University of Phoenix Offers Full-Time Scholarships in Cybersecurity

University of Phoenix is pleased to collaborate with the (ISC)2 Charitable and Educational Foundation “(ISC)2” to offer a scholarship program. The (ISC)² Foundation’s mission is devoted to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone by supporting cyber security education and awareness in the community.

Scholarship Amount: nine (9) full-tuition scholarships

Eligible Degrees: Each scholarship will allow a prospective student the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree program at University of Phoenix. Recipients may choose to attend a University of Phoenix on-ground campus or may attend University of Phoenix online.

In addition, (ISC)2 will provide recipients with a voucher to take either the SSCP or CISSP certification exam within one year of graduation. The exam voucher will be provided to the awarded upon proof of graduation in an area of study with an emphasis on cybersecurity and/or information assurance.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Applicants must be currently employed or looking to work in the information assurance or cyber security field.
2. Applicants must agree to take the SSCP or CISSP certification exam within one year of graduation. The exam voucher will be provided to the awarded upon proof of graduation in an area of study with an emphasis on cybersecurity and/or information assurance.
3. Applicants must not be currently enrolled nor in the process of enrolling at any University of Phoenix campus or in any online program at any time prior to the scholarship award date.
4. Applicants must meet all admissions requirements of University of Phoenix.
5. Applicants must not be an employee or family member (spouse, dependent child or domestic partner) of an employee of Apollo Education Group, Inc., University of Phoenix, Western International University, Institute for Professional Development or any other subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc.

Open Application: March 25, 2014
Application deadline: June 3, 2014
Scholarship award date: August 13, 2014

To get an application, and for additional eligibility
requirements, visit phoenix.edu/isc2scholar.

Related articles

• Top Scholarships for Aspiring IT Security Professionals
• University of Phoenix and the (ISC)2 Foundation Offer Nine Full-tuition Cybersecurity Scholarships

College Scholarships from Jay-Z and Mom

The Shawn Carter Foundation has announced that they are now accepting applications for their 2014 scholarship program. The foundation, established by rapper Jay-Z and his mom Gloria Carter, aims to enhance the lives of young people.

The foundation is unique because it offers scholarships to single mothers, children who attend alternative schools, students who have earned only a GED, students with grade point averages of 2.0, and students who have previously been incarcerated, etc. The students, however, must demonstrate a strong desire to pursue higher education.

The program provides individual grants ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 to every student who qualifies and re-applies each year, from admission to graduation. The scholarship grant can be used to pay for tuition, books, lab fees, travel and certain costs of living.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

Related articles

• Apply For Jay Z's Shawn Carter Foundation Scholarship

Jack and Jill of America Foundation’s National Scholarship Program

The Jack and Jill of America Foundation is committed to the ongoing positive development of African American youth and the development of future leaders. In addition, the foundation provides personal, professional and financial support to children in the areas of leadership skills training and development.

They are engaged in education, mentoring, health & wellness, early childhood and economic development programs. The foundation promotes the preparation of succeeding generations of children as leaders so they may attain the fullest potential as individuals, enjoy rewarding and fulfilling lives and contribute to world peace and prosperity. The key to fulfilling this vision is through education.

The Jack and Jill of America Foundation’s National Scholarship Program is available to high school seniors who will become and maintain full-time status at an accredited, four year post secondary institution beginning in the fall of the year working toward a bachelor’s degree. Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements and deadlines to qualify.

Scholarship awards can be applied toward tuition and room & board ranging from $1,500 to $ 2,500, and the deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

For more details or to apply, visit:
www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/04/jack-and-jill-foundation-scholarship.html

Related articles

• Jeannette Rankin Fund (JRF) Scholarships for Women in USA
• Apply for scholarship awards at Jack Kent Cooke foundation.
• Coca-Cola/ Steve Harvey Scholarship Program
• Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship

Coca-Cola/ Steve Harvey Scholarship Program

Comedian/ TV personality Steve Harvey and his wife, via their Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, have partnered with Coca-Cola to create the Coca-Cola "Pay It Forward" Scholarship Program. Students can compete for the opportunity to win an apprenticeship experience with Steve Harvey, and a $5,000 educational scholarship. Runner-up winners will receive a $1,000 gift card.

