Bemley Scholar Mira Cruz Seeks Computer Science Degree from University of Maryland

Mira Cruz earned two silver medals and a bronze medal as a member of the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) teams trained by BDPA Washington DC in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 HSCC championships. She will use the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarships that she earned as a result of those high HSCC championships to study for a computer science degree at the University of Maryland University College.

We asked Mira to share her thoughts on the HSCC experiences:

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All throughout my life, I've had an interest in technology. I started out playing video games, and it sparked an interest in me for wanting to create video games. That eventually led me to the fascinating world of programming.

As my interest in programming grew, I started to become more curious about computers in general. When I became enrolled at North County High School, I took immediate action and signed up for a computer class. Although there were no classes on coding, I was determined to learn it anyway.

For a short time - due to the hassles of high school - my technology drive was dulled. The revival came after I switched over to Penn Foster High School. Shortly afterward, my mother found out about BDPA, which led me to entering into a Flash Animation Course. In the course, we were being taught ActionScript and flash game development. It was through this course that I was introduced to Mr. Louis Shack, an instructor for the BDPA computer camp in Washington, DC. Mr. Shack brought me into the world of the high school computer competition. I am so grateful to him for introducing me to this program. BDPA has been a great and positive impact on my life.

When I first entered into the HSCC, I didn't know what to expect. Previously, I'd had to learn programming myself - by online tutorials and long manuals. I was thrilled to have teachers always available to help me. I settled in with my classmates very quickly. All of them were just like me - they had a passion for programming, and they weren't afraid to show it. I was amazed at the great level of maturity.

As the months of our training passed, I discovered an entirely new world of coding. We were taught Javascript, JSTL, SQL, and how to use Apache Tomcat; and how to incorporate all of them together into a website. I won't lie - we had to study hard. But at the same time, it was fun doing something I really enjoyed. I knew that I was doing what I could to help my team, and whenever I needed help or didn't understand something, my teachers and classmates were there to help me.

All of our efforts were rewarded when our team earned the silver medal for our second place finish at the National HSCC championship in 2008. I'll never forget how I felt when I went up on stage with my teammates to claim our trophy. Second place in the nation! All of our hard work was worth it! But even if we hadn't won anything, it still would have been worth it. The things I'd learned and the friendships I'd made were what made the experience so wonderful.

2008 HSCC Team (Washington DC)

I came back and competed again in 2009 (3rd place) and 2010 (second place) as a member of the BDPA Washington DC teams competing in the national HSCC championships. When I look back on how much I've learned, it's astonishing. BDPA has helped me with so much, not only in my knowledge of coding, but also in life-long lessons. Before joining BDPA and participating in the HSCC program, I could hardly communicate with anyone. I had been so afraid of people and the thought of a quick conversation could literally make me want to crawl into a hole. Over time, because of my work in the HSCC program, I became so confident and social that anyone who sees me today would wonder where the old Mira went. I don't know if it ever would have happened if not for the great teamwork and attitudes of my classmates and teachers.

The HSCC was a great thing for me, and I know it will be great for anyone else who aspires to program. It had an amazing impact on my life.

I am currently admitted into University of Maryland University College for a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. My goal is to become a software programmer. I am very much looking forward to it!

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Mira is a real-like example of the 'classroom to the boardroom' motto of BDPA. We want to give our larger college scholarships to students like Mira in the future ... and you can help by making a secure online donation to our Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund!

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• Bemley Scholar Zakaria Ahmed Seeks Medical Training at University of Minnesota

Bemley Scholar Victoria Walton Seeks College Degree from Fashion Institute of Technology

Victoria Walton was an 8th-grade student when she was a member of the high-performing High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Northern Virginia. The outstanding performance of her team at the 2008 National BDPA HSCC Championship earned her a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship.

She shared her thoughts and aspirations with us recently.

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My name is Victoria Walton. I am an 18-year old high school graduate of Lanham Christian School in Lanham, MD. I will be attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in the fall.

I have always believed that I was meant to be different. My life has been an accumulation of unique experiences and door opening opportunities. Each of those instances has molded me into an aware, intellectual, ambitious and inventive young woman.

From the time I was little and onward, I have always been fascinated with the wonder and creativity that is art. I excelled in many different art forms from adolescence and could never seem to let go of my artistic bend as I grew older. At the age of 12, I was introduced to the world of fashion and have been enthralled with it ever since. I believe that it is what I am supposed to pursue as a career. Over the last six years, I have taken the preliminary steps to make this a reality. Academically, I excelled and graduated Salutatorian of my senior class and received the honor of being bestowed the President’s Award. I have been offered a chance to study abroad in Florence, Italy for my freshmen year of college.

Your financial assistance through the Jesse Bemley Scholarship is greatly appreciated. The opportunity to study abroad will widen my horizons and give me a unique edge as a fashion student. I will be hard-working, dedicated, and make a positive statement in my academic and personal life, attempting to touch the world as I make a name for myself in the Fashion industry.

