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Table of Contents

Two Byte Back

Programs Celebrate

Milestones

Student Success Story:

Christopher Caesar

Student Spotlight: Rahel

Yacob

Volunteer of the Month:

Bonnie Harris

Five Questions with an

Instructor: Cherise

Graves

Congress Debates

Technology and

Immigration Issues

Upcoming Events

Volunteer Opportunities

Byte Back’s Online Newsletter | September 2013

INFO - BITS

Two Byte Back Programs Celebrate Milestones

Continued

By: Eleanor Grewal, Director of Programs

As the summer came to

an end, so did two of

Byte Back’s newest and

most innovative pro-

grams.

August saw the culmina-

tion of weeks of hard

work by teen partici-

pants in DC Promise

Neighborhood Initiative’s

Digital Media Academy.

DCPNI is one of 57 neigh-

borhoods across the

United States selected by

the Department of Education to develop a strategy to ensure local children obtain a

quality education, graduate from college or vocational school, and grow up to have

successful careers and communities.

As part of the Digital Media Academy (DMA), these young adults participated in

HTML, web site design, and graphic design training from Byte Back, as well as learning

about media relations, videography, speechwriting, and other 21st century media

skills from some of the city’s leading media experts. They produced speeches, PSAs,

and a website as part of the media campaign they formulated to prevent teen preg-

nancy in DC.

After weeks of brainstorming and creating their campaign, the teens presented their

accomplishments to media correspondents and community stakeholders through a

multimedia presentation at Busboys and Poets. After one student gave a speech, two

video PSAs were played and Councilmember Yvette Alexander spoke to the crowd,

guests were encouraged to visit the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer’s Mobile

Media Unit, a mobile computer lab parked outside. Inside the Mobile Media Unit,

guests could visit the website the DMA students built in their Byte Back class, which

showcased much of the other work the students produced through the program.

Another new Byte Back program, Enterprise DC, ended this September. Enterprise DC

was created and implemented in partnership with the Washington Area Community

Investment Fund (WACIF) and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Com-

merce to help local residents develop new businesses. We celebrated the graduation

The audience watches the DCPNI students’ presentations.

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of the program participants after a year of developing

business skills and business plans. Since January 2013,

these budding entrepreneurs have participated in count-

less hours of training from WACIF and Byte Back. Through

WACIF, students learned to develop business plans, hone

marketing strategies based on their customer base, and

make financial projections. Through Byte Back, students

received business technology training in Microsoft Office,

QuickBooks, Graphic Design, Website Design, Microsoft

Access, and social media marketing and e-commerce.

Students who completed all their Byte Back courses re-

ceived refurbished computers and QuickBooks software

they can use to support their growing businesses. In the

final phases of the program, WACIF worked with the Great-

er Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Byte Back to match each student with a mentor who is a

business owner in the same industry.

On September 5, the Enterprise DC participants, partners, and mentors

invited financial consultants from Capital One and Revolution Ventures

to give expert feedback at our second Enterprise DC Pitch Night. The

event, which took place at the Department of Employment Services,

celebrated the culmination of months of creativity and collaboration

and showcased six of the most promising small businesses to come out

of the program. Anson Joyce presented his consulting firm, Diane Dal-

las showed off her baby bibs and blankets, Ugenia Johnson showcased

her knitwear, Vernon Pritchett spoke about his arts camp for children,

Donna Daniels presented her wedding planning services, and Phillip

Haughton spoke about his DJ business. The entrepreneurs pitched

their businesses to the investors and fielded difficult

questions about start-up costs and profit margins.

At the end of the night, WACIF presented certifi-

cates to each graduate.

The Enterprise DC entrepreneurs have made a lot of

progress with their business plans since January,

and even since the program’s first pitch night in

June. They have websites, Facebook pages, and

business cards, as well as solid business plans and a

strong community of support from their classmates.

Byte Back is very proud of the hours and hours of

hard work these entrepreneurs have put into their

businesses, and we can’t wait to see them flourish. Enterprise DC graduates with staff from Byte Back, WACIF and

Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Anson Joyce from International Strategic Services pitches to two bank representa-

tives.

Vernon, creator of Create Source Play, describes his company, which provides workshops for youth that

foster creative thinking skills.