The apprenticeship will include the opportunity to participate in the Steve Harvey Mentoring Program, including working with members of his team and learning what it takes to run the Steve Harvey Morning Show and Family Feud. They also will have the opportunity to meet and be mentored by Steve Harvey himself.

To apply, applicants can either nominate themselves or someone else. They have to complete a short application, and write an essay submission. The essay must not exceed 100 words in length (each question is limited to 50 words); and must be 100% true and original. In addition, all applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 21.

The program is just one of many offered by The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which provides outreach to fatherless children and young adults, by promoting educational enrichment, one-on-one mentoring and global service initiatives that will cultivate the next generation of responsible leaders.

Related articles

• Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Partners w/ Coca-Cola to Offer Exclusive Apprenticeships (Nominations Deadline, March 15)

Gates Millennium Scholars Program

Every year, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program selects 1,000 talented minority students to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. The program provides scholars with personal and professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career.

Administered by the United Negro College Fund, the program was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since 1999, it has funded the education of more than 16,000 students, awarding them more than $614 million dollars to pay for tuition, fees, books and housing.

The program aims to reduce financial barriers for African American and other students of color with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need; increase the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented; develop a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; and provide seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.

The deadline for submission is January 15, 2014.

Click here to learn more about the 2014 Gates Millennium Scholars program.

Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship

The Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship Program is designed to help cultivate minority students for potential recruitment in the field of technology. The scholarship amount award depends on the student's tuition balance, academic excellence and classification.

Applicants must be academic high-achievers with a GPA average of 3.0 or better and must be US citizens or visa-holding Permanent Residents of African American, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, Native Alaskan, or Hispanic descent. The scholarship is not available to spouses and children of Xerox employees.

Applicants must also be enrolled as a full time undergraduate or graduate student in any of the following technical fields: Chemistry, Computing & Software Systems, Information Management, Material Science, Printing Management Science, Laser Optics, Physics, Material Science, and all forms of Engineering - including Software Engineering.

The deadline for this scholarship is usually in SEPTEMBER of each year, and the award amount is usually $1,000 - $10,000.

For more details, visit www.xerox.com/jobs/minority-scholarships/enus.html

BDPA and Eli Lilly Offer $2,500 Scholarship to Minority Students

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is proud to open up the application period for any graduating high school student or current college student interested in the 7th Annual Eli Lilly and Company Scholarship for BDPA Students!

The purpose of the Lilly/BDPA Scholarship is to recognize outstanding minority students, with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential, and make an impact on their communities through service to others.

Lilly/BDPA Scholars will be awarded a one-time $2,500 scholarship that may be used to pursue an information technology focused degree at an accredited four-year college or university of their choice. The Lilly/BDPA Scholarship may be used to supplement benefits from the college or university a student plans to attend and fellowships from other foundations or organizations. Students may use the scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other college-related expenses.

Scholarship winners will be selected based on the application, essay, and letters of recommendation.

To be eligible for Lilly/BDPA Scholarship, each applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be a member of BDPA
• Be a graduating high school senior or current college student in good standing at the time of their application.
• Demonstrate academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.0)
• Exhibit leadership ability through academic or civic involvement and participate in community service activities

Complete application packet must include the following:

1. Application Form
2. Current transcript
3. 500-word essay on “Why Information Technology is Important”
4. Two letters of recommendation

Click here to download application!

Scholarships will be awarded only to students who fully meet the scholarship requirements. All application materials must be RECEIVED on or before July 1, 2013 in order to be eligible. Incomplete, e-mailed or faxed applications will not be considered!

