Info-Bits June 2013

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www.byteback.org | 202.529.3395

able of Contentsuccess Story:

awrence Williams

h Annual Community

omputer Day

ucceeds Despite Rain

t Annual Breakfast

ytes Showcases Work

eing Done at Byte

ack

olunteer of the Month:

ic Lund

udent Spotlight:

abiane Butler

olunteer of the Month:

homas Thornton

ve Questions with an

structor: Lorena

olguin

ve Questions with Our

olunteer Coordinator:

ica Heller

pcoming Events

olunteer Opportunities

Byte Backs Online Newsletter | June 2013

INFO - BITS

Success Story: Lawrence WilliamsBy: Jessica Bates

No matter how hard things got for Law-

rence Williams, he never lost momen-

tum. Mr. Williams worked as a mail

clerk in a law firm for years, but he lost

his job when he was briefly incarcer-

ated. When he found himself back on

the job market, he realized he lacked the

skills or experience to compete for an

office job. He enrolled in Byte Backs

PC for Beginners in 2012. One year lat-

er, Mr. Williams is working for a local

property management company as an

administrative office clerk.

When Mr. Williams came to Byte Back, the only thing he knew about computers was

that he needed to learn them to find a job. I was pretty much computer illiterate, he

said. I used to watch the secretaries working on them in the law firm, but I had no idea

what they were doing. It wasnt something I thought I needed. He kept himself from

getting discouraged by the job search by approaching his class like a job; he dressed

professionally every day and arrived promptly. I used Byte Back as a catalyst to get

back into work. When I came into Byte Back, I acted like I was going into the office.

After completing PC for Beginners, Mr. Williams enrolled in Office Track. He used the

skills he learned there to polish up his resume, and he decided to take a different ap-

proach with the job search. When I was incarcerated, I basically ran the law library

there. I decided to put that in my resume my experience with the department of cor-

rections. That way, I could talk about it openly with people. I could let them know how

it really was.

This approach paid off this spring when he found a contractual job working for a prop-

erty manager. He calls the new position a match made in heaven and believes it may

turn into something long-

term. But hes not slowing down his studies; he recently en-rolled in a money management course at Byte Back to help him develop better finan-

cial skills.

My experiences have all been very positive here at Byte Back, Mr. Williams said.

[The staff and volunteers] are always willing to help and give you opportunities that

keep you moving forward. I appreciate the fact that they meet people exactly where

you are and work with you. Everyones in different places in life and Byte Back under-

stands that.

Lawrence Williams
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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2JUNE 2013 INFO-BITS


7th Annual Community Computer Day Succeeds Despite RainBy: Lydia Vanderbilt

Community Computer Day (CCD) is many things for Byte

Back. Its a way of showing appreciation to students, volun-

teers, and community partners -- all of the people who make

the work at Byte Back worthwhile. Its a reunion for stu-

dents, instructors, and staff members. Instructors can check

back in with their former students and hear their stories on

what a great help the class has been to them. Community

Computer Day also serves as an introduction to those in the

community looking for more information on our programs.

CCD was a huge success. Despite the rain, hundreds of peo-

ple showed up to enjoy good food, music, games, work-

shops, and company!

Community volunteers, AmeriCorps members, and staffgathered to make sure the day ran smoothly. Ten 45-minute

workshops were offered on a wide variety of topics from

online tools for health and nutrition to the proper way to ap

ply for government jobs. While adults were in workshop

there was the Kids Zone for children to enjoy. Children

activities included a moon bounce, face painting, hula hoops

bean-bag toss, coloring, cotton candy, and much more!

To further show our appreciation, Byte Back had two fre

raffles for participants. The prizes included a Leap Frog paand a Coby tablet (both donated by Board Chair Mario Bur

ney), Fuji digital camera, a Jambox, an iTunes gift card, an

two $15 Visa gift cards donated by PNC Bank.. The gran

prize was a refurbished Dell Latitude laptop (refurbished b

Ronald Wade, director of refurbishing at First Time

Technology), complete with webcam, Internet, and

Wi-Fi capabilities.

Huge thanks to Andrew Quilpa, the CCD committeeleader, and his great team: Jessica Bates, Cherise

Graves, Eleanor Grewal, Felicia Hawkins, Erica

Heller, Alaide Ibarra, Ashley Luttmer, and Andrea

Mack. Most of all, Byte Back would like to thank

the 18 community volunteers and 12 AmeriCorps

members who gave up their Saturday to provide ex-

tra support to the staff.

Byte Back staff and students had a chance to become better acquainted.

Volunteers had fun despite the occasional rain.


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Connuedwww.byteback.org | 202.529.3395

JUNE 2013 INFO-BITS


1st Annual Breakfast Bytes Showcases Work Being Done at Byte BackBy: Jessica Bates

This spring, Byte Back held a simple breakfast event, our first annual Breakfast Bytes, which brought together

over 200 people to learn more about our organization. At-

tendees listened to testimonials from students and board mem-

bers, viewed our new promotional video, and shared their own

Byte Back stories over a light breakfast.

