism to offset the decline in company cash donations, and more than 48% have increased the number of volunteer events this year. Meanwhile, 15% report that they are increasing their in-kind donations of such things as meeting space and office equipment; and 12% are giving away more products.

What cash is still flowing is being given away under higher scrutiny. Almost half of the corporations report that they are emphasizing partnerships with nonprofits over straight cash donations. Half also note that they are paying more attention to measuring the impact of their largesse, holding the nonprofits accountable for results.

“It’s not just check writing anymore,” said Donna Devaul, executive director of LBG Research Institute. “Corporations want measurable results and are actively seeking nonprofit partners that can produce win-win, impactful programs.”

More than 70 major U.S. corporations participated in the survey.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Orlando ($850)

BDPA Orlando needed financial assistance for their 2009 Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. BETF approved $850 grant funding to BDPA Orlando chapter.

The funds helped Orlando-based students participate in the Youth Technology Camp. Sadly, BDPA Orlando chapter has not had a national team in the high school computer competition (HSCC) since 2004. Our hope is that students who benefit from this grant will become participants in the chapter's 2010 HSCC.

BETF-Blog readers can do their part to help us with larger grants in the future by making a secure online donation or taking advantage of the annual United Way process at your corporate workplace.

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship Internships

The Institute for Responsible Citizenship is an intensive leadership program for America’s best and brightest African American male college students. Our mission is to prepare men to be exemplary citizens and leaders. We inspire them to pursue extraordinary career success, not simply for their benefit, but as a platform from which they can serve others. [Read More]

Twittering for a cause: Web 2.0 and its philanthropic impact

Facebook may have just reached the 250 million user mark, but Twitter is the real media darling.

From news coverage to business marketing and back to the personal stories that launched it, the many uses of Twitter have revolutionized the way society thinks about communicating, 140 words at a time.

Twitter’s newest incarnation, according to TechCrunch, is philanthropy.

While the Washington Post reports that Facebook’s version of social media philanthropy - the Causes application - has received less than stellar financial results, Twitter philanthropy (or "tweetraising") has already provided promising returns.

The power of Twitter, especially in terms of philanthropy, may lie in its ability to spread information like wildfire.

Read the rest of The Daily Tell article here.

Grant Recipient: BDPA Richmond ($8,500)

BETF is proud to announce approval of a $8,500 grant in support of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program in Richmond, VA.

BDPA Richmond chapter president Jamar Arvin indicates that the funds will be used to support the students, volunteers and instructors involved in the national high school computer competition and youth technology camp taking place in Raleigh NC on August 5-8, 2009.

Did you know that BETF has given out $178,884 so far this calendar year to National BDPA and 13 local BDPA chapters? Our foundation exists to provide financial support to BDPA on a local and national level. Our thought is that your chapter volunteers should focus on program delivery while BETF volunteers can work on funding for your education and technology programs.

Is your chapter learning about BETF through our social networks like Facebook, Groupsite, Twitter or YahooGroup?

Message from Southern Minnesota Chapter President-Elect

The BDPA Southern Minnesota Chapter is celebrating 10 years of promoting professional development and administering student programs. Our goal is to help high school students gain knowledge, skills and competitive experiences in Information Technology. We are also committed to enhancing the services we provide in the Rochester community. We just returned from the National Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina as three-peat first place winners of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) award. A great honor for our hard working students!

BDPA Southern Minnesota has much more in store, as we continue to build partnerships with stakeholders in our community.

Charlie Perkins, President-Elect
BDPA Southern Minnesota

Grant Declination: Honda of America Foundation

BETF recently learned that Honda of America Foundation turned down our grant proposal on behalf of BDPA Columbus chapter.

In 1979, as Honda of America began operations in Ohio, a charitable foundation was established at Honda of America to provide financial support to help address the unique needs of our local communities. The auto industry has been reeling over the past year ... so it is not surprising that funding from a foundation based in the auto industry didn't support our youth education program in 2009. Our hope is that we will be successful with Honda of America Foundation when we try again next year.

Honda said 'no' ... perhaps you can say 'yes'?

Grant Award: Wells Fargo

UPDATE: Wells Fargo requested a change in the distribution of this donation. The funding now includes support for BDPA Charlotte chapter as well.

[Original posting: Jan 6, 2009]

We are pleased to announce successful completion of $10,000 grant award from Wells Fargo.

Dwight Handon (National BDPA corporate sales department director) was instrumental in securing these funds. This funding from Wells Fargo will support National BDPA, BDPA Bay Area chapter and BDPA Twin Cities chapter.

Our hope is that other corporate foundations will be receptive to our discussions about funding BDPA programs and services in 2009. Please let us know if YOUR company's foundation might be interested in working with us.

In the meantime, I encourage you to use the COMMENTS section below to share some love with the men and women of Wells Fargo!

Grant Award: Northrup Grumman Foundation ($3,000)

BETF and BDPA Los Angeles chapter are proud to announce that Northrup Grumman Foundation agreed to provide us with a $3,000 grant. The grant award comes as a result of the grant proposal we sent to Northrup Grumman Foundation earlier this year.

The foundation wrote:

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Dear Wayne:

On behalf of Northrop Grumman Corporation, I am pleased to send check number 312217 in the amount of $3,000.00 to sponsor Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program.

Please complete impact report upon receipt of check.

Sincerely,
Keta Davis
Community Relations

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BETF would like to express our appreciation to Andree Justin. Andree was our internal champion within Northrup. She set an example that we hope all BDPA supporters will follow in the coming weeks and months.

BDPA Foundation Blog is a 2009 Black Weblog Award Finalist

I am proud to announce that the BDPA Foundation blog is a 2009 Black Weblog Award finalist in two categories: Best Business Blog and Best Science/Technology Blog.

Voting is open for all BETF-Blog readers thru September 1st.

The Black Weblog Awards founded in 2005 to give recognition to Black bloggers (and those of the African diaspora) which were largely overlooked by other Internet award events online. What started out as a barely-known event has now grown into an international showcase. With participants from over 90 countries, the Black Weblog Awards stands out as one of the most widespread Internet award events for Black bloggers.

Call to Action: Please click here and vote for our blog! Winners are announced during the first week of September.

Message from Detroit Chapter President

My first BDPA experience occurred in the Detroit chapter. I served as a chapter program committee chairperson under the chapter leadership of Diane Davis. Many years later I worked to bring the annual national BDPA technology conference to Detroit MI. - Wayne Hicks

BDPA Detroit chapter president Anquanette Clegg shared her post conference thoughts with her stakeholders in the message below:

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At the 31st annual National BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, Compuware Corporation received an award for "Best Companies for Blacks In Technology".


Compuware also financially supported BDPA Detroit's Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) Program. With the funding, Detroit was able to send four (4) students (Matthew Clark, Jourdan West, Daniel Rothchild, and Darryn Brundage-Forrest) to participate in a Web Design competition. This year there were 23 teams, and Detroit's HSCC Team won 2nd Place. The Jesse Bemley Scholarship goes to the top five high school student teams competing in the annual national HSCC championships. The top five teams are those that received the highest team scores in the three phases of the HSCC competition (Oral, Written, and Programming competitions). Each member on the Detroit Team will receive a Bemley Scholarship award of $2,000 for college from the BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF).

Thanks to all the members who volunteered your time for the program. Many of you spent countless hours interviewing and training students and helping with the local mock competition. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and they are appreciated! A SPECIAL thanks goes out to Tonji Zimmerman, Detroit's HSCC Coordinator and Trainer. She's given up practically all of her Saturdays for 5 months, to train the students and her hard work truly shined at the Conference.

While the Chapter can't repay anyone for their efforts, I hope you can find comfort in the great achievement of the Detroit Team.

Last but not least thanks to Renee Kent who was the student's chaperone this year!

Congrats to Detroit's Board of Director's and Members! At the Awards Gala the Detroit Chapter was the 2nd runner-up for the Chapter of the Year award! The National BDPA Awards Program provides a means to recognize individual chapters and members for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the mission and objectives of the National organization.

Thanks to the chapter Board of Directors for all of your support. A SPECIAL thanks goes to Tamika Smith (Diva Designs) for her work in preparing and submitting the Award Booklet. I, as Chapter President, have never been so proud to represent an organization of leaders who have effortlessley worked on behalf of this great Chapter.

Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

SAVE THE DATES

• September 10th at 7:00 PM - Board of Director's meeting - If you are interested in attending you must send an email to detroit-secretary@bdpa-detroit.org.
• September 17th at 6:30 PM at Tech Town - Information Exchange Meeting - Further details will be sent soon.
• November 12th - Detroit's 1st Technology and Education Banquet - Details will be sent soon!

We are still looking for volunteers to join the 2010 Board of Director's! If you are interested in serving, please contact chapter president-elect Markita Wadley.

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It goes without saying that I have a soft spot in my heart for BDPA Detroit chapter. As such, it feels great to know that we will be issuing $2,000 Bemley Scholarships to the young men that represented Detroit chapter at the recent national high school computer competition (HSCC) held in Raleigh NC. However, we need some grassroots support from BETF-Blog readers if we hope to have this same level of Bemley Scholarships in 2010. Won't you consider making a secure online donation in support of our efforts?

