Recent Scarborough HS graduate returns to classroom as an IT contractor
In this week’s I Am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other members of Team HISD, Scarborough High School graduate Brandon Bonilla talks about how he landed an internship with an IT company his senior year, which industry certification he is grateful to have earned before graduation, and what it’s like being back in the classroom as a district contractor instead of a student.
You graduated in 2012 from Scarborough High School’s Futures Academy, which focuses on Network and Computer Systems Administration. When did you first become interested in computers?
I always had an interest in computers. I just never really had the opportunity to get to work with them as closely as I did when I was in high school. Sure, I took computer classes in elementary and middle school, but they had us learning how to properly use keyboards, and making Power Points. It wasn’t until high school that I had the opportunity to get hands-on experience working with computers.
You served as teacher Nolen Thorn’s technology assistant all four years of high school. How did that experience contribute to where you are today?
It helped dramatically. As a freshman, I had very little knowledge of how a computer worked, or the capabilities that a computer has if used the right way. Having worked with Mr. Thorn all four years has helped me in so many ways, from knowing how to take care of my personal computers to helping me get a job at Netsync.
Mr. Thorn said that when you first came to Scarborough, you knew very little about computers and networking, but by your junior year you were already working independently. How did you become so knowledgeable so quickly?
I just try to do my best whenever a task comes my way. I like to tackle things head-on, and that mentality helps me learn and pick up on things rather quickly. Practice helped, too. I got to repeat many steps over and over again, so after a while, even the hardest task can become instinctual.
You’re serving as in intern now with NetSync, and working on the districtwide Windows 7 upgrade. How did you obtain that position? And has it been weird to be installing equipment in the offices of people you knew just a few years ago as teachers?
Mr. Thorn helped me land the internship at Netsync when I was a senior. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know where I would be. It has been great getting to see familiar faces whenever I go to a school.
I understand you earned industry certification as a Certified Autodesk AutoCAD Specialist while still at Scarborough. How has that benefitted you?
I earned that certification my senior year, and it helped tremendously when I applied to the college of engineering. It also saved me money, and I’m extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to take it in high school.
You’re currently working toward a degree in civil engineering at the University of Houston. What are your plans after graduation?
I hope to get a job at an engineering/architecture firm as soon as I graduate. I hope to be fully independent and be able to support myself and my family, and be able to say that I am the first in my family to graduate from college and be an inspiration to others.
| If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
Please take this quick survey regarding online ordering from the Hattie Mae White Marketplace Café
Would you like to order lunch from your desk or mobile device, pay for it, and have it ready to pick it up at a specified time? The HISD Hattie Mae White Marketplace Cafe, also known as “The CAVE,” is considering making an online ordering system available from the district’s website. You would simply log on to the website, make your food selections, enter your credit card information, and pick up your order to-go. The system can save your payment information, if you wish, as well as allow you to view past menu selections.
“We want to make it as convenient as possible for our customers to get a meal or snack from the Marketplace Cafe,” said HISD’s Food Services Senior Administrator Audene Chung. “We know how busy everyone is, and with this new system, customers who are getting food to-go don’t have to waste any time standing in line.”
The food will be packaged in biodegradable containers that will keep it warm or cool, depending on the order. Pick-up will be in the area where the custom salads are currently being made.
Please take this survey and provide us with some input on this new tool.
Creating a new position or revising an existing one can be complicated and labor intensive, but that will change at the end of the month, when the district begins rolling out Online Position-Management (OPM).
The Online Position-Management software is designed to increase efficiency for campus and departmental staff, while also making the entire process more transparent. The system is being rolled out by Budgeting and Financial Planning in partnership with Information Technology and PeopleSoft.
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Dr. Grier with Corporal Garcia
Superintendent of Schools Terry Grier recognized five district employees at the regular quarterly staff meeting held on April 8. The following staff members were recognized with Team HISD hats:
- Corporal Gilbert Garcia, HISD Police Dept., who serves as the head of school safety, for his efforts to keep kids safe by conducting intruder drills and traffic assessments
- Amanda Norwig, Office of Communications, who serves as “the voice of HISD” on social media, for quadrupling the district’s Twitter following to more than 22,000 and doubling the number of “likes” on Facebook to about 8,700.
- Dana Sturdevant, Career & Technical Education, for organizing the district’s second annual, very successful When I Grow Up Expo on March 8
- Michael Webster, School Support Services, for his efforts to make sure that same event went smoothly and was a success
- Dr. Michele Pola, HISD’s chief business and community relations officer, who is retiring this year with more than 28 years of service to the district.
To see a gallery of all the hat recipients, please view the gallery below.
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Could you go a full week without making an environmental impact on planet earth? How hard would it be to live and work without wasting precious resources? Could you live without creating any trash or using any electricity? Could you save money? Be healthier?
Space Center Houston is partnering with The No Impact Project for its first annual Earth Day Celebration and is planning a No Impact Week Challenge for individuals, schools, families and aerospace companies April 20–27. You can register here.
Want to grow as a professional? Join Toastmasters!
If you’ve been trying to think of a way to advance in your career, look no further. HISD has a new Toastmasters club that can help you develop the skills you need.
Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Members learn more about public speaking, how to conduct a meeting, how to listen effectively, and how to provide constructive feedback. HISD’s Toastmasters club currently has 30 members and is accepting applications. It received its official charter on Jan. 9.
To see if Toastmasters is right for you, come sit in on one of the monthly meetings. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month from 5:05 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), in either the cafeteria or Room 1E02.
All new members will receive a manual and resources about how to become a better speaker and more confident leader.
For more information, please contact Kim Golden or Theresa Campos at 713-696-0600 or kgolden@houstonisd.org and tcampos@houstonisd.org.
Apply to Fallingwater residency by April 30
Educators who long to explore the world of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright can do so this summer at his masterwork in Mill Run, Pennsylvania through a residency at Fallingwater.
The deadline to apply to this program is Wednesday, April 30, 2014. For complete details, click here.
Get LinkedIn! Join the HISD Employee Group for Discussion, Updates
The Houston ISD LinkedIn group is a virtual meeting place where district employees can connect, collaborate, and share information and ideas. If you have a LinkedIn profile, please take a moment to join the group—just select “group” in the drop-down search menu and enter “Houston ISD,” then click “join group.” If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, go to www.linkedin.com and create one. Please be sure to list your employer as Houston ISD.
Administrative support staff members play a critical role in the success of our district, and that’s why HISD’s office of Onboarding and Organizational Development is offering its third annual Administrative Support Summit on Friday, May 2, 2014.
This year’s summit will focus on development topics such as team-building strategies, persuasion and consensus building, and how to work with difficult customers. Yvonne Vaas, a SkillPath trainer with more than 15 years of management experience in banking, human resources, training, and customer service, will be the keynote speaker. Read her bio here. (.pdf)
The summit is open to all campus-based and non-campus-based secretaries, clerks, and other administrative support professionals, and attendees may choose between a morning (9 a.m. until noon) or an afternoon (1-4 p.m.) session. Both will take place at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street, 77092).
Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to make a reservation. The deadline to register is Monday, April 28, 2014.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Houston Independent School District made the list of the “100 Best Fleets” in North America for 2014. Winners were announced April 9 at the National Association of Fleet Administrators’ Institute and Expo and published in Governing magazine. HISD’s Transportation Services made a significant jump on the list from last year, moving from number 47 to 39.
You can read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Pin Oak Middle School teacher Carolyn Geraci, who was awarded a Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship last year by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
If you still haven’t decided where to send your child in HISD for the 2014–2015 school year, make plans now to attend the district’s third annual School Choice Fair on Saturday, April 26, 2014.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Northwest Mall (9500 Hempstead Hwy, 77092), and parents can learn more about dozens of options available to their children—including magnet schools, Montessori, early colleges, and multilingual programs—and find out which campuses still have space available.
Representatives will also be on hand to answer questions about the application process, student transfers, and much more.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- April 1-30: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- April 18: Good Friday (school in session)
- April 22: Earth Day
- April 23 (.pdf): Payday
- April 24-27: Shell Eco-Marathon Americas
- April 26: School Choice Fair
- April 26: CSTEM Challenge
- April 26: National Take-Back Day
- May 2: Gen TX Day
- May 4: Lemonade Day
- May 7 (.pdf): Payday
- May 8: Regular Board meeting
- May 10: Houston Art Car Parade
- May 17: Empty Bowls
- May 21 (.pdf): Payday
- May 26: Memorial Day (school in session)
- May 29: Last day of school (students)
- May 30-June 8: Graduation ceremonies (.pdf)
- June 4 (.pdf): Payday
- June 2-Aug. 1: Summer schedule in effect