We will announce the Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners during the 2013 National BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA.   We are very proud of our past Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners:

1. 2007, Daniel Puente (University of Texas)
2. 2007, Christian West (Northwestern University)
3. 2008, Khalia Braswell (North Carolina State University)
4. 2008, Lee Reed (University of Michigan)
5. 2009, Hung Vo (Georgia Institute of Technology)
6. 2009, Carrine Johnson (Palos Verdes Peninsula High School)
7. 2010, Leslie Vasquez (Pike High School)
8. 2010, Gerardo Dominguez (Chicago State University)
9. 2011, Jala Cruz (North Central High School)
10. 2011, Adwait Walimbe (John Marshall High School)
11. 2012, Allen Warner (Valdosta State University)

Do you know any high school or college kids looking to study in a technology-based field during college? Can they use a $2,500 scholarship? If so, you need to share this information with them right away!

Any questions?

Dream Big Scholarship - Deadline: April 9, 2013

Do you know any 'villagers' who work in the retail industry? If so, you should let them know that the National Retail Federation and the University of Phoenix are offering 10 full-tuition scholarships for those working in RETAIL. Only first 1,000 applications will be accepted.

Due Date: April 9, 2013 - or until that 1,000 is hit.

To learn more and apply: http://www.apollogrp.edu/dreambig

Scholarship America

Scholarship America® is a national organization that helps students get into and graduate from college through three core programs: Dollars for Scholars®, DreamkeepersSM®, and Scholarship Management Services®. More than $2.7 billion in scholarships and education assistance has been awarded to more than 1.8 million students since 1958. Their scholarship administration expertise has helped nearly 1,100 communities and more than 1,100 corporations develop and implement scholarship programs for local students.

Got a question? E-mail them or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Buick Achievers Scholarship Program (Deadline: 2/28/2013)

Soulclap to Dr. Craig Brown for sharing this information about the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program. I encourage all villagers to ask themselves a simple question:

ARE YOU THE NEXT BUICK ACHIEVER?

It starts with good grades. But goes beyond. A dedicated student. A leader in school. A volunteer worker. A college-bound and community-minded individual. The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program wants to reward students who have succeeded both inside and outside of the classroom—and who may not be able to attend college without financial assistance.

REWARDING ACHIEVEMENT, EXPERIENCE & COMMITMENT Scholarship recipients are selected based on the following factors:

• Academic achievement and financial need.  
• Participation and leadership in community and school activities.
• Work experience.
•  Interest in pursuing a career in the automotive or related industry.

Please note special consideration will be given to the following applicants: first-generation college, female, minority, military veteran or a dependent of military personnel. The majority of the scholarships will be awarded to students majoring in Engineering/Technology fields. Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship Management Services.

Full Details and Application

Road Scholar: Asa Grant Hilliard III Scholarship

Soulclap to The Black Star Project for pointing us to the Asa Grant Hilliard III Award for Lifelong Learning.

Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard III (1933-2007) was a noted educator, historian, psychologist, teacher of African history and a lifelong learner and traveler.  A graduate of the University of Denver, Asa Grant Hilliard III joined the faculty at San Francisco State University and later became a consultant to the Peace Corps in West Africa, where he served as the superintendent of schools in Monrovia, Liberia. Upon returning to San Francisco State University, Dr. Hilliard was appointed department chair and Dean of Education.

Dr. Hilliard spent more than 30 years leading study groups to Egypt and Ghana as part of his mission of teaching the truth about the history of Africa and the African diaspora.

At the time of his death, Dr. Hilliard was the Fuller E. Calloway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, where he held joint appointments in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Patsy Jo Hilliard, former mayor of East Point, Georgia, with whom he had four children and seven grandchildren.

I encourage villagers to apply for the Asa Grant Hilliard III Award for Lifelong Learning.

Gates Millennium Scholarship Program

The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program will select 1,000 talented students next year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice.  The deadline for submitting an application is January 11, 2012.

Scholars will also be provided with personal and professional development through their leadership programs, along with academic support throughout their college career.

The program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established to provide outstanding low income minority students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. To date, the program has given scholarships to more than 15,000 students.