US Navy Seeks Workforce Pipeline of STEM-Focused Students

It was obvious to me that the United States Navy was on a mission during the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference held in Raleigh NC earlier this month. The Navy needs to ensure that the pipeline of young people going through the public education system is trained sufficiently in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. Only a strong STEM-focused nation can work in the future Navy.

As such, it was truly wonderful to see the strong presence of the US Navy during workshops, career fair and the Awards Gala. Speaking engagements were conducted by Asst SECNAV BJ Penn, VADM Harry Harris (OPNAV N6), Mr. Terry Halvorsen (Deputy Commander, NETWARCOM), Mr. Bob Whitkop (Executive Director, NGEN), CAPT Kent Flowers (CO, NROTC Savannah State) and CDR Ben McNeal (Chief Engineer, NGEN). Each of these speakers provided a glimpse into the US Navy that was eye-opening for most BDPA attendees.

My hope is that BDPA and the Navy will continue to build on their strategic alliance. The BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) hopes to be useful in setting up this strong value-added relationship.


An immediate success story occured when a BDPA high school computer competition student, Raven Stevenson (shown in photo with BDPA Greater Columbia chapter teammates Sami Patel and Dominique Geiger) received a NROTC scholarship to study Bio-Medical Engineering at Duke University.

Other interesting ways that BETF can leverage a stronger relationship with the US Navy and BDPA's youth education programs:

• BDPA College Students transition to Navy commissions via the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program
• Officer Candidate School and Naval Postgraduate School for college graduates in the information technology arena is to become Information Warfare officers to learn how to defend our nation from cyber warfare.
• High School members could go to Naval ROTC. Raven Stevenson earned her scholarship through the Immediate Selection Program for high school seniors with a 1250 SAT and other eligibility requirements. BDPA can send letters of endorsement on applicants with an SAT below 1250. Lower SAT candidates are selected through a selection board process. Does your chapter have any students with 1250 SAT score?
• Gaining admission into the Naval Academy is a more challenging process, but yields a significant reward. Some of the BDPA high school candidates may be offered Naval Academy Prep School which is a good deal and a direct path to an appointment. Don't be put off by the congressional appointment process. It is a process and there are a number of opportunities.

BDPA's youth education programs regularly engage with young people of Raven's stature and accomplishments. Methinks that we should be able to identify at least 10 other BDPA students from our HSCC Alumni. The opportunity should exist for many more NROTC scholarship presentations in the future. BETF plans to explore this opportunity with US Navy officials.

What is your view of the growing relationship between BDPA, BETF and the US Navy?

2009 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Rankings

The 2009 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships were held in Raleigh NC. We had 23 teams competing in 2009 ... tied for the highest chapter participation with efforts in 2004 and 2008.

There were a number of technical challenges during the national competition the 2009 competition. However, national HSCC coordinator Danna Sturdivant and her team were patient, professional and persistent throughout the entire week ... and the competition was successfully completed.

All of BDPA-nation was reminded at the end of the week that any HSCC team must be at the top of their game to defeat the Rochester MN team ... BDPA Southern Minnesota won the 2009 National HSCC championship ... their 4th championship in the past 5 years. The five students (James Arama, Yaa Kwansa, Ahmed Mahamad, Daniel Sheppard and Adwait Walimbe) under the direction of their coach (Zack Garbow) and chapter president (Nat Calvert) proved to be too much for the other teams.

BDPA Detroit chapter earned their highest ranking since 2000 with their second place finish in this year's national championship. BDPA Washington DC chapter students earned Bemley Scholarships for the 4th year in a row with their third place finish this year.

BDPA Education & Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to note that we provided financial support to over half of the HSCC teams that competed this year ... including the Bemley Scholarshps provided to the top five (5) performing chapters in the national HSCC championships.

Here are the rankings for all 23 teams that competed in 2009 national HSCC championships with the scholarship winnings for each student in parenthesis:

1. Southern Minnesota ($2,500 Bemley Scholarship for each student)
2. Detroit ($2,000 each)
3. Washington DC ($1,500 each)
4. Twin Cities ($1,000 each)
5. New York ($500 each)
6. Baltimore
7. Los Angeles
8. Chicago
9. Atlanta
10. Charlotte
11. St. Louis
12. New Jersey
13. Cincinnati
14. Richmond
15. Indianapolis
16. Middle Tennessee
17. Philadelphia
18. Triangle
19. Greater Columbia
20. Cleveland
21. Hartford
22. Columbus
23. Greater Tampa Bay

Our foundation seeks to increase the number of students that receive Bemley Scholarships in 2009 and beyond. To do so, we need your help. Please consider making an online donation to help us interest young people in science and technology.

Finally, I encourage you to share your thoughts and memories of the 2009 National BDPA Conference held in Raleigh NC with others in this online community.