Jordan Stipp Uses His Bemley Scholarship at Stanford University

Jordan Stipp * Stanford University

Jordan Stipp earned a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship in his senior year in high school as a member of the BDPA Central Illinois chapter. He was a member of the BDPA Central Illinois chapter team who won the bronze medal at the 2016 BDPA Technology Conference. He plans to use his Bemley Scholarship at Stanford University where he seeks to complete a major in Computer Science.

Throughout his primary and secondary educations, Jordan took an interest in technology that would eventually propel him towards participation in BDPA Central Illinois Chapter. His career goal is to become a professional software developer.

We asked Jordan to share his thoughts on BDPA.

"BDPA provides a platform for promoting the advancement of education in computer science to youth that may not have the opportunity to take advantage of elsewhere ... myself included. Some of the best memories of my final year of high school are the extensive sessions of educational coding provided by BDPA and its sponsors on Saturday mornings. Not only has my ability to develop computationally improved but also my confidence in doing so."

Jordan is a remarkable young man. BDPA looks forward to following his career as he progresses through college and on into his career as a software developer! Jordan is also an amazing dancer! Please note that the Bemley Scholarship Fund is made up of individual donations from people like yourself. Please take a moment to recognize young people like Jordan with a secure online donation!

BDPA Mobile Application Showcase: Richard Watts III (Central Illinois)

BDPA Central Illinois member Richard Watts III (University High School) earned first place (and a $6,500 college scholarship from State Farm!) for his efforts during the 1st Annual BDPA Mobile Application Showcase.



BDPA used this initiative to expose its student members to mobile application development and showcase the students' expertise during the annual national technology conference. The students were provided with foundation training for mobile application development and mentoring throughout the pilot. The 2014 BDPA Mobile Application Showcase featured high school and college students that designed, developed and deployed a mobile application (business, personal productivity or game) to a mobile device for display at the national conference.

L-R: Craig Brown, Markita Payne, Michael Tyson, Richard Watts III, Tonji Zimmerman, Jason Gibson

The BDPA Mobile Application Showcase was sponsored by State Farm.

President Profile: Jason Gibson (BDPA Central Illinois)

BDPA Central Illinois was chartered in August 2003. The founding members were Lorenzo Marshall, Dave Beasley and Theonnie Shields. The chapter is currently the 29th-largest in the nation.

Jason Gibson, chapter president
BDPA Central Illinois
Address: P.O. Box 1806
Bloomington, IL 61702-1806

Phone: (309) 766-8807
Website: http://www.bdpa.org/BL

Jason Gibson took over the chapter presidency in July 2013. Jason and his leadership team are working to grow membership by focusing on increased member participation. Jason is committed to increasing student enrollment and partnering with other STEM-based programs. Jason leads by example ... he is one of the instructors for the K-12 students who are training to compete in the 2014 national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship.

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Jason's Favorite Quote: "It's not what you look at that matters,  it's what you see." ~ Henry David Thoreau

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Jason Gibson

Jason has enjoyed technology since building Heath Kits when he was a child. In high school Jason took several programming courses and spent numerous hours coding games on his Commodore 64. While at Aurora University, he worked as the Computer Lab Manager and eventually, Network Administrator and Instructor in the Young Scholars Program.

Jason left Aurora to begin his career at State Farm in 2000, supporting the server and network infrastructure. Jason transitioned into the Systems Analyst role in 2004 and has worked with multiple technologies including J2EE, C++, Visual Basic, Spring, Struts, Dojo and several other user and business interface technologies. Jason has served as a Quality Engineer, reviewing design and code and continues to learn new technologies.

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Jason's Other Favorite Quote: "Whether you think you can,  or you think you can't -- you're right." ~ Henry Ford

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Jason earned a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Computer Science from Aurora University in 1999. He earned a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2009. Jason is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and an Associate in General Insurance (AINS). Jason is currently enrolled in the Master in Information Systems program at University of Illinois Springfield.

Jason’s vision for BDPA Central Illinois chapter is simple and direct, "We have to remember that we must remain highly motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic about our organization. As the Chapter goes through a time of change, our strategy must focus on membership growth, practical community engagement and organizational professionalism".