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Continued

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By: Jessica Bates, Communications Associate

Christopher Caesar graduated from college during one of the worst economies in modern memory. Despite

having a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Howard University, he spent six months looking

unsuccessfully for a job. His sister, Tracey Allard, suggested that he would have more luck if he obtained IT

certifications and she recommended Byte Byte, a partner of her organization, Streetwise Partners.

Mr. Caesar followed his sister’s advice and enrolled in our PC Hardware class last winter with Instructor

Scott Ryan. As a lifelong “computer geek,” Mr. Caesar has always loved working with technology, and his

classes at Byte Back gave him the structure and guidance he needed to further develop his natural ability.

After successfully completing PC Hardware, Mr. Caesar enrolled in Byte Back’s A+ Certification Training Pro-

gram. While he was enrolled in the class, he also started an internship as a help desk technician in the IT

department of the Salvation Army. The class became a valuable resource for him to ask questions about

issues that arose during the internship. These discussions gave him more confidence in his knowledge and

abilities. After finishing the class, he passed the A+ Certification exam on his very first try.

Potential employers began taking him more seriously with his new certification. Six weeks ago, he started a

new job as a data deployment engineer in a contract position with Hewlett-Packard. “I would definitely say

the certification helped in the job search,” Mr. Caesar said. He’s enjoying his new job and looking forward

to being able to work remotely once his initial training and screening process has ended. He’s also consider-

ing more certifications in the future to help him further his career. In the meantime, he’s happy to recom-

mend Byte Back to anyone struggling to distinguish themselves in the job market.

Student Success Story: Christopher Caesar

By: Jessica Bates, Communications Associate

Rahel Yacob knew she wanted to take computer classes, but

she couldn’t find a school that worked for her. Many of the

classes she found were too expensive, others were too

crowded and chaotic. She wanted a classroom setting that

allowed her to focus on the material. Finally, a friend suggest-

ed that she try Byte Back and she enrolled in our accelerated

Office Track course. A year later, Ms. Yacob has passed five

more classes and is on track to complete our A+ Certification

training course. Her dedication and hard work earned her our

Student of the Year Golden Mouse Award this summer.

As soon as Ms. Yacob started her first Byte Back class, she

knew she’d finally found the right school.

“It was a focused class,” she said. “It had a good plan and I

knew what was expected and what we were there to learn. Each teacher has their own way of teaching,

and the teachers are exceptional.”

Ms. Yacob is an active student who is determined the get the most out of each class. If she is confused

Student Spotlight: Rahel Yacob

Rahel Yacob

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about something, she asks questions until she feels comfortable with the lesson. Outside of class, she keeps

up with her studies through a rigorous study schedule. Her dedication has impressed Byte Back staff and in-

structors, including Byte Back Registrar Francisco Vasquez. Mr. Vasquez, who nominated Ms. Yacob for this

year’s award, was especially impressed by her reaction last fall to the news that she had missed the deadline

to apply for the IC3 class. “She learned about IC3 too late to apply, but she didn’t give up. She bought an IC3

book and started studying it to prepare for the next class. That was the moment when I realized she was go-

ing to do whatever it took to be accepted into the class.”

Though Ms. Yacob has enjoyed all of the classes she’s taken this year, she’s never lost sight of her long-term

goal: finding a good job. “These classes are a stepping stone to getting employment,” she said. “When I go to

apply for jobs I know what is expected and I know what I need to do. I feel very confident now.”

Ultimately, she would like to get the experience she needs to open her own consulting firm. For now, she’s

happy to focus on preparing for her A+ examination. “When I ask anyone who works or teaches here a ques-

tion, they are more than willing to help me out. It’s a wonderful learning environment to be in.”

Congratulations to our Student of the Year!

By: Ashley Luttmer, Director of Volunteer Services

Since she started at Byte Back this June, Bonnie Harris has been a reliable

and valued member of the Byte Back volunteer team. She’s helped with

our summer graduation, coached students individually on their job search-

es at the Job Seekers Boot Camps, and served as an assistant teacher for PC

for Beginners 2 at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library in

the spring. Instructor Cherise Graves remembers, “She was thoughtful, pa-

tient, and the students adored her. It was an honor and pleasure to work

with Bonnie”.