Continuing scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program in one of the following discipline areas: education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

Good News Tuesday: Titus Thomas, The Future Face of Technology

Titus Thomas

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has given out over 85 Jesse Bemley Scholarships valued at $154,000 since 1999 to talented high school students with a passion for science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) education. We are proud of all of these young men and women.  

Titus Thomas is our next Bemley Scholar.

He is a 3-time participant in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships as a member of two chapters (Northern Virginia and Washington DC).  Titus will use his Bemley Scholarship to defray expenses for attending Bowie State University. He shared his thoughts on BDPA with us:

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My name is Titus Thomas and I am a freshman in college. I grew up in Washington D.C. In comparison to others, my life has somewhat been a bed of roses. I have two strict but loving parents, who teach me, care for me and feed me, not just to make me happy, but also to keep me healthy. I grew up with an older brother and an older and younger sister. Because of my parents I am the smart, creative and helpful person I am today. They taught me the difference between right and wrong.

For hobbies I developed the natural desire to play video-games but there was another game that I took interest in that other kids did not, Chess. At times my dad would take me after school to visit my mom at her job. There, I met the man who I have always known as “Mr. Bradley.” He taught me the basics. I used what he taught me to challenge my older brother in a series of chess games, where I was unsuccessful but I did not let that stop me. During middle school, I joined the chess club, where I furthered my skills until I realized that I was the best player in the school.

I attended one of the best schools in Washington D.C. with a clean academic history. I became one of the best chess players in the city at my age and was in the International Baccalaureate program. My dreams have been centered on being a technologist, mechanic, or aerospace engineer, but now I have decided to do something that I always have loved - a computer scientist. Like chess, I have always been a good “techie.” Around school I help teachers with their computer if it is acting up and help my parents and friends do certain things in Microsoft Word. I did not truly understand my passion for computers and technology until I joined the BDPA program where students compete internationally by creating websites using computer coding languages such as Hypertext Markup Language, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript. Our team placed in fourth in 2008 and third in 2009 and second place in 2010.

Looking back I can say the HSCC program is the reason for where I am and who I am today. I began participating in my first year of high school where I basically sat in each class and goofed off with my friends. Our HSCC coordinator, Mr. Lou Shack, saw that I had much more potential and would always treat me like I would do something great with my life, which I had a bigger purpose than to just, sit around all day doing nothing. So I got my act together next year and placed fourth in the 2008 National HSCC championship with my team.

Each national competition had new surprises and people to meet. From military leaders to the vice president of Wal-Mart, the networking never ended! The four years have gone by very quickly and now that I am in college the HSCC group continues to help guide me. Nothing but good has come from participating to the HSCC program and I would recommend it to any high school student who is interested in using computers.

And now in college I expect to learn as much as I can about computers as well as make good grades so that when I graduate from college, with my bachelors or masters in Computer Science, I can find a good job doing what I love. I also want to be able to return to the HSCC group that helped me get into college and help them in teaching their computer class.

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BETF is very proud of Titus. We hope that you are proud of him as well. You can help us provide scholarships to many more if you have inclination to do so. We need your financial support if we hope to continue handing out these Bemley Scholarships in the future.

In the meantime, we hope you will REPLY or COMMENT on this post with your thoughts about this testimonial from Titus.  Share some BDPA-love with this young man!

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This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. We need to tell the positive and upbeat information about OURstory. We can't depend on others to do it for us. Please pass along any Good News story that comes your way. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to join our Good News parade every Tuesday.

Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Seeks Applications for $5,000 College Scholarship

It’s our pleasure to announce the availability of the Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) scholarship for the 2011/12 academic year.  

This year, BAM will award two $5,000 scholarships to outstanding high-school seniors, who are interested in pursuing careers in technology. The scholarships are renewable, so winners who continue to meet the criteria can receive an annual $5,000 award for up to four years.  We encourage you to please share this opportunity with your network.