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Please use the POST COMMENT link below to share some BDPA-Love with the president our BDPA Central Illinois chapter!

Related articles

• High School Computer Competition (Central Illinois, 2014)

High School Computer Competition (Central Illinois, 2014)

BDPA Central Illinois chapter (founded in August 2004) will be competing in the national BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) for the first time in its history. The chapter recruits its students from Normal Community, Normal Community West, Bloomington and University High Schools.

Back Row: Two unidentified HSCC instuctors
Front Row: Rhea Gibson, Synclaire Halman
Not Pictured: Zyon Randle, Cierra Maxwell

The primary study material focuses on building dynamic websites using Java, MySQL, and web-based languages Java, CSS, and HTML. Students are trained on converting binary, hexadecimal, and octal bases into different formats as well as become familiar with the history of computers, networking and BDPA. Outside of technical aptitude, there is also preparation on sharpening presentation skills, creative thinking, problem-solving, resume writing, and interviewing skills.

Related articles

• Overview: BDPA High School Computer Competition

Subrena Robinson (State Farm) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for 'Community Service'

National BDPA annually selects and awards the BDPA Epsilon Award to recognize and celebrate key contributions and accomplishments of its members. The 'Community Service' award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated, by meaningful results, strong partnership and collaboration with entities in the communities they reside. One of the 2013 Epsilon Award winners in this category is Subrena Robinson, IT director with State Farm.


Subrena used her leadership skills to add structure to the BDPA Central Illinois chapter. Her efforts led directly to the chapter becoming a more effective organization. As a mentor to BDPA members, she willingly shared her knowledge ... particularly with those who were new to the IT industry.

Subrena played a lead role in the facilitation of a health, drug prevention and self-esteem enhancement program for girls aged 8-17. The program was designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that would enable early adolescent girls to reach their full potential

After the success of the girls program, she implemented a similar program for young boys. The program was aimed at boys aged 11-18 and helped them deal with many of the challenges they faced on a daily basis. Each young man was provided mentors from the community who served as positive role models.

Partnering with her Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Subrena established an annual scholarship program that provided scholarships to deserving students including a single parent pursuing a four year degree.

Community involvement includes:

• National African American Women’s Leadership Institute, Fellow * 2008;  Application committee * 2011
• Mount Moriah Christian Church,  Trustee * 2004-present
• Project Management Institute, Central Illinois Chapter, Monthly Meeting Facilitator * 2004-2009
• SMART Girls,  Program Leader * 2003-2011
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Soror * 2002-present
• Central Illinois Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Chapter, Committee Chair * 2001-present

Soul clap to Theonnie Shields, founder of our BDPA Central Illinois chapter, for submitting the 2013 Epsilon Award nomination for Subrena Robinson.

You can follow State Farm on Twitter: @StateFarm

Related articles

• Dr. Shaundra Daily (Clemson University) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award as 'Most Promising Technologist)
• Dr. Kyla McMullen (Clemson University) Wins BDPA Epsilon Award for 'Professional Achievement'
• BDPA Welcomes State Farm as Gold Level Corporate Sponsor
• Zack Garbow (Funeral Innovations) Wins 'Most Promising Technologist' Epsilon Award

This Week in BDPA (Feb 12-18)

BDPA is a strong offering of programs in 45 cities around the nation. Are you taking advantage of these programs? Here is a weekly preview of upcoming events gathered from the centralized BDPA calendar :

• Feb 14: BETF - Webinar, 'BDPA iRadio Show'
  
• Feb 15: Atlanta - , Webinar, 'Cloud Computing'
  
• Feb 15: Philadelphia - Program Meeting, 'Using Apple in Business'
  
• Feb 15: New Jersey - Webinar, 'Small Business Opportunities in a Down Market'
• Feb 16: Greater Columbia - Workshop, 'Cyber-Security'
• Feb 16: Detroit - Program Meeting, 'Is Google Doing Evil?'
  