Being involved in BDPA in 2008 was an eye opening, positive experience. I learned so much in my time involved in the program. I had many memorable moments but perhaps my favorite was when I participated in the HSCC and my team earned a fourth place at the national HSCC championship. I was in eighth grade at the time and programming was completely new to me. I had taken up an interest in it and decided to give it a try. I put all my energy into learning the craft. At times, I stayed up all night and had study groups with my fellow peers. Although, I was unsure of my potential and knowledge, I was able to travel to Atlanta, Georgia to compete with my team. We worked hard together and did the best we possibly could. I remember the night the awards were given out. We were all so anxious and excited. The moment they called our names and asked us to come on stage was an amazing moment. It was such an accomplishment. BDPA is a great organization and taught me a lot. It was a worthwhile experience.

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud of Victoria and the hundreds of other Bemley Scholars that we've supported over the year. We want to significantly increase the dollar amount of these college scholarships.

 We need your help to 'make it so'!

Bemley Scholar Justin Wulf Seeks Computer Science Degree from Bethel University

Justin Wulf is a long-time BDPA Twin Cities chapter member with a powerful legacy in our national Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program. He is working towards his computer science degree at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Justin used his STEM experiences gained through BDPA to obtain an ongoing internship at Medtronic. Justin competed in national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships from 2007-2010. He earned a Jesse Bemley Scholarship from the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) as a result of high performance in the 2009 HSCC championship.

He recently shared the following testimonial with us:

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"I have been a member of the BDPA Twin Cities Chapter since 2005. At the time, I was only 13 years old and hardly knew anything about computers beyond using them to install video games, surf the Internet and type papers. My first couple years of being in the Summer BDPA Youth Technology Camp (YTC) were spent familiarizing myself with the hardware of an actual computer. It was the first time I ever took apart a working computer and put it back together in its functional state. I had also learned a bit about operating systems, computer networking and what really made computers tick. I felt like I knew everything I needed to know about computers after those first two summers in YTC, but when I entered high school, I learned that I was completely wrong.

Upon entering 9th grade, I was encouraged to continue attending BDPA classes throughout the year and was eventually offered a spot on the 2007 BDPA HSCC Team. I was introduced to the wonderful world of web development and computer programming. My curiosity and determination assisted me with understanding HTML and CSS languages used for designing websites. In addition to web design, our instructor Mark Holden taught us object-oriented programming in Visual Basic for more application-based programs. I had a little more trouble with making sense of object-oriented programming as it was complex and still so new to me. Something amazing happened to me that year. There was one moment in particular that I, as well as everyone else in the room, will always remember, is when computer programming all “clicked” for me. It was a Saturday afternoon, the classroom was silent, Mark was teaching us some confusing string concatenation techniques, and all of a sudden, my eyes widened, I sat completely straight up in my chair and I shouted, “I get it!” The other students on the team turned to me and smiled, along with Mark giving me a hardy chuckle and congratulating me. I will always thank back and remember that “click” every time I learn a new concept that I’ve been working hard at understanding.

From that point on, I was given the opportunity to compete in four National BDPA High School Computer Competition championships; Washington, D.C. in 2007, Atlanta, GA in 2008, Raleigh, NC in 2009 and Philadelphia, PA in 2010.

My most memorable year was in 2009 when our chapter rented a 15-passenger van and drove to Raleigh, North Carolina for the National BDPA Conference. Everyone on the team was focused and prepared to finally place top five in the High School Computer Competition. We anxiously waited for our names to be called in the award ceremony. We all held hands around our banquet table with our coordinators keeping their fingers crossed. Surprisingly, our chapter was called for 4th place and we all jumped and screamed simultaneously as if we all received the same electric shock in our circuit of linked limbs. It was a truly, inspiring year for me. It gave me the feeling that anything can be obtainable if you really put your mind to it.

My ambitious state of mind continued to develop over the years. Here I am now, a second year college student at Bethel University pursuing a Computer Science degree with a minor in Psychology. I have also acquired an internship at Medtronic, Inc., a Fortune 500 company and world leader in medical technology and pioneering therapies. In the span of about two years, I have worked closely with three different teams in Information Technology. BDPA has helped me reach new plateaus and opportunities from the experiences and lessons I’ve learned. I have decided to give back to the BDPA community by teaching students how to computer program in Java, C#, MySQL and ASP.NET and by training this year’s BDPA Twin Cities HSCC Team."

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BDPA is doing a wonderful job in providing STEM experiences to hundreds of K-12 students.  Please click here to show your support for our efforts!   Also, take a moment to POST A COMMENT for Justin!  You can follow Justin on Twitter -- @JustWulf

HSCC Testimonial: Quenice Simms (BDPA Washington DC, 2008)

My name is Quenice Simms and I am extremely proud to have participated as a member of the 2008 High School Computer Competition (HSCC) national team trained by BDPA Washington DC chapter. I remember my first interview with my BDPA instructors Mr. Lou Shack, Mr. Ed Yeldell and Mr. Edwards. They were committed and dedicated to the program, students, and parents. Their expectations for the students were well above what we expected for ourselves coming into the program.

Our BDPA instructors were knowledgeable, thorough, and most of all, patient. Mr. Shack, Mr. Yeldell, and Mr. Edwards were the greatest instructors a student could ask for. They made the learning process much easier. We were able to focus on the content of what was being taught. Computer programming can be difficult, but with the right instructors it can be accomplished. My instructors knew that I had potential to be one of the brightest students in the class. I was selected to compete in the national competition during my first year. Our team came in 2nd place during the 2008 national BDPA HSCC championship. That was a very rewarding and memorable experience that I’ll never forget. I will always have a love for technology thanks to the BDPA Washington DC Chapter.