Scholarship Details

• Support Period - Academic Year 2011 - 2012
• Application Due - 05/01/2011
• Anticipated Award Notification - 05/31/2011
• Awards - 2 scholarships will be awarded ($5,000 per person)
• Application Method - Apply electronically via the Washington Scholarship Coaltion
• Renewable - Yes. This scholarship is renewable for up to a total of 4 years, provided the student continues to meet the scholarship criteria of a 3.3 GPA each year.

 Eligibility Requirements

• High School Senior
•  Situations Funded - Support for Tuition, Support for Mandatory Fees, Support for Room and Board
•  School Types - Private 4-year University or College, Public 4-year University or College, Public 2-year Community / Technical College
• Academic Programs - Undergraduate
•  Enrollment Status - Full-time
•  Ethnicity - Black or African American
• Field of Study - Business, Computer Science/Information Technology, Science & Engineering
• Career - Business, Computer Science/Information Technology, Engineering
• GPA - 3.300 or Greater

Application Details

Financial Requirements

• Must demonstrate financial need, Number of family members in household, Number of family dependents attending college, Family income

Instructions & Questions

• Briefly, explain how you have demonstrated a passion for technology.
• Briefly, explain how you have demonstrated leadership either at school or in the community.
• In no more than 500 words, describe how you plan to engage in the technology industry in your future career.
• In no more than 250 words, explain why you need this scholarship.
• Please include two reference letters with your application. These letters should be from people who know you through your academic or employment experience or your community leadership and participation. (Do not include relatives as references.)
• Please submit an unofficial transcript with your online application. Winning students will be required to submit an official transcript.

Donor Organization

Founded in 1989, Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) is a company-sponsored diversity organization dedicated to supporting the continued growth and development of African-American employees of Microsoft Corporation.  More than 500 Microsoft employees are members of BAM.

Scholarship Administrator

The Seattle Foundation

1200 5th Ave. Suite 1300
Seattle, WA 98101-3151

206-515-2115

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This is a wonderful opportunity for any villager with a high school senior in the house, neighborhood or community.   How cool would it be for one of our villagers to win this $5,000 scholarship from Microsoft?!

Good News Tuesday: Melvin Givens Earns BDPA/Oracle Scholarship

BDPA recently announced that 11 students from around the nation were BDPA/Oracle Scholarship winners this year. Melvin Givens, a BDPA Baton Rouge student member, is one of those scholarship winners.

Melvin Givens

Melvin is an active participant in the BDPA Baton Rouge computer training class. In fact, during the summer of 2010, he became one of the youngest people in the state of Louisiana to to earn his A+ Certification as a Computer Technician.

Melvin began on his list of impressive achievements at a young age. He began playing soccer at age 7, and continues to do so. At age 8, he won the state wrestling championship. He received multiple football awards during his school football career, which began in 2nd grade and continued until he opted to retire after his junior year to focus more on academics.

Melvin has been quite busy academically, as well. In the 8th grade, he was presented the Student of the Year award at Crestworth Middle School in Baton Rouge. He is a member of the National Honor Society, has been presented the Most Outstanding Award in Algebra II, the Most Outstanding Award in Advanced Math I, an Engineering Award, and maintains a 4.3 GPA. Earlier this year, he earned the honor of 'valedictorian' of his senior class at Scotlandville Magnet High School.

While keeping busy with sports and academics, Melvin has not neglected his community. He is a member of the Team Spirit at school, a group whose goal is to assist in the prevention of underage drinking, the use of drugs, impaired driving, and violence on campus. He is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Explorer, which allows him to assist paramedics in providing medical services, and volunteered at the Helouin Veterinarian Clinic during the summer of 2010.

Melvin does currently have unfinished business. In addition to facing graduation and a valedictorian speech, Melvin has been recommended for Louisiana State University’s La-STEM Research Scholars Program. The purpose of this program is to examine those factors which contribute to the success of high ability students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas. He is currently awaiting news of his acceptance.