• Feb 16: Cincinnati - Program Meeting, 'Road Map to Success: An Entrepreneur's Journey'
• Feb 17: Chicago, Program Meeting, 'I Have a Dream - A King's Journey'
• Feb 17: Baton Rouge - Program Meeting, 'The Keys to Success in School and in Life!'
• Feb 17, Central Illinois - Program Meeting, 'Join Us At the Planetarium'
• Feb 18: Cincinnati - SITES, 'Youth Technology Computer Camp: Week #7'
• Feb 18: National BDPA - Webinar, 'Career Triage'
• Feb 18: Philadelphia -Workshop, 'Earl Pace: The History of BDPA'
• Feb 18: New York - Workshops, 'Social Media, HSCC and Career Opportunities'
• Feb 18: Dallas - SITES, 'HSCC Kick-Off Meeting'

Please let us know of other BDPA events that we may have missed.

You can always find BDPA programs, services or networking activity online at places such as:

• BDPA Facebook Group
• BDPA Foundation Facebook Page
• BDPA LinkedIn Network Group.

BDPA supports your efforts for career advancement in the IT industry. Our hope is that you find reasons to provide tax-deductible support to our Causes, our HSCC Scholarship Funds or Your Causes!

We encourage all BDPA leaders to take advantage of the centralized BDPA Groupsite Calendar to post your upcoming events!

President Profile: Sandullah Epsicokhan (Central Illinois)

Sandullah Epsicokhan, President
BDPA Central Illinois Chapter

Address: P.O. Box 1806
Bloomington, IL 61702-1806

Phone: (309) 766-8807
Website: http://www.bdpa-cil.org/
Newsletter: None

Sandullah Epsicokhan was recently elected president of BDPA Central Illinois chapter.  He took office in January 2010. He came into office with a desire to overcome the challenges experienced by the chapter in the past couple of years. His leadership team seeks new and creative solutions from current and future chapter members. BDPA Central Illinois Chapter has a vibrant and talented core of individuals willing to take on these challenges.

IT Background – Sandullah entered computing technology at the age of fourteen when his math teacher took a group of students to high school computer programming classes at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Sandullah is currently a Technical Business Analyst in the Systems Department at State Farm’s corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. He has been employed at State Farm in various computer related areas for thirty-six years. He has also taught computer networking as an adjunct instructor at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, for over fifteen years. Additionally Sandullah has lectured at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University in the Bloomington/Normal area.

Professional Education – Sandullah earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Illinois Wesleyan in 1972. He earned an MBA from Illinois State in 1983. In 1988 Sandullah founded Epsico, a computer consulting and training company where he still serves as President. Sandullah is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), and was a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT).

Sandullah's vision for BDPA Central Illinois chapter – "We must remain highly motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic about our organization. As the Chapter goes through a time of change, our strategy must focus on membership growth, practical community engagement, and organizational professionalism".

Two favorite quotes

1. "There are some things in life that are best left unknown. Don’t be one of them!"
2. "To be! Not to be happens on its own."

Sandullah is a new leader in BDPA. Please take a moment to share some BDPA-Love with him in the COMMENTS section!

William Marcus King * Professional Achievement Epsilon Award

William Marcus King (State Farm Insurance) is the winner of the 2010 Epsilon Award for Professional Achievement presented by National BDPA and WorkplaceDiversity.com.

BDPA Epsilon Awards recognize individual achievement by technologists who are nominated by BDPA chapters or corporate sponsors.

Nominees for the Epsilon Professional Achievement Award Nominees are highly experienced professionals well who have made significant achievements in technology or information technology in industry or government. Their specific degree earned is less relevant than the significance of the work and the nominee’s achievements as a role model and leader for other minorities in the field.

William Marcus King was the Director sponsor of Innovative Challenge/Breaking Form Initiative at State Farm Insurance.  The Innovation Challenge/Breaking Form initiative encourages IT employees to develop and present ideas that can be quickly assessed for viability. Each IT employee has the opportunity to choose his own work schedule, benefits package and work environment from a series of options that range from the traditional to the innovative, with an emphasis on mobile and collaborative work environments

Mr. King also improved the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution delivery business within the Systems Department.  His leadership was a contributing factor to the increase in productivity of the Systems Department and reduced the solution delivery expenses of the department. William’s responsibilities included establishing the vision, strategy, and approach of this Initiative. Breaking Form facilitated improvements within the department, creating a strong foundation for the years ahead. During this assignment, William reported to the CIO of State Farm’s Systems Department.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) joins all of BDPA-Nation in congratulating William Marcus King on his 2010 Epsilon Award for Professional Achievement.  State Farm Insurance is one of the best places for IT professionals to work because of the innovation and character of people like William!

