My name is Zion Emanuel and I am an incoming freshman at Penn State University majoring in information science and technology. Ever since my sophomore year in high school, BDPA has been an amazing part of my life as it showed me the joys of computer science and gave me the ability to spread the knowledge I gained to others.
2014 HSCC Champions from Washington DC
During my sophomore year in high school (2014), one of my classmates referred me to BDPA and I decided to join the Washington D.C. Chapter. I already had a little background in coding but I learned so much more about concepts like databases, java server pages, and styling. I made the competition team and we won first place in HSCC that year. During my junior year (2015), I helped new students in the Washington D.C. chapter learn how to code and the basics of programming. I made the competition team again in 2015 and 2016 and we placed second in HSCC.
BDPA has also influenced me outside of the Washington D.C. Chapter and HSCC. After my first year in BDPA I became so interested in the world of computer science that I began to research different programming languages to increase my arsenal. During my senior year in high school, I helped start a computer programming club at Prince Georges Community College where I helped teach college students the basics of coding.
BDPA has left a lasting impact on my life and will continue to influence me as I pursue a career as a software engineer in the future. Aside from my career, I also plan to increase the percentage of minorities in computer science. I want to spread the joy and excitement of coding and computer science to individuals who do not have the same opportunities as others. None of these achievements or goals would have been possible without the help of BDPA. I am very grateful for these opportunities and proud to be a member.