Bonnie’s favorite Byte Back memory is of a day she taught the class at Ben-

ning by herself. On that day, the students were learning to cut and paste.

She remembers, “I introduced a quote from Oprah Winfrey's graduation

speech at Harvard. I was thinking the students would be really motivated

by the content. It turned out they weren't -- the quote included 183 words

and they had been practicing with about 2 sentences. They balked and really made me work a little harder.

I learned that there is a fine line between meeting the students where they are and pushing them to take it

to the next level.” Bonnie was happy to accept a lesson from her students. “In the end, it was amusing and

says that we all have something that we are fearful of,” Bonnie said. “We just have to keep going. In the

future I will stick to a few sentences!”

Bonnie’s warmth and patience make her an ideal Byte Back instructor. This fall, she’s teaching her own PC

for Beginners 1 class at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. As a longtime D.C. resident who lives in

the neighborhood, Bonnie personifies the volunteer spirit of giving back in one’s own community. As Bon-

nie says, “Ultimately, these relationships are what improve our communities.”

We are so glad to have Bonnie as a member of our Byte Back community!

Bonnie Harris

Volunteer of the Month: Bonnie Harris

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Five Questions with an Instructor: Cherise Graves

Interview by: Neil Rickard

Q: What has been your favorite moment as a Byte Back instructor?

A: My favorite moment is when a student learns something, mainly in PCB, and

they’re really enthusiastic and excited and they find ways to make use of that out-

side the classroom.

Q: What is your favorite lesson or concept to teach, and why?

A: I like teaching Excel, mainly because I did not use it much beforehand. Teaching

gave me some experience in it as well, and my students get very excited learning all

the shortcuts and things they can do in Excel.

Q: What do you like best about living in the D.C. area?

A: Use of public transportation. I like not needing a car.

Q: What do you most hope to convey to the students you work with?

A: That it’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to make mistakes, because they can always be fixed, and you can

always learn from them.

Q: James Bond or Indiana Jones?

A: That’s a tough one. I’m going to have to say Indy. With the exception of how much he hates snakes,

we’re a lot alike. I like the intellect, I like the archaeology, and I like the idea of going around and exploring

how he did, without the crazy people coming after me, obviously.

Cherise Graves

By: Jessica Bates

Immigration reform is one of the most important issues before today’s congress. One key part of the immi-

gration debate is new legislation that would make it easier for foreign workers with technology skills and for-

eign students graduating from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields within the

United States to obtain work visas.

Currently, there are strict limits on these visas, and many foreign-born graduates have a difficult time getting

permission to stay and work in the United States after their studies are completed. This legislation would

provide additional green cards to foreign students as well as dramatically increasing annual visas for non-

students.

The bill is strongly supported by the technology industry, which argues that the United States loses talented

workers each year due to antiquated immigration laws. According to the proponents of these reforms, al-

lowing these workers to compete for jobs will strengthen the industry and the economy overall. The increase

in domestic talent may also prevent these companies from moving their offices to countries with more high-

ly trained workers. Opponents fear that the new measures will make it more difficult for American graduates

to find jobs in these high-paying fields.

Whatever the outcome, these are likely to be continuing issues in our increasingly global economy.

Congress Debates Technology and Immigration Issues

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Tours of Byte Back — Would you like a guided tour of Byte Back? For more information and to arrange a

tour, please contact Development Associate Lydia Vanderbilt at lvanderbilt@byteback.org or by calling (202)

Upcoming Events

"Volunteering is the most effective means to give back to your community and to continue to develop the human spirit."

- Ted Frazier, volunteer instructor

If you're interested in volunteering with Byte Back, please contact Ashley Luttmer, Byte Back’s director of

volunteer services, at aluttmer@byteback.org or (202) 529-3395.

Volunteer Opportunities

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SEPTEMBER 2013 INFO-BITS

About Byte Back

Founded in 1997, Byte Back seeks to improve economic opportunity in the Washington, D.C. area by provid-

ing computer literacy and job training for disadvantaged communities. Byte Back offers courses ranging from

basic computer literacy to Microsoft Office to internationally recognized computer certification prepara-

tion. Byte Back is licensed by the DC Educational Licensure Commission as a postsecondary educational insti-

tution.