I look forward to meeting Bro. King at the 32nd annual National BDPA Technology Conference. How about you?

America's Techiest Cities

Hat-Tip to BDPA Philadelphia for pointing us to this ComputerWorld article. I imagine that it is easy to guess that the highest concentration of IT professionals in the U.S. is in Silicon Valley. But naming the No 2 spot isn't as easy, and the answer might surprise you.

The runner-up isn't a well-known tech center like Boston or Seattle; it's the Washington DC metro area.

"It kind of belies some of the perceptions of where the hiring is, where people work in this field," said John Challenger, president of Chicago-based outsourcing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. "[Many typically] think that most people in IT work in Silicon Valley, and they might add in Washington state, Seattle and maybe Austin," he said.

Data for 2006 from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey (ACS), released just last month, reveal what could be called a metropolitan area's "TQ" (technology quotient) -- how "techie" a region's overall workforce is, based on the number of self-reported computer professionals. And some of the results turn stereotypes upside down. (See the interactive national map, or query the database for a specific metro area.)

Roughly 6% of the D.C. metro area workforce is made up of "computer specialists," compared with 8.3% in Silicon Valley. The third-highest concentration of IT workers is in Raleigh/Cary, N.C., at 5.3% of the workforce, followed closely by Boulder, Colo., and Huntsville, Ala., each at 5.2%. The remainder of the top 10 technology worker areas is rounded out, in order, by Bloomington/Normal, Ill.; Trenton-Ewing, N.J.; Austin-Round Rock, Texas; Manchester-Nashua, N.H.; and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.

The Census Bureau data also shows that IT worker pay tends to reflect the percentage of techies in the workforce. The annual average salary for computer and information systems managers in Silicon Valley as of May 2006 was $139,460, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the D.C. metro area, that figure was $122,950. Around Raleigh, N.C., it was $102,880.



Click here for the full article

Did you see where your city ranks? You can use these figures to determine a membership goal in your chapter city. For example, there are 22, 000 IT workers in Cincinnati. Doesn't that mean that Cincinnati should have at least 2,200 African American IT workers to approach about membership?

Illinois Student Wins College IT Showcase

Delano Robinson, of Bloomington, Ill., recently earned 1st Place in the college division of the IT Showcase held in conjunction with the 29th annual National BDPA Technology Conference in Washington, DC. Robinson was the best of five college students that participated in division of the IT Showcase as determined by the judges. The BDPA IT Showcase was sponsored by IBM and Eli Lilly & Company. Elmer Corbin (IBM) and Tim Coleman (Eli Lilly) shared comments with the students during the award ceremony. [NOTE: Photo shows Delano Robinson (r) and Lorenzo Marshall]

College students presented topics such as: 'The Foundation for Exponential Progression', 'Robotics: Using the Synchronous Reactive Model of Computation' and 'An ISE Project: Design of New Lab Facilities'. Robinson's winning presentation entitled, 'Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System Benefits,' focused on increasing vehicle safety through computer technology. The event was Robinson’s first showcase of his IT skills in competition.

"Winning this event has been a major highlight of my student career and I am very grateful I had the opportunity to participate on a competitive level," said Robinson.

Currently a junior at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, Robinson is earning a double major in Information Technology Management and Business Management. His aspiration is to pursue a Masters degree in Information Technology. He is the son of Cathy Mason of Bloomington, IL.

The BDPA Central Illinois chapter is very proud of Robinson’s accomplishment. "Delano stepped up to the challenge, worked very hard and represented the Central Illinois chapter very well," said Lorenzo Marshall, immediate past president of the chapter. "He demonstrated his passion for Information Technology with a creative presentation that maximized his research skills."

BDPA advances the careers of African Americans in the Information Technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom with programs and services offered nationally and through 48 local chapters. BDPA encourages members to remain lifelong learners as the world of technology continues to change.

BDPA Central Illinois chapter is currently looking for other local students interested in Information Technology research that can be considered for entry into the national competition. Please contact Lorenzo Marshall on (309) 766-4268 for more information about BDPA Central Illinois chapter.