And, finally (for now), Melvin is a member of Scotlandville Magnet High School’s Moon Buggy Team. The team created a two-member vehicle to be used in NASA’s moon buggy competition. This is a competition in which high school and college students across the country build two-man vehicles to use on an obstacle course provided by NASA that is supposed to simulate the moon. The main point of the competition is to see which team can complete the course the fastest. High school and college participants are separated into two categories and each vehicle must be operated by a male and female. He leaves for NASA on March 30, 2011 with his team for this, his second, competition. We wish them luck!

As you can see, Melvin keeps busy and excels at all he does. It is the belief of BDPA Baton Rouge chapter that he is very deserving of this $5000 BDPA/Oracle scholarship. Melvin, though his plate is full, is a very committed member of BDPA. He attended last year’s BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, and is making plans to go to Chicago this year. Melvin is one of BDPA’s bright and shining stars, and we are very proud of him!

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NOTE: You can help us raise college scholarship money for Melvin and other students in our BDPA Baton Rouge chapter by clicking here -- http://www.crowdrise.com/BDPABatonRouge!

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This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. We need to tell the positive and upbeat information about OURstory. We can't depend on others to do it for us. Please pass along any Good News story that comes your way. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to join our Good News parade every Tuesday.

Good News Tuesday: Nana Yaa Kwansa - Future Face of Technology

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is wrote a check worth more than $10,000 from the Bemley Scholarship Fund for the first time in its 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 the BDPA 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 your thoughts 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!

Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart Will Keynote 2010 BDPA New York Scholarship Awards Dinner

Melodie Mayberry-Stewart is the chief information officer for the state of New York. She was recently named one of the Top 50 African Americans in Technology. I'm looking forward to meeting her on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 in Brooklyn NY. I will be the master of ceremonies at the BDPA New York Chapter Scholarship & Awards Dinner. Ms. Mayberry-Stewart will be the keynote speaker.

The purpose of the dinner is to recognize the outstanding contributions of BDPA New York chapter’s community supporters and corporate sponsors as well as award college scholarships to our students, who are members of the BDPA Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program affords students the opportunity to get hands-on computer and web development training, exposure to various careers in Information Technology and develop professional and interpersonal skills (i.e. business etiquette skills, resume writing and team building). This program is designed to develop the next generation of IT Professionals, and encourage African American youth to explore careers in such traditionally underrepresented fields as Computer Science and Information Technology.

Another highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the winners of the Roger Dunn Memorial Scholarship and the Renee McClure Scholarship Awards. These awards go to BDPA SITES students who have demonstrated strong excellent leaderships skills. BETF helped to fund both of these awards in the past.

I hope that you will consider supporting this annual event with your presence in person or via an advertisement in the program guide. Those of you that are unable to find a business-related reason to support the chapter can do so with a tax-deductible donation to the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation.

BDPA Foundation and Eli Lilly Scholarship Offer $2,500 Scholarships for High School Senior and Current College Student

The BDPA Education and Technology Foundation is proud to open up the application period for any graduating high school student or current college student interested in the 2010 Eli Lilly and Company Scholarship for BDPA Students!

The purpose of the Lilly/BDPA Scholarship is to recognize outstanding minority students, with an interest in information technology, who make significant contributions to society. Applicants must excel academically, show exceptional leadership potential, and make an impact on their communities through service to others.

Lilly/BDPA Scholars will be awarded a one-time $2,500 scholarship that may be used to pursue an information technology focused degree at an accredited four-year college or university of their choice. The Lilly/BDPA Scholarship may be used to supplement benefits from the college or university a student plans to attend and fellowships from other foundations or organizations. Students may use the scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other college-related expenses.

Scholarship winners will be selected based on the application, essay, and letters of recommendation.

To be eligible for Lilly/BDPA Scholarship, each applicant must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be a graduating high school senior or current college student in good standing at the time of their application.
• Demonstrate academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.0)
• Exhibit leadership ability through academic or civic involvement and participate in community service activities

Complete application packet must include the following:

1. Application Form
2. Current transcript
3. 500-word essay on “Why Information Technology is Important”
4. Two letters of recommendation

Click here to download application!