BDPA was a life-changing experience for me. I learned the true meaning of teamwork. We all set out to tackle and accomplish the same goal. We worked in sync, and spent endless hours preparing for competitions. The notes and quizzes helped me to become more structured in my daily life, and the wealth of knowledge learned will carry on in aspects of my educational and career goals. This generation is highly dependent on technology, and without BDPA I would not be where I am today.

My educational and career goals are to attend Hampton University in order to obtain my Bachelors in kinesiology.  Masters in Bio-kinesiology and my Ph.D in physical therapy sports medicine. I am mesmerized at how exercise, therapy, and an open mind can repair the human body. My plan is to open a not-for-profit Physical Therapy Center that service high school students with sports-related injuries. The center would be open seven days a week, assisting those with financial need. For some student athletes, dreams are all that they have. I would like to help them mentally and physically, so their dreams can become their reality.

HSCC Testimonial: Christian West (BDPA Philadelphia, 2008)

BDPA Philadelphia chapter president Hayward West has many reasons to love BDPA. One of those reasons is that his son, Christian West, was a participant in the 2008 National BDPA HSCC Championship. Christian is now a journalism student at Northwestern University who is also interning with NFL Pro Weekly. 

Christian was kind enough to share his thoughts about BDPA with us recently:

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"My time working with the BDPA Philadelphia chapter and their high school computer competition (HSCC) program was one of the best learning experiences in my life. I was exposed to different levels of technology that I had never been exposed to. I can honestly say that the experience with HSCC was instrumental in my ability to get into college and have a high level of success there.

In addition to the learning experience, I got a chance to travel to Atlanta for the national BDPA conference and compete in the national HSCC championship. Not only was the competition a great experience but I had a chance to network with successful role models who have continued to help me in my endeavors since.

Lastly, the great part of the experience was the camaraderie the HSCC group shared, becoming a fun group of people that made having to get up early on Saturday morning worthwhile. I’m very grateful for my experience in HSCC and recommend it for anyone trying to improve themselves."

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BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is working to provide college scholarships for our HSCC participants. Our vision is that these young people are able to earn full 4-year scholarships in the future. For now, we need your help. Please consider making a donation to the BDPA Philadelphia HSCC Scholarship Fund to help young 'uns like Christian West! Doable?

HSCC Testimonial: Jordan West (BDPA Philadelphia, 2007-2008)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has awarded $344,200 in scholarship funding over the past decade. The shame of it is that there are hundreds of high school kids that have worked hard in BDPA programs without earning a college scholarship from us. BETF has a vision of giving out full 4-year college scholarships to every student in our program. After all, there are wonderful youngsters like Jordan West who work hard in our Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program who deserve all the rewards of participation that we can possibly pull together.

Jordan was a member of the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team trained by BDPA Philadelphia for the 2007 (Washington DC) and 2008 (Atlanta) national HSCC championships. He was kind enough to share his thoughts on BDPA with us:

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"My time in the high school computer competition (HSCC) program for BDPA Philadelphia did a lot in helping to shape the person I am today. The program not only taught me skills in working in technology; but also in connecting with other people my age with like minded interests, meeting with older businessmen who could help me on my career path, and allowing me to travel to different places across America.

My first year in the program was difficult as I didn’t have a great understanding of exactly what I would be doing before I began. Also, I felt as though the other kids in the group were older, more experienced, and better with the information than I was. However, this increased my desire to want to go to the meetings to make sure that I kept up with the other students.

My second year in as a part of the HSCC team was easier that the first, but still difficult. I wasn’t nervous anymore but the difficulty of the material and the amount of time we spent learning it was greatly increased. That made it harder for me to keep up my dedication to the classes but it was worth it in the end as I still remember most of the things I learned in those meetings.

The BDPA HSCC programs also gave me countless opportunities to network with others. The national conferences were a great platform to meet with people across the country and attend different workshops to learn how to interview, build a résumé, and other important job skills. It also gave me the opportunity to see parts of the country that I may not have gone to."

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I hope that Jordan's story will encourage you to support the BDPA Philadelphia HSCC Scholarship Fund. Every donation makes a difference in the lives of a young person like Jordan!

Bemley Scholar Courtney Elzy Heads to Illinois State University

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has given out hundreds of college scholarships over the year. It never gets old! There are BETF scholarship winners attending major colleges and universities all over the nation.

Today we learn that Courtney Elzy -- a member of the 2008 BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Championship bronze-medalists trained by BDPA Chicago chapter -- plans to use her Jesse Bemley Scholarship to study graphics design at Illinois State University.


Courtney shared insights on her BDPA experience with us:

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The first day joining BDPA might have been the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life. I didn’t know much about what the program was about nor what was expected of me. The only thing I was sure of was my pattern skills were good enough to get me in.

I remember walking into a classroom of new faces, holding my head down scared of what people might say, being new and all. Accompanied by my aunt, who was way more excited than I was, I honestly wanted to go home. I was a freshmen and I was surrounded by older kids who knew what they were doing and were confident.

