Blacks In Government Awards Student Computer Wizards At D.C. Conference

Jet, Feb 15, 1999

High school students were recently awarded prizes in nationwide computer competition at Blacks in Government's (BIG) 20th annual national training conference in Washington, D.C.

Winners received scholarships and awards for producing multimedia presentations as Internet web sites.

First-place winner in the 10th-12th grade category was Jeffrey Crump, a 10th-grader from Carver High School in Houston, TX. The second-place winner was Anthony Prince, a 12th-grader from Sidney Lanier High School, Montgomery, AL, and the third-place winner was Curtis Daniels, an 11th-grader from Transit Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY. The 9th-grade category's first-place winner was Cecillio O. Tapia of Prattville High School, Prattville, AL.

Christen Simpkins Jr., project officer/national chairman of Blacks In Government, Computer Information Superhighway Competition, said, "This type of competition brings out the best in young people--where they get a chance to show what they can really do."

He thanked Oscar Eason, Jr., former president of BIG, Gerald R. Reed, president-elect of BIG, Dr. Doris Sartor, chairman of programs and planning of BIG, and Rev. Charles Buchannon and The Showers of Blessings C.O.G.I.C. in Mobile, AL, for their encouragement and support.

"This competition would not have been a success without them," Simpkins said.

Co-sponsors of the event included Lotus Development Corp., Netscape Corp., Frank T. Davis Associates and Equal Employment Opportunity Management Systems.

BIG is a national organization of government employees from local, state and federal agencies.