Dear Mr. Hicks:
I received your request for financial support of the BDPA LA. I regret to inform you that our budget is not large enough to support programs that are outside of our immediate geographical area. We are investing a great deal of time in terms of mentorship and in financial support for programs that are similar to this here in the Antelope Valley.
I wish you the best of luck securing the finances you require.
Happy Holidays,
Ellen Bendell
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| Yvette Graham (#9) |
When I joined the BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter and enrolled in Youth Computer Training Program (YCTP) in fall 2005, little did I know what was ahead of me. A number of high school students meet in a rigorous computer programming class for 3 hours each Saturday for about 8 months throughout the year. The top 5 are selected to represent the chapter in a national competition.
In my first year participating in YCTP, I did not excel in class, but I quickly learned every web technology that was taught, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, MySQL relational databases and others. By the end of the second year, I could create full-fledged database driven web applications. I was a little nervous in class because most of the students were older than my age. However, I was proud to be among the 5 students selected each year for four consecutive years to represent the chapter.
In 2007, not only did I return to class, but I personally recruited a diverse group of new students to join the YCTP.
I approached the YCTP class that year with a new resolve, committed not only to earning a spot on the competition team, but also helping my fellow classmates to succeed. 2007 was my first year on the HSCC team, and I was given the opportunity to learn various roles for the competition, serving as the database administrator, technical writer, and lead tester. To prepare for the national competition, we had a boot camp. My fellow teammates and I worked several weeks throughout the summer, practicing computer programming, project management, presentation and teamwork. The coordinators and the volunteers were excellent and usually kept the training interesting and alive.
The National HSCC Championship was held in Washington DC that year, (and other years) we competed against over 20 other chapters from much larger cities including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Throughout a 2-day national competition, culminating in a 7-hour web programming project, our hard work (usually) paid off and the Southern Minnesota team earned the 1st place award. It was a great experience for me. With that experience, the competitions in Atlanta, Raleigh and Philadelphia were not different, and we maintained the 1st position.
I started YCTP as an unskilled ‘computer programmer’ making appearances and putting in a few hours weekly. However, I have to say that I ended up a different person with leadership skills, human relations skills, passion for making a difference, having the sense of satisfaction, and other virtues. With the kind of commitment the coordinators and volunteers demonstrated in training and supporting the class, I have also come to understand the value and the importance of giving back to the community. The impact of feeling just a little bit more positive about life, and the spirit of generosity – giving back unconditionally to others, even to strangers as well.
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| Markus Beamer |
Dear Mr. Hicks:
Thank you for your correspondence and grant request dated May 25, 2010. Due to the extremely large number of deserving and competitive applications received, the Foundation was unable to award a grant for your organization this year.
Sincerely,
Gregory F. Fields
Secretary
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| Yvette Graham, James Peterson, Milt Haynes |
- How did you develop an interest of the field of that you are currently in?
My mother is the Executive Director of Nursing for the Cook County Bureau of Health. After watching her at work and assisting her with her duties I wanted to be just like her, only in a different industry. After realizing that project management is one of my best professional qualities I decided to pursue that as a career in the technology sector since that is what I have experience in.- What successes have you achieved thus far and how was it made possible?
My greatest success to date has been being profiled in Black Enterprise magazine (March 2008). I responded to an advertisement in the October 2007 issue asking for submissions pertaining to how Black Enterprise magazine has helped to shape your career. I submitted my article and the rest is history.- From what Keller program will you be graduating?
MBA – Project Management concentration, June 2011- What has been your favorite experience at Keller so far?
Taking GM 545 in the Atlanta Perimeter center. I loved that class and the professor made statistics very interesting, I ended up getting an A in that class.- What motivated you to succeed at Keller?
I wanted to have the suffixes MBA & PMP listed after my name.- What will be your title and role (job description) with Deloitte?
Business Technology Master Consultant – Technology Division, Systems Integration service line. Duties will involve interfacing directly with clients (Fortune 1000 and Government) with regards to delivering valued services and technology solutions aligned to their strategic goals and initiatives.- What do you feel set you apart from the competition?
My competition came from medium and large size public institutions where firms like Deloitte routinely recruit from on-campus. Most of the students from these schools feel as if their institution name and degree title should “elevate” them into the roles and organizations that they seek employment in. I feel that my desire to achieve success and to outperform my competition is what separates me from the rest. Keller trained me to get the job done, not to rely on an outsider’s subjective ranking.- How did your Keller experience prepare you for this role?
Keller prepared me for this role by having classes scheduled for every 8 weeks. Each class in a sense becomes a project and this has conditioned me to working quickly, delivering quality results and gaining real-world expertise and instruction.- What advice would you have for your Keller peers?
When you tell your peers what school you’ve attended (or are attending) and they get it confused with another graduate school, kindly correct them. If they sneer or give you awkward looks, please inform them that you attend a high caliber and quality school that actually prepares you to become leaders in business, and not to rely on someone’s name or brand to become successful. Also, Join professional organizations that are related to your professional goals and network, network, network!!!
You have been selected to receive the BAM Award for Excellence in Education & Technology, in celebration of our 20 Year Anniversary & BAM Minority Student Day (BMSD), which will be held February 11, 2010 at our Microsoft Charlotte Campus. Following the awards presentation, we invite you have lunch with our High School students from 12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM.
This Award recognizes four national and community leaders including yourself that have made significant contributions in the field of Education or Technology. Honorees include the following:
BMSD is a Microsoft signature program that give’s high school students the opportunity to learn about careers in technology, listen to executive speakers, connect with Microsoft employees, participate in hands-on computer demonstrations, cutting edge technologies, and learn about High School Internships and College Scholarships. The ultimate purpose of the event is to expose students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds to the exciting opportunities in the field of technology.
- Dr. Ronald Carter, President, Johnson C. Smith University
- Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent, Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System
- Wayne Hicks, Executive Director, BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF)
- Johnny Taylor, President/CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund & Ebony Power 100 Leaders in America for Academia
We anticipate 150+ High School students in attendance throughout the Carolinas Region, including media coverage. As part of this event, we are also inviting students pursuing STEM careers from Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), Johnson C. Smith University, and UNC Charlotte as participants.
One of our key highlights will be showing CPCC/UNC Charlotte as our Gaming & Simulation Division Winners of our Microsoft 2010 US Imagine Cup student competition. Imagine Cup is the world’s premier student technology competition hosted by Microsoft. Open to high school, college, and university students across the globe. Prior BMSD speakers have included: Bill Gates, Microsoft Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft; and Mike Rucker, Retired NFL Carolina Panther & Pre-game Commentator as examples.
Microsoft Charlotte is one of 4 large field campuses outside of our Redmond, Washington headquarters. Most of our 1,250 employees who live and work in North Carolina support Fortune 500 and other enterprise customers and partners to provide sales, consulting, and support services for many of our Flagship Products and Developer Technologies. We work with more than 2,665 partner companies that build technology tools and services on the Microsoft platform, creating jobs and revenue in North Carolina. Since 2003, we have given and matched employee gifts totaling more than $62.5 million in cash, curriculum, software and volunteer hours in North Carolina.
We are pleased to announce that North Carolina is the first state in the nation to adopt a Microsoft IT Academy in all 628 NC High Schools. The program will give students the opportunity to learn in-demand software and technical skills as well as earn industry-recognized certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) or a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).
BCBSLA employees and sisters Glenda Chappell (Senior Programmer Analyst, Actuarial Systems) and Billie Davis-Lomas (Senior Business Engineering Analyst, IT-Medical Management/Managed Care) spend their Saturday mornings preparing local teens for their futures in higher education and the workforce.
Chappell and Davis-Lomas work with an organization called BDPA Baton Rouge (BDPA-BR). Chappell is one of the chapter’s charter members. Both sisters have been involved in the organization for decades, serving in cities across the nation.
Billie Davis-Lomas, far left, and her sister and Blue Cross coworker Glenda Chappell, far right, pose with some of the teens they mentor through Black Data Processing Associates.
BDPA-BR provides hands-on computer training and skill-building exercises for local students. With an emphasis on team building, presentation skills and professional etiquette, each BDPA class is led by local volunteer mentors like Chappell and Davis-Lomas. Students are guided by their mentors to compete for scholarships at regional and national conferences, which are often attended by top-level executives from companies like Microsoft and QVC.
“We don’t just teach them computer skills. We teach them how to conduct themselves in a professional setting, which is something they can always use,” says Davis-Lomas.
“The students are very enthusiastic and eager to start creating projects,” Chappell adds. “It’s very rewarding to see them succeed.”
BDPA-BR is open to all middle- and high-school students, and the Baton Rouge chapter targets those considered “at-risk” because of socioeconomic factors.
BDPA-BR is a professional organization for information technology professionals, providing community service and professional development opportunities for its members. The group is open to those working in the IT field and other technology-focused careers.
If you are interested in supporting BDPA-BR, the organization is looking for members, volunteer instructors and financial support for supplies and conference fees. BDPA-BR is on Blue Cross’ list of qualified non-profit organizations for which the company will match financial gifts beginning at $100 (up to $1,500 annually).
To learn more about BDPA, visit their website or follow the group on Facebook or Twitter. You may also contact them by e-mail.
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| Zack Sharing 411 about Computers! |
"I love your concept of 'One BDPA'. This year I'm releasing our custom teaching software to any other chapters who are interested, hosted and supported free of charge. The idea is that we can then have a single resource library where all chapters can share assignments, teaching documents, and videos and really raise the level of resources collectively."Zack has created two videos for HSCC students so far:
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| Judaea is 'Lady in Red' |
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| Carter Hill |
"Wayne's visit energized the chapter leadership and attending members. His enthusiasm and dedication to mentoring local chapters and sharing the goals and objectives of the BDPA exemplified the emotions, attitude and focus BDPA members should follow. We received great ideas about how to approach our challenges in serving LA stakeholders. Wayne reminded us that we represent every African American in this region. We now can approach our program development, community involvement and sponsor relationships with a much grandeur vision and mission. BDPA LA appreciates the time that Wayne took out to share with us and highly recommends other chapters to tap into his wealth of management, corporate, entrepreneurial and BDPA knowledge."
I am working on my 2011 speaking calendar. Click here to see my bio. I would love to come visit with your chapter over the coming weeks and months. POST A COMMENT if you are interested in exploring this opportunity.