I remember months later becoming as confident as my teammates, and changing from the shy girl to the girl who didn’t want to be quiet. I’ll admit it was hard for me to stay focused and push myself to be better. But when the actual BDPA National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) came that year I was ecstatic and ready to compete. That year Chicago came in 3rd place, and I couldn’t have been more happy and pleased with myself and my team.

Since 2008 I stayed on for one more year, then decided that I needed to focus more on school. But thankfully I have still managed to maintain very close relationships with my coaches and members of my team.

This fall I will be attending Illinois State University as a Graphic Design major!

I would like to show my appreciation and thank BETF and BDPA for furthering my knowledge of information technology and opening my eyes to the many great and amazing people I have met over the years. Also, I want to share my appreciation for Gibran McDuffie, Pamela Norfleet, Bryan Moore, Yvette Graham, and the host of other BDPA Chicago chapter members and volunteers that have helped me throughout my HSCC experience.

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Courtney is an inspiration to all of us that love the good works of BDPA. We want to continue giving out Bemley Scholarships for many years to come to other young people like Courtney. We can't continue without your help!

Bemley Scholar Nia Love Heads to Valdosta State University

BDPA Atlanta chapter had its greatest finish in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships back in 2008. The members of that team came in fifth place and earned Jesse Bemley Scholarships.

One of the talented members of that team was Nia Love. She is a multi-dimensional graduate who played basketball, golf and softball at Mt. Zion High School in Atlanta GA. She plans to use her Bemley Scholarship to study criminal justice at Valdosta State University.

Nia shared thoughts about her BDPA experiences:

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It was an outstanding experience being part of the BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team. At first, I didn't want to be part of something that took away my free Saturdays. I didn't know how much being part of BDPA would change my life for the better.

I competed against a number of students, including my brother and cousin, to gain a place on the Atlanta HSCC team that participated in the 2008 National BDPA HSCC Championship. We trained really hard to prepare for the competition. It took a lot of dedication on the part of me and my teammates.

The conference itself was one of the best experiences that I have ever had. We hosted it in downtown Atlanta … about 15 min away from my house. I was in my comfort zone to start the competition and that was awesome. The Opening Ceremony keynote speaker (Ephren Taylor) was great. I found it cool that he was famous. The best part of the opening ceremony to me was the inspiration of Mario Armstrong. He told us not to let "dream killers" get in or way. The most memorable moment was when Mr. Armstrong gave away hardware, software and training to a BDPA student in the audience who carried around his graphic artist portfolio.

Mario Armstrong & Atlanta HSCC Team

The competition was intense and enjoyable at the same time. The most nerve racking part was trying to make sure that the coding was done correctly and in a timely manner. I was in charge of our team presentation to the judges. Coach Wes prepared me very well. I still use some of the pointers he gave me in my everyday life.

It was a great feeling to get 5th place overall in the national HSCC championship in 2008.

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I met Nia at the 2008 BDPA Midwest Regional HSCC held in Cincinnati, OH.

I found her to be a smart young woman with an attitude of success that would serve her well in her future. I'm glad that she earned this Bemley Scholarship and I wish her well in the future!

HSCC Testimonial: James Gadsden (Philadelphia, 2007-2009)

BDPA Philadelphia chapter has been part of the Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program for over 20 years. Over 100 high school students have gone through the program. One of those students is James Gadsden. James was part of the Philadelphia chapter teams that competed for the National BDPA HSCC Championship in 2007 (Washington DC), 2008 (Atlanta) and 2009 (Raleigh).

James shared his thoughts on BDPA with us:

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My time in the High School Computer Competition (HSCC) program as a student was an amazing experience. I can definitely say that I've grown from being involved in the program. When I first began the program, I was very shy and reserved and nervous about the entire aspect of the program and eventually, the competition.

I became more and more comfortable with the various aspects of the program and more confident in myself after my first year.

The second and third years that I spent in the program were my favorite. I learned so much and was able to incorporate what I learned from the program into my other endeavors like school and work.

I returned to BDPA Philadelphia chapter to serve as an assistant HSCC coordinator after I graduated from high school. I helped prepare the students for the competition. I am grateful for everything that the mentors, coordinators and guests have taught me throughout the years.

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James has a powerful BDPA legacy. His aunt, Eileen Gadsden, will be BDPA Philadelphia chapter president in 2011-2012. BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is working to see that the future students from BDPA Philadelphia chapter earn a college scholarship. Our hope is that you will help us 'make it so'.

HSCC Testimonial: Nana Yaa Kwansa (Southern Minnesota, 2007-2010)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is writing a check worth more than $10,000 from the Bemley Scholarship Fund for the first time in our 18-year history! Nana Yaa Kwansa is a truly remarkable young woman. I believe that she is the second person in the 25-year history of our high school computer competition (HSCC) who has been a member of the national HSCC championship team in four (4) different years. Yaa was a national HSCC champion in 2007-2010.

Yaa is currently a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to college, Yaa attended Schaeffer Academy, a high school in Rochester Minnesota, and graduated in May 2010. Yaa joined BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter in 2005 and enrolled in their Youth Computer Training Program (YCTP) which is a subset of the Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program that exists nationwide. Yaa was an alternate on the silver-medal HSCC team in 2006.  However, she never earned less than a gold medal once she was selected to participate on the national HSCC team from Rochester MN.

