Bemley Scholar Daniel Rothchild Heads to Ivory Towers of Harvard University

Daniel Rothchild

BDPA Detroit chapter has a proud legacy of building leaders and outstanding information technology talent through its annual participation in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships.

One of the very special young people who went through the BDPA Detroit chapter Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program for three years is Daniel Rothchild. Daniel earned Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship funding of $4,000 for his high-performance in the HSCC championships during 2009, 2010 and 2011. He plans to use that funding to help defray the costs of attending Harvard University!

Daniel has lived for most of his life in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He trained with BDPA Detroit chapter for three years and was a key member of HSCC teams that placed in 2nd place (2009, 2011) and 4th place (2010) on a national level. He graduated from high school in 2013 and is considering a degree in a computer-related field when he attends Harvard University.

Daniel was a guest on the BDPA iRadio Show in the past.  We asked Daniel to once again share his thoughts about BDPA. Here is what he had to say:

---

"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.

---

Daniel is the first BDPA student to use his Bemley Scholarship for attendance at Harvard University. I look forward to watching this young man as he progresses through his college and professional career. I hope that he is able to connect with our BDPA Boston chapter over the next four years that he is in Massachusetts!

Bemley Scholar Desmond Jones Seeks Computer Engineering Degree from Indiana Institute of Technology

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) seeks to fully fund our Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund. These college scholarships are making a difference in our efforts to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry 'from the classroom to the boardroom'.

BETF is proud to announce that a Bemley Scholarship has been awarded to Desmond Jones in support of his continued education at the Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, IN. Desmond is working towards a Computer Engineering degree. Desmond is the 'future face of technology' and he was kind enough to share his BDPA remembrances with us.

---

Desmond Jones

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.

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.

---

BETF is very proud of Desmond.  He was recently named 'Member of the Year' by the NSBE chapter on his college chapter ... and he took over last month as the NSBE chapter president on his campus.

BETF plans to give out college scholarships later this year to another 25 students with the help of Creating IT Futures Foundation and others who value the STEM-related training that BDPA provides to these young people. We could use your help ... won't you consider making a secure online donation to support the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund?

BDPA HSCC Alum Raven Stevenson Becomes a Naval Officer

This BDPA Education and Technology Foundation blog first introduced Raven Stevenson back in 2009. She was a member of the High School Computer Competition team trained by BDPA Greater Columbia chapter to compete in the 2009 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship. During that week Raven met with representatives from the US Navy ... and on the final night of the 2009 National BDPA Technology Conference, Raven accepted a full ride scholarship to Duke University using a Navy ROTC scholarship. Raven shared her story with us on the BDPA iRadio Show back in December 2011.

Fast forward to 2013. Midshipman Stevenson is a Neuroscience major and plans to attend medical school after completing the Navy's Basic Division Officer's Course and the Advanced Ship Handling and Tactics course required for Surface Warfare Officer qualifications. Midshipman First Class Stevenson will join her Navy and Marine Corps shipmates later this month during a formal Naval Officer Commissioning Ceremony for at the Duke University Chapel.

BDPA Triangle chapter will host a reception to honor Raven and her family on Friday, May 10, 2013.  Contact BDPA South Region director Teresa Williams (teresa.williams@bdpa.org) or BDPA Triangle chapter president Carl Hill (carl.hill@gtscloud.com) if you are interested in attending the BDPA reception.

If you are unable to attend in person, then perhaps you can help us provide college scholarships to the next generation of young people coming from Raven's home chapter in South Carolina. Visit the BDPA Greater Columbia HSCC Scholarship Fund and do what you think is best!

Bemley Scholar Christina Miller Heads to Creighton University

Christina Miller is a remarkable young woman who represented BDPA St. Louis chapter in 2009-2010 and 2012 as a member of their High School Computer Competition team. The BDPA St. Louis chapter earned a fifth place finish in the 2010 National BDPA HSCC Championship and improved to bring home the silver medal for a second place finish in the 2012 National BDPA HSCC Championship. As a result she earned the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship in both years ... and will be using that scholarship money to attend Creighton University in the fall.

We asked Christina to reflect on her BDPA experiences. Here is what she had to say:

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 St. Louis HSCC Team (2012) - Silver Medal Winners

BDPA's High School Computer Competition is something I will always remember and be extremely grateful for the experience.