Scholarships will be awarded only to students who fully meet the scholarship requirements. All application materials must be RECEIVED on or before July 9, 2010 in order to be eligible. Incomplete, e-mailed or faxed applications will not be considered!

We will announce the Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners during the 2010 National BDPA Technology Conference in Philadelphia, PA.   We are very proud of our past Lilly/BDPA scholarship winners:

1. 2007, Daniel Puente (University of Texas)
2. 2007, Christian West (Northwestern University)
3. 2008, Khalia Braswell (North Carolina State University)
4. 2008, Lee Reed (University of Michigan)
5. 2009, Hung Vo (Georgia Institute of Technology)
6. 2009, Carrine Johnson (Palos Verdes Peninsula High School)

Do you know any high school or college kids looking to study in a technology-based field during college? Can they use a $2,500 scholarship? If so, you need to share this information with them right away!

Any questions?

Good News Tuesday: Dennis Christian and Lyndon Bolden Win IT Merit Award Scholarships

To help more African Americans enter the information technology (IT) workforce, the CompTIA Educational Foundation provided 239 African Americans with free IT training and certification last year, and another 19 received merit award scholarships to help them further their educational goals.

African Americans are finding new tech career success, although they are still somewhat under-represented in the IT workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2008 calculated that approximately 574,000 African Americans worked in IT and related fields. African Americans make up roughly 12.5 percent of the entire U.S. population, compared to only 8.6 percent of the IT workforce.

To help diversify the IT workforce, the Foundation’s Creating Futures program provides training and certification opportunities to U.S. veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, minorities, at-risk youth and dislocated workers. The program works with employers to identify their hiring needs, then tailors its training to help individuals obtain the skills employers require. The Foundation’s IT Merit Awards Scholarships recognize outstanding accomplishments by students and adult learners in both the CompTIA Education to Careers (E2C) and CompTIA Learning Alliance (CLA) programs who have trained for and received CompTIA certification.

Two recent African American merit award winners came from the Barbara Jordan High School (BJHS) in Houston, Texas, a magnet school that makes it possible for students to earn a high school diploma while acquiring career and technical skills in their chosen career. Recognized by receiving the National High Schools that Work Gold award, it was one of only ten recipients to receive the award in 2009.

BJHS Seniors Dennis Christian and Lyndon Bolden passed their CompTIA A+ certification tests last fall and already have been accepted into Texas’ top universities. Dennis will attend Texas A&M University in the fall and plans on majoring in telecommunications. Interested in computers since he was young, he will travel and volunteer with the YMCA this summer before starting college.

Lyndon will attend the University of Texas to major in management information systems. He will move into college in early July with hopes of gaining a student job within the computer maintenance department on campus. Lyndon starting off his high school career focusing on football and athletics, but a knee injury refocused him on an IT career in his junior year.

BJHS combines hands-on study with online curriculum. The school works with HP and the Houston Community College System (HCCS), but needs more local business support.

Kevin McDonald, an instructor in the program, comments, “Our students need to see where the job opportunities are and what those jobs are like, so that the students can see themselves in those roles. We need more local companies to allow field trips to their offices and job shadowing.”

“Our industry can only grow stronger with more diversification and more qualified technicians,” said John Venator, president and CEO of the CompTIA Educational Foundation. “IT jobs are available, but we lack enough qualified workers to fill them. With programs like Creating Futures and the IT Merit Awards, we help more individuals launch a career in IT. However we need more companies and training organizations to step up. Dennis and Lyndon exemplify the type of bright students our industry wants. Let’s work together to help even more people join our industry.”

Scholarships Available for Blogging While Brown Conference

Villagers are encouraged to apply for scholarships that would cover full registration for the 2nd annual Blogging While Brown Conference.

Those who do not currently blog are encouraged to apply as the scholarship also covers the cost of registration for the pre-conference boot camp. Pass it along to your network, activists, parents, entrepreneurs and anyone else that would benefit from mastering original digital content creation (Gina's new word).

This is a great opportunity. I hope to see many villagers in attendance!