Here is Yaa's story in her own words:

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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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I hope that you will share some BDPA-Love in the COMMENTS area for Nana Yaa!  More importantly, I hope that you see the value in helping us grow the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund ... we can only keep these scholarships going out in the future if you make an online donation today!

Oh yeah -- for those BDPA historians out there -- Brittany Middleton was a member of the HSCC teams trained by BDPA Memphis who won national HSCC championships in four different years (2001-2004).  Brittany graduated from University of Tennessee Knoxville and she now has a job teaching.   Our understanding is that only Brittany and Nana Yaa have the distinction of being 4-time national HSCC champions!

HSCC Testimonial: Matthew Clark (Detroit, 2008-2010)

BDPA Detroit is a historically strong chapter when it comes to the national high school computer competition (HSCC) championships. In fact, there is only one chapter (Southern Minnesota) with more championships than Detroit. One reason for the success in Motor City is the strong coaches and students in the program. One of the strong students over the past three years (2008-2010) has been Matthew Clark.

Matthew shared his thoughts on his HSCC career with us:

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My name is Matthew Clark. I was born in December 1991. I have been participating in BDPA for three years. Before my dad introduced me to this program I had no idea about how web sites worked, let alone how to build them myself. When I first came to the program I was kind of shy and did not talk much. After a couple of weeks and the teaching of my instructors (Tonji, “Coach G” and Ms. Glynis) I began to open up and become more confident in myself.

As I began to get better and better it made me feel great about myself, and influenced me to do other things. One of my most memorable moments was in my first year when we traveled to the national BDPA HSCC championships in Atlanta. I wasn’t feeling really well, but my teammates cheered me up by dancing around to music. I really enjoyed myself and couldn’t wait to come back.

After three years, we experienced the ‘highs’ (2nd place in 2009), the ‘lows’ (10th place in 2008) and the ‘mediums’ (4th place in 2010). Throughout it all I had fun and learned things I could take with me for the rest of my life. I won $3,000 in Jesse Bemley Scholarships, plus other gifts our instructors gave us (iPods, gift cards, etc.). I hope that people will read this and be inspired to join the BDPA program, because it is truly a great experience.

My career goal is to be the world’s greatest architect. I am currently enrolled in Lawrence Technological University, and will be studying Architecture as my major.

For the last couple of years I have been working with my church. Our duties were to clean and maintain the building and its surroundings. Whenever I was not working with my church I would go to work with my dad. He owns his own construction/remodeling business. These jobs and BDPA have taught me responsibility and perseverance, things I will be able to use for the rest of my life.

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My first exposure to BDPA came when I lived in Detroit. As such, I am very proud of Matthew Clark. Often Detroit is only shown in a negative light by the national media. It is a pleasure to share this 'good news' story about a young African American man in Detroit. We wish Matthew nothing but success at Lawrence Tech University!

HSCC Testimonial * D Ephraim (Twin Cities, 2008-2009)

No chapter has improved more over the last four years in the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships than BDPA Twin Cities. One reason for their success is the powerful training offered by Michael Wulf and others. Another reason is the powerful intelligence and drive of its students ... such as D Ephraim.

He shared his thoughts with us:

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My name is D Ephraim. I am a graduate of Edina High School and currently attending Normandale Community College with plans to transfer to the University of Minnesota in winter 2010. I plan to double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I have been interested in computers and programming all my life and BDPA has given me the chance to display what I've learned.

The High School Computer Competition (HSCC) was one of the most exciting things I've ever been a part of. It gave me and my team a chance to reap the fruits of our labor. We worked for months and months to advance our craft and be the best programmers we could be. I really enjoyed the whole weekend and meeting people like me from across the country was interesting. My team came in 9th in my first year (2008) and 4th in my second year (2009). I am very thankful for being a part of such a phenomenal program.

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D earned a Jesse Bemley Scholarship for the high performance of his team at the 2009 HSCC championships in Raleigh NC. He is using that scholarship to continue his education at community college.

BDPA IT Showcase: Production Planning Tools (Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University)

IBM and Eli Lilly and Company are sponsoring the 2010 BDPA IT Showcase. It provides them with an opportunity to see some of the most powerful African American high school and college students. The young people in the IT Showcase have potential to become Ph.D candidates in the hard sciences.

Our nation has few African American Ph.D candidates in computer science, technology, engineering or mathematics ... so BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to use our blog to promote this program and these students ... perhaps we can create more Black Ph.D candidates in the future!

Jessye Bemley was a senior attending North Carolina A&T State University when she competed in the 2008 BDPA IT Showcase. She was finishing course work for her Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering. On-campus she is active in the North Carolina A&T Fellowship Gospel Choir, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE).

At Joint Educational Facilities (JEF) her subject areas were Expert Systems, Neural Networks and Wearable Computing. She has also participated in numerous national and international engineering, scientific and computing conferences, symposia, and meetings. She has done research at the Naval Research Laboratory under the apprenticeship of Dr. George Carruthers in Space Science.

At North Carolina A&T she was part of the North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP) Program, where she does undergraduate research under Dr. L. Davis, her advisor, in Operations Research. She also participated in an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) internship in industrial engineering at Auburn University. Her project entailed working with decision models that would solve problems in the Automotive Industry.

Last summer Jessye volunteered to help with the Digigirlz Camp sponsored by Microsoft to inspire girls to become interested in computing, engineering and sciences.

Today Jessye is a grad student at North Carolina A&T State University in the field of Industrial Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research.

She made her 2008 IT Showcase presentation on 'Production Planning Tools'. Many companies have different products that they use or make on a regular basis. To help them through this process they use different production planning tools such as forecasting, Materials Requirement Planning System (MRP), Linear Programming, Inventory plan and Aggregate Plan or workforce plan. During INEN 355 or Production Control class we were given a case study project of a company called Mike’s Bikes. From the information given, we were to use all of the tools listed above to help the owner of the company have a successful business.

Here is a copy of her IT Showcase paper. 

If you believe in this program ... then we need your help!   Please consider making a secure online donation to support this program.  If not you, who?  If not now, when?

Branding Workshop, Everaldo Gallimore (Gallimore Design)

One of the benefits of the annual BDPA technology conference is the world-class workshops. Here is an excerpt from workshop entitled, 'Brand Not, Brand New, Brand Known', conducted by Everaldo Gallimore at the 2008 conference held in Atlanta GA.



Are you planning to attend the 2009 BDPA Technology Conference in Raleigh NC? If so, what workshops would you like to see on the agenda? Share your thoughts on conference workshops using the COMMENTS option below.

BDPA Photo Album by Thomas Polk

If a picture is worth a thousand words ... here are 3,585 photos worth over three million words for you!

• 3Q-2008 National Board of Directors Meeting (67 photos)
• Aug 2008 National Executive Committee Meeting (46 photos)
• 2007 Conference, Day 1 (82 photos)
• 2007 Conference, Day 2 (88 photos)
• 2007 Conference, Day 3 (180 photos)
• 2007 Conference, Day 4 (44 photos)
• 2006 Conference (1034 photos)
• 2005 Conference (1860 photos)
• 2Q-2005 National Board of Directors Meeting (184 photos)

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These photos were taken by Thomas Polk, owner of Polk Photography. You can reach him by phone at (216) 921-5113.

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Do you know of other photos from the conference that we are missing? I encourage you to upload any of your conference photos to our BDPA Photo Album!

HSCC Testimonial: Frantzy Jean Philippe (New York)

Many of you have supported our fundraising efforts to support the youth education programs taking place in 50 cities around the country. However, we still need more funding if we are to continue bridge the 'digital divide'. We thought you would appreciate hearing directly from one of the students impacted by your generousity.

Frantzy Jean Philippe was a member of the high school computer competition team trained this year by BDPA New York chapter. Here is what he had to say about the experience.

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"It has been an amazing experience being part of the BDPA HSCC team. When I first started pursuing a spot in being part of the HSCC team, I never realized how much BDPA would have changed my life. I had great experiences from the trip to the Museum of Modern Arts to the 2008 BDPA National Conference held in Atlanta GA. BDPA accomplished its mission in exposing students like me to Information Technology. Through the many trips that we took part in, I have developed a deep interest in Information Technology and have decided to pursue it in college.

Training for the competition has been both hard and fun. At first, it was intense seeing how we were still learning and there was a lot of competitiveness between us. However, as the competition nears, we each realized that we were strong in one major area of programming. We were closer than any other teams. Unlike most of the other teams, we were from the same school. Additionally, our trainer was also our teacher as well as our friend. It is best to train and learn when you know the people whom you train with well. We appreciate our trainer because we would have never come this far if it was not for him. He sacrificed many of his time in order to prepare us for the competition. For example, he sacrificed his birthday just to be with us during our second regional competition in Maryland. The regional competitions had a big influence on our performance in the national competition. It was a great way to get us accustomed to the way of the competition and at the same time, we had a lot of fun.

The conference itself was the best experience that I have ever had in my entire life. I liked the fact that we were able to experience the cultural wonders of Atlanta in many ways. In addition, we not only applied all that we have learned during the year, we learned new things as well. During the first day of the Youth Technology Camp, I learned effective communication, something that will surely help me later on in life. BDPA has exceeded its original mission and made sure that students like me do not just have a good future in information technology, but have good skills in whichever path they follow in life. One of the greatest events that I enjoyed during the conference was the opening ceremony. The keynote speaker, Ephren Taylor, inspired us all. His success story inspired us to pursue whatever we want in life.
From the master of ceremony, Mario Armstrong we learned not to let “dream killers” gets in our way. This became a motif as we learned throughout the entire conference. One of the greatest moments in the opening ceremony came when Mr. Armstrong gave an HSCC student the opportunity to pursue his dream of Game Designing by providing the student with software that were perhaps valued at one thousand dollars. I was amazed to see how great people like him make sure that people like us succeed in accomplishing their dreams.

The High School Computer Competition was one of the best parts of the conference. It was intense and enjoyable at the same time. On the first day of the competition, we were calmer than we were in the regional competitions and we did excellent. This made us even more confident on the second day where the real competition began in building our web application. We responded rather calmly to the long time of seven hours to eight hours that we had to build the application seeing that we were used to programming for this amount of time during our training. We did very well and we finished all of the functionalities given to us. We were very proud of ourselves seeing that we worked as a team to finish the application. We each did our individual jobs perfectly and our application was very strong.

After a hard week, we were all looking forward to going home. However, our flight cancelled due to overwhelming circumstances. We had the chance to stay in Atlanta an extra night. Even though we were all anxious to go home, we were rather calm in handling the situation. We were lucky enough that the BDPA National president, Ms. Denise Holland provided us her presidential suite for us to spend the night in. We took this with great appreciation for Ms. Holland and BDPA for taking good care of its members. We had an amazing night in the presidential suite. The most surprising moment of the entire trip later became one of the greatest moment of the trip."

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Well, BDPAers ... what say u?

Grant Award: Johnson-Johnson ($20,610)

National BDPA asked me to introduce the participants in the High School Computer Competition, IT Showcase and Youth Technology Camp during the Opening Ceremonies of the 30th annual BDPA Technology Conference held in Atlanta GA earlier this year.

I challenged the audience to make an immediate pledge to the Bemley Scholarship Fund. Scores of people took me up on the offer.

It came as a shock to me when Johnson & Johnson chief executive officer LaVerne Council upped the ante by saying that her company would match any pledges received that night.

We received over $20,000 in pledges from individuals during the next ten minutes. It was a very rewarding moment for me as executive director of the BDPA Foundation.

Earlier this week we received a $20,610 check from Johnson & Johnson. Ms. Council walked the walk with her matching funds. As a result, we now have over $41,000 set aside for scholarships that encourage young people to continue their education after high school.

Please join us in expressing appreciation to all of the BDPA donors, LaVerne Council and the Johnson & Johnson information technology organization!

2008 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Rankings

The 2008 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships were held in Atlanta GA. We had 23 teams competing in 2008 ... highest chapter participation since the 2004 competition.

The tension during the 2 days of the competition centered around the team trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter. This chapter won 2 of the past 3 national competitions and arrived in Atanta as the defending champions.

The talent and training of the Rochester MN team proved to be unstoppable ... BDPA Southern Minnesota earned and all-time record score of 1,038 points to win the 2008 National HSCC championship ... their 3rd championship in the past 4 years. In fact, the same five students (Yaa Kwansa, Ahmed Mahamad, Lauren Pemberton, Kunle Roberts and Adwait Walimbe) came back to win their second consecutive national HSCC championship under the direction of their coach (Zack Garbow) and chapter president (Nat Calvert).

BDPA Washington DC scored the best score in chapter history with 892 points to come in second place. BDPA Chicago scored 873 points to earn the bronze medal. The rest of BDPA-nation will need to step up their game in order to compete with Southern Minnesota, Washington DC and Chicago in the 2009 competition.

Here are the rankings for all 23 teams that competed in 2008 national HSCC championships with the scholarship winnings for each student in parenthesis:

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

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 2008 National BDPA Conference held in Atlanta GA with others in this online community.

Message from Charlotte Chapter President

BDPA Charlotte is the 21st largest chapter in the nation. The chapter was very active in the recently-concluded national conference. BDPA Charlotte chapter president Charles Moore shared some insights on the 30th annual BDPA Technology Conference with his members, sponsors and supporters. Here is what he had to say:

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BDPA Charlotte Friends and Family,

Greetings! For those of you who had the pleasure of attending our 2008 National Conference, I am sure you will agree that our time in Atlanta was amazing! I hope you found your way back to Charlotte safe and soundly. From the technical sessions, career development seminars, to the opening and closing ceremonies, and the networking opportunities, the conference had something to offer everyone in attendance. If you take a moment to read the highlights from this year’s conference you will see why I am excited and pleased to announce that the 2009 National Conference will be held in Raleigh, NC!!!!

National Board of Directors Meeting
As president of the Charlotte Chapter, I had the opportunity to participate in the National Board of Directors meeting. Chapter Presidents from around the country as well as our National President, Denise Holland, and her executive committee focused on matters related to keeping this beloved organization moving forward. These topics ranged from redesign of the national and local websites, to the offering of new programs and services. Expect great things to come out from our national leaders over the next few months and quarter.

Opening Ceremony – Ephren Taylor
BDPA corporation of the year, Johnson and Johnson sponsored the opening ceremonies featuring the humorous Mario Armstrong as master of ceremonies. Our founder Earl Pace Jr., told us that in order to advance our careers and move our community forward, we simply need to “Cast Down Our Buckets Where We Are” in the BDPA to gain the resources needed to propel us forward. We also had the honor of hearing Ephren Taylor inspire and motivate the crowd as the key note speaker. Ephren, known as the “Wealth Engineer,” shared with us his amazing journey to becoming the youngest black CEO in history. Ephran, who created his first video game at the age of 12 and a millionaire by 17, told the 1500 in attendance that perseverance and hard work are the keys to success and to always seize opportunities when they are presented, no matter your age or situation.

Career Development & Technical Seminars
This year, the BDPA national conference offered over 50 career development and technical sessions were offered to help members advance their careers and enhance their technical capabilities. Also a 2 day PMP Certification exam preparation series was conducted. Like our monthly program meetings, all of the sessions at the national conference were eligible for continuing education credits needed to maintain professional certifications such as PMP, CISA, and CISSP. These topics included topics such as Business Intelligence, Enterprise Architecture, Off-shoring/Outsourcing, Career Networking, and The Art of Persuasion.

I want to extend a word of thanks and appreciation to our presenters from the Charlotte Chapter who presented excellent topics:

• Kimberly Green – ADKG Worldwide
• John Hoffler –Wachovia Corporation
• Evan Hilliard – Novant Healthcare

High School Computer Competition
Several HSCC teams assembled in Atlanta to participate in the 23rd year of this esteemed competition. Students from around the nation participated in a 2 day competition where they were quizzed on several technical topics. They were also given 7 hours on Friday to build an online banking program from the ground up using ASP.NET. I want to thank our local Charlotte team for their hard work, participation, and effort. They continued the legacy here in Charlotte of participation in this marquee event. The team members listed below were led by Aaron Johnson and Markus Beamer as trainers and sponsored by Wachovia:

1. Trevor Williams (captain) - Vance High School
2. Mykel Pendergrass - Sequoia Academy
3. Sheldon Abrams - Harding University High School
4. Jerron Jamerson - Berry Academy of Technology
5. Brett Bailey - Berry Academy of Technology

Women in IT Breakfast – Sponsored by Wachovia
On Saturday morning, the women of BDPA had the privilege to join Wachovia’s Sharon Murphy for breakfast to discuss the issues and challenges facing women in the field of Information Technology. Sharon is the newly appointed director of finance technology for Wachovia. This session was inspiring and gave women the opportunity to converse on issues and tactics used to overcome issues faced in our industry. This was also a great beginning of a strong network that will yield wonderful benefits to the women members of the BDPA. I am proud to announce that the Charlotte chapter will be launching quarterly lunch and learn seminars to continue this initiative locally. Please stay tuned for more details!

Technology Career Fair
Top employers from around the country assembled in Atlanta to recruit top IT talent at this year’s national conference. Several companies were pleased with quality of candidates attending the career fair. It is obvious that members such as yourselves should be among those advancing their career at such a wonderful event. Let’s be sure to take advantage of this in Raleigh during 2009!

Awards Gala – Dr. Randal Pinkett
The week’s activities were closed on Saturday evening with our annual gala and awards ceremony. During the evening’s events, we honored top achievements in the field of Information Technology. Our keynote speaker was the winner of NBC’s Apprentice, Dr. Randal Pinkett. His topic for the evening was “Is Success Your Objective, or is Greatness Your Goal?” This excellent speech reminded us all of the differences between success and greatness and that while completing a task is the definition of success; greatness comes from going above and beyond the call of duty. Success is quickly forgotten, but Greatness endures the test of time. Join BDPA Today!!!

Dr. Pinkett, and Ephren Taylor are 2 of the BDPA’s newest members. They see the value in belonging to this esteemed organization, and we ask that you take the time to join them. Membership is a simple 2 step process!

Take a moment to review our benefits, programs, and services. Once you are ready to become a member, you may do so by clicking here to join the BDPA!

Over the next few weeks, you will be receiving communications about events, activities, and opportunities that have been planned for you as members going forward. As always, we look forward to serving you and continuing to meet your professional and technical needs as well as having you involved in any capacity you wish to serve. If there is anything myself or anyone else in the chapter can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me and using the information below.

Thanks,
Charles Moore, President
BDPA Charlotte
Phone: 704-654-8114

2008 National BDPA High School Computer Competition Winners

BDPA trained hundreds of students this year. Some of the top students from all over the country converged on Atlanta for the 23rd annual National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) in August 2008.

These students attended technology workshops at the Youth Technology Camp before beginning the 2-day HSCC event. The first day focused on an oral exam and a computerized individual written exam answering on topics such as database, HTML/Internet, general computer knowledge and BDPA History.

On the second day, the students were asked to develop an online bank loan application. Each team had a choice of technologies to use in the programming part of the competition -- JAVA, PHP, .NET or ASP. The judges provided them with the specifications at 8:00 am. The students then have seven (7) hours and one computer to complete the task.

Did I mention that the students don't have the luxury of any cool tools commonly used to create web pages. They used text editors like note pad to design their solutions.

These students did an outstanding job. However, only the top five teams were eligible for Bemley Scholarships. The top five teams in the 2008 national competition are:

1. BDPA Southern Minnesota - This team defended the national championship that they won last year. In fact, the young men and women from Rochester MN won the championship in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Each member of this year's team won a $2,500 Bemley Scholarship!


2. BDPA Washington DC - For the second year in a row the young men and women from our nation's capital took home the silver medal along with $2,000 Bemley Scholarships!


3. BDPA Chicago - This is the only team in the past five years to beat Southern Minnesota for the championship .... they won it all in 2006. For the second year in a row, the young students from the Windy City are bringing home the HSCC bronze medal and $1,500 Bemley Scholarships.


4. BDPA Northern Virginia - This chapter participated in the national HSCC for the first time ever. They came correct! Their fourth place finish earned each member of the team a $1,000 Bemley Scholarship.


5. BDPA Atlanta - How cool is it to be the host chapter of the annual conference and also have high school students winning $500 Bemley Scholarships! That is the experience of the team from Hotlanta this year.

Have you watched or worked with the HSCC program this year or at some point in the past? Care to share your observations on the HSCC program or these remarkable students? What say u?