 |
| 2010 HSCC Champions * BDPA So. Minnesota |
 |
| Yusuph Mkangara |
My name is Yusuph Mkangara. I am from Columbus, Ohio and my family and I are originally from Tanzania. I participated in HSCC in 2010 and 2011 as a freshman and sophomore. I had never really thought about information technology as a career path but the program certainly paid dividends as our representative team from Columbus went on to take third place in 2011.
I received my high school diploma in 2013 and I am now attending Harvard University. My joint/double major is African Studies and Sociology. While I do not have a set career path yet, I am interested in the field of education and hope to teach and conduct research in education after graduation. In the past year, I have been fortunate enough to conduct research with the guidance of a professor at Harvard and a full research team as a partnership with a local Boston Area high school.
Rest assured, my interest in information technology and computer science is still alive and well. While my trajectory is not typical of those in the STEM fields, I am hoping to later on integrate IT skills in my work in education. One of the things that most excite me about the classroom of “tomorrow” is that technology has the potential to play a transformative role in how we approach education. I think with both technological know-how and experience as a teacher and researcher, I will be in a great position to innovate the field of education by using skills that I first began learning during preparation for my first HSCC."
 |
| Dr. Jesse Bemley |
 |
| 2014 IT Showcase Award: Dr. Bemley, Nicholas, Dr. Brown |
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!
At the start of 8th grade, I had no programming experience. What I had instead was a desire to solve problems by building things. At that time, I wanted to be an inventor and entrepreneur. I would come up with ideas for products or services to create; everything from flying cars to a nanny service to help new moms. I envisioned myself building things for a living. My Dad took me to work one day and introduced me to HTML, CSS and JavaScript. He showed me how to build webpages ... and I loved it. I could build anything that I saw in my mind's eye; and I tore through those languages until eventually they weren't enough. Eventually I knew that I needed more. I joined BDPA in the 8th grade because I wanted to be better able to build web sites and solve the sort of problems that we all see everywhere.
I was discouraged when I first started with BDPA Chicago chapter. I assumed that I would be the most talented programmer in the class due to my prior experience with web development. The opposite was true. There were at least six seniors with years of experience and dozens of other students with more age and experience than me as well.
It wasn't likely that I would do well enough to make the national HSCC team from Chicago. However, I managed to stay interested in the program for two reasons. First, I didn't join BDPA to be the "best coder". I joined to become a "better coder" so my job was to polish my skill set and not to shine. The second reason I stayed was because the HSCC program wasn't a competition, or at least it didn't feel like one. The program felt like a class, the first one I had ever taken where everyone was engaged, helpful and where the environment was fine-tuned to produce advancement.
Through focus and consistency, I managed to be part of the national team that year (2010); the only freshman on a team full of seniors. Our team went on to place third place in the national HSCC championships held in Philadelphia.
2010 BDPA Chicago HSCC Team in Philadelphia
My sophomore year was a rebuilding one for the chapter's HSCC program. Most of the students from the prior year graduated. That year (2011), I became team captain and a large onus was placed on me to help the team be successful. This year, just like last, did not proceed the way that I expected. I assumed that my experience from the previous year meant that I had nothing left to learn from BDPA.
The truth is that in all my years in BDPA, I've never stopped learning the same lesson that I'm learning today: how to be a leader. It is from these lessons that I learned to manage a team of peers, take responsibility and report back to coaches on the progress of the team, and also how to help instruct other students in the program.
2012 BDPA Chicago Chapter SITES Students
Although the teams I was on never placed as high at the national HSCC championships as we did during my freshman year, I wouldn't trade the experiences that I've had with BDPA Chicago chapter for any other, because I know that these experiences have been invaluable in preparing me for a professional career in ways I never could have imagined when I joined BDPA.
During my first four years with BDPA, I've not only had the opportunity to improve my skills as a web developer, but I've also had the opportunity to find other dedicated coders to build websites with. It is working with my BDPA teammate that has meant the most to me. They challenged and pushed me as a web developer by sharing new techniques or challenging my programming logic and even by given me competition to try to outshine. I will leave for the University of Illinois in the fall. I'm sure there will be aspiring web developers there as well. I can't wait to find them and to begin to build web sites with them; a lesson well and gratefully learned at BDPA!
 |
| Daniel Rothchild |
"I participated in the HSCC program for three years, and my experience preparing for and competing at the national competition has had a tremendous impact on me. First and foremost, I learned the programming language Java intimately through my years of practical, hands-on experience. Though reading books on programming and taking computer science classes are helpful, nothing has prepared me better for programming in Java than the experiences I gained through BDPA.
I also learned to work as part of a team. Every member has his or her strengths, and I learned how to participate effectively as a member of a team by taking into account the strengths of other team members ... and dividing the work accordingly. I am sure this skill will be invaluable for me when I enter the workforce.
The skills I learned through my participation in BDPA have already been incredibly useful for me. This summer, I am working at a company where I need to write programs in Java ... which is the language that BDPA taught me during the HSCC training process. I am sure these skills will continue to be invaluable to me as I progress through college and beyond.
The time that I spent with BDPA is irreplaceable and I cherish it with all my heart. The knowledge that I obtained from BDPA dramatically changed my life. I remember my first time attending a BDPA meeting on a Saturday morning in Chicago. I was nervous being around people that I didn't know, but at the same time I was excited by the opportunity presented to me.
Desmond Jones
My first year (2009) was shaky. I had to leave the Saturday training early sometimes to play baseball with my high school team. However, with hard work and great dedication I was able to go to both the Midwest regional and National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship held in North Carolina. Our team finished in 7th place at Nationals. I was disappointed with our results and decided to dedicate most of time towards studying so we would do better in the next year.
In December 2009, I was encouraged by (BDPA Chicago chapter president) Pamela Sexton to become the chapter's recording secretary. This position opened up new opportunities in my life as I was the first student to serve as a board member for BDPA Chicago chapter. I gained confidence and motivation from this new office and I believed that I could achieve anything with great dedication and focus.
At this time, I also began to explore different programming languages that added to my knowledge and increased my desire to learn more and more. Our team began preparation for the 2010 national HSCC championship. We met at different places in Chicago and developed a plan that would improve our results at the competition. It was a great year with anticipation and tension and a bitter rivalry with HSCC teams from other chapters.
I will always cherish the thrill and excitement as we traveled to Philadelphia for the 2010 HSCC championship. The guest speakers that year were great. Our team did superb. Our team didn't not take first place like we wanted, however, I am proud of our third place finish in 2010.
I currently attend the Indiana Institute of Technology with a goal of graduating in 2014 with my degree in computer engineering. I plan to begin working on my masters degree after graduation.
I will be graduating from Visitation Academy in May 2013 and will attend Creighton University majoring in Biochemistry and Physics.
I have worked with computers ever since I could read. I remember sitting on my dad's lap at, what seems like now, a giant desktop and after reading each prompt clicking the "Yes" or "No" buttons. I remember my dad handing me, again, what seems old fashioned, ethernet cables and plugging them into the appropriate slot. I grew up with computers and technology, so when I first got involved with BDPA the summer going into my freshman year in high school, I was hooked.
While I hope to major in Biochemistry and Physics, the skills learned during training sessions are invaluable. Not only am I able to use the typical programming languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, JSTL and JSP, I can also rattle off fast facts about the history of computers, such as the name of the first compiler or the reason that Grace Hopper is important. Also, I learned team work, communication, and networking skills. Going year from year, I grew more comfortable and confident in my skills and I was able to help guide new students in understanding different languages.
One of my favorite parts of BDPA is getting to know my teammates so well. After training for hours and hours during the week and then spending 5 days with them at the conference, it's hard not to get to know them. I believe each one has something different to offer and bring to the table just to make our team even better and stronger.
BDPA's High School Computer Competition is something I will always remember and be extremely grateful for the experience.
BDPA St. Louis HSCC Team (2012) - Silver Medal Winners
My name is Malik Swanson and I am a member of the BDPA Chicago Chapter. I graduated in 2010 from Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. Currently, I am a student at Chicago State University, majoring in Computer Science. I originally attended Northern Michigan University, but transferred to CSU in the summer of 2012. Also, I am a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, which is a community service organization. In addition, I am employed as a Webmaster for High Infidelity Media and an IT Support Assistant at CSU.
My most memorable High School Computer Competition (HSCC) moment is when the BDPA Chicago HSCC team won third place at the 2010 National BDPA HSCC Championship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The BDPA Chicago HSCC team took eighth place in the previous year. I did not make that team. However, I made the team in 2010 as a high school senior. My teammates (Desmond Jones, Bernard Dickens, Ismail Zeyneli and Byron Wooden) and I went to the 2010 HSCC championship determined to win first place. Unfortunately, my team took third place.
I’m now in college and completing my undergraduate education is my primary goal and objective. I am always trying to find ways to network, and find the right mentors to assist me in my goals. I continue to connect with the right mentors and network with IT professionals as I pursue upon my undergraduate degree. This accomplishment will ensure that I can live a better life and have a bright future. I will be one step closer in reaching my ultimate professional goals as becoming a chief information officer of a fortune 500 company once I graduate from Chicago State University with a degree in computer science.
I am looking forward to the upcoming academic school year in college. I have a full load on my plate in life right now as I juggle a full time school work load and two part time jobs. However, I am blessed because I have the full support of family and they are always encouraging me to be successful. I realize that there are many college students today who are much less fortunate than me.
Upon graduation, I am looking forward to taking my developed skills in IT to a corporate environment. The reason why I want to work for a corporation is because this experience will develop more as a young IT professional and make me more marketable in the IT industry as I move forward. This is an exciting time in my life!
I want to thank the BETF for providing me with a college scholarship. Also, I want to thank BDPA for expanding my knowledge of information technology and exposing me to the many great and amazing people. Finally, I want to give special thanks to Gibran McDuffie, Pamela Norfleet, Bryan Moore, Eric Dortch, Yvette Graham and the other BDPA members and volunteers that helped to shape me into the young man that I am today.
My Name Is Nicholas Reid, I am 18 years old and currently a sophomore at Baruch College. Currently my major is Computer Science with a Minor in physics, however I will be transferring next year due to Baruch not having a major in physics, and I am going to be an astrophysicist. Currently this is my 5th year as a member of BDPA New York chapter - 4 years as an HSCC student and this year I came back as a Technical Coordinator.
During my years as an HSCC student, my role was Lead Programmer. My teammates and I were trained in various programming languages such as: PHP, SQL, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and the most important Soft Skills which took me awhile to develop. I competed in 3 BDPA HSCC competitions 2 regional and 1 national, placing 3rd and 6th at the regional competitions consecutively and 6th place at the national level.
By the time I reached my 3rd Year in HSCC our Coordinator Ms. Denise Hamilton recommended my teammates and I for an internship with our sponsor UBS. This past summer I just completed my 3rd consecutive internship there. At UBS I met our internship sponsor and one of my mentors now Mrs. Denise Hebner. During The 1st year of the internship, it was exciting but, intimidating at the same time. I was a 16 year old kid working my first job alongside college and graduate students, I was doing the same tasks as they were so naturally, I was a little scared, however, I successfully completed the internship and was offered to come back year after year.
This year, I took on the role as the Technical Coordinator for BDPA-NY HSCC team. Alongside Ms. Tish Edwards, I was assigned the task of training the current HSCC students in web application development for the 2012 National HSCC Competition. This gave me a new perspective of HSCC from the point of our HSCC coordinators Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Destine. As a student our task was to learn and do our best in competing, as a coordinator I had to create a syllabus that would fit everything they need to know for the competition in only 4 months, use different teaching techniques to get through to each student, worrying about how they were doing while being sequestered for 8hrs, and being a role model for them to truly understand the benefits from a student standpoint of being a part of BDPA. From learning how to teach to guiding them at this year’s conference it was truly a rewarding experience. This year I will be getting back into the competitive nature of things and competing in IT Showcase.
My future goals with BDPA are to compete in IT Showcase and continue giving back to the foundation. I want to pass on many of the memorable and grand learning experiences I have had and will have in BDPA to the students I have now and the students that will come, also it would be nice to see BDPA-NY win 1st place for chapter of the year, IT Showcase and HSCC a goal which will hopefully be realized for 2013.
Nicholas Reid
September 2012
"I have learned a great many things from participating in the High School Computer Competition (HSCC). It has changed my entire outlook on and attitude toward life. Before participation in the program I was shy, and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges BDPA has altered all of these qualities.
One of my most memorable moments I had during my participation in the HSCC was during the coding part of the competition. Time was running out and our connection string to the data basic was not working properly. We were puzzled and had no clue what to do. All of our hard work was about to be wasted due to one little line of code. Just at that moment when we were about to call it quits, I had remembered that earlier during the competition we turned off the data, so we could work on other problems with the website to prevent errors. Our team had totally forgotten to turn it back on. Once I had explained the problem to the team. They were relieved that were could finish and was back in the competition. I felt like the hero of the team at the point. I was impressed with myself and so was my team. We came in fifth-place that year. This was one of my most memorable moments during my time with BDPA.
Over the years, participating with BDPA has taught me what it takes to succeed. From months of tough practice and studying, I have gained a hard work ethic, organization and leadership skills. From my fellow teammates, I have learned to work well with others in a group; as it is necessary to cooperate and get along with others. But most important, I have also gained self confidence. If I fail, I’ll just try again and do better the next time. I realize that it is necessary to take risks in order to gain success. I know now, whether I succeed or fail it is irrelevant, it is only important that I have tried my best."
"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."
Hi, my name is Naomi Matthews. I graduated from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia as part of the Class of 2011. I plan on attending Northern Virginia Community College in the fall with a focus on computer science. In the future I hope to land a career in either programming or some other part of the information technology industry. I will never forget my time as a High School Computer Competition (HSCC) student.
The HSCC experience affected my life in a great way. It helped me obtain an IT internship. The company hired me on the spot when they learned how much I already knew about computers.
I became friends with many of the classmates that I met during my first year in BDPA. Even from the start, my instructors knew that I had a drive in me to learn. My instructors selected me to compete in the 2009 national competition, but sadly I wasn’t able to attend. I made the national team again in my second year. This team our team traveled to Philadelphia for the 2010 national competition and returned with second place.
Naomi (Black & White blouse) & Her Team Wins 2nd Place
It saddens me that this is my final year as an HSCC student. But, this will not be my final year participating with BDPA. I plan to be back as an HSCC chaperone in the future. I will provide any support needed to support the HSCC program.
I have many, many memorable moments from HSCC, one of the most memorable being the national competition. The thrill of being involved in an event attended by people from all over the country and performing at such a high level is life changing. The real adventure is the time leading up to the national competition. The countless hours you spend studying, programming, and quizzing with your teammates is unique – it is a time that you’ll always remember.
 |
| 2010 Richmond HSCC Team |
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.
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.