Breakfast Bytes was held on May 22, at 8:30 a.m. in the JW

Marriott in downtown D.C. The event brought together a di-

verse group of professionals from all over the D.C. area. Staff,

volunteers, partners, board members, and some students were

also in attendance. Dahlia Shaewitz, a former Byte Back board

member, welcomed everyone to the event and spoke about her

own experiences with the power of education. The invocation

was given by Rhonda Johnson, a former Byte Back student,

who used her computer skills to finish writing her first book, Memoirs of an Addict: Fact or Fiction. She

spoke to the audience about the transformative power of Byte Back in her own life.

Kelley Ellsworth, Byte Backs executive director, spoke about Byte Backs vision for the future. Someday,

Byte Back may serve as a regional or even national model for providing computer training and employment

readiness skills to low-income communities. For now, Byte Back is providing D.C. residents with skills that

dramatically improve their quality of life.

The power of Byte Back was especially obvious in the video, Powering On, produced by Journey Group.

Aendees viewed our new promoonal video.
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Volunteer of the Month: Eric Lund

The video highlighted the experiences of Angela Campbell, a

new Byte Back student seeking work, and Michael Spriggs, a

Byte Back graduate who is now employed as an IT profes-

sional. Martha Ross of the Brookings Institute gave an expert

summary of the D.C. economic reality.

Lashonia Etheridge, a former PC for Beginners student,

shared her own experience reentering the job market after be-ing incarcerated for 18 years. Ms. Her experience highlighted

how much our societys dependence on technology has

changed in the last two decades. Many of our students have

not had the technology skills or access to keep up with these changes. Ms. Etheridge is now using the skills she

learned at Byte Back as an employee of the Office of Returning Citizens where she helps others go through a

similar transition.

Keith Clark, Byte Back vice board chair, closed the event by asking participants to contribute to Byte Back in

whatever way they could. Breakfast Bytes was a strong testament to the work being done at Byte Back, and w

hope everyone who attended will be motivated to be a part of Byte Backs future. Byte Back raised $248, 395 ingifts and planned giving over the next five years.

Some of the attendees had first learned of Byte Back through our Digital Access Tours. These tours allow com

munity members who are new to Byte Back to take a tour of our facilities and hear firsthand accounts from stu

dents, volunteers, and staff members about the work were doing. If you would like to attend a tour, please con-

tact Development Associate Cristina Moscoso at [email protected].

By: Ashley Luttmer

In retrospect, it seems like Eric Lunds entire career has been leading up to his cur-

rent role as a Byte Back Office Track volunteer instructor. Half my career has

been spent as a teacher, and half has been spent working in an office, he explains.

Instructing at Byte Back has benefited him professionally, as well; though he no

longer teaches for work, he keeps his skills sharp as he guides students through the

basics of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point.

This is the second time Eric has taught an Office Track class, and hes always sur-

prised by the unexpected benefits he receives. Last year, he learned more about

Guatemala (where a member of his family is from) when a student gave a presen-tation on his native country. A few weeks ago, the entire class was treated to music when a group rehearsed

their concert set across the hall from the computer lab. Above all, Eric prizes the relationships he builds with

his students, who come from many walks of life. He appreciates meet[ing] people I might not otherwise

meet, finding out their life stories and how they got to where they are and helping them reach their goals.

His favorite day of class is the last day, when students present their PowerPoint presentations on a topic of

their choice. Hes impressed with the high quality of the work, as well as the extra time outside of class that

the students put into the presentations. This is the day when he can focus entirely on learning more about his

students while he sees them put their newfound skills into practice. Connued

Eric Lund
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Connued

Student Spotlight: Fabiane Butler

JUNE 2013 INFO-BITS


Interview By: Lorena Holguin, AmeriCorps Instructor

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

A: The first time I gave a student the first certificate theyve EVER received for com-

pleting a course.

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

A: Folders and files, copying and pasting. Google search, actually. I really like

[students] reactions when they find what they are looking for on the Internet.

Five Questions with an Instructor: Lorena Holguin

The best memories I have (of Byte Back) are of the personalities of the students, and getting to know them.

Thank you, Eric Lund!

By: Jessica Bates

Ms. Fabiane Butler has ambition. She is striving for a career as a professional au-

thor, so she came to Byte Back to brush up on her computer skills. Enrolling in Of-fice Track at Frances Gregory Library would, she hoped, help her stop using the

computer as a glorified typewriter.

Writing has always been Ms. Butlers passion. When her career as a police officer

ended after she was laid off, she decided to focus on finding a publisher for the six

books she has written. She found the process frustrating and realized she would

need some additional education to better understand the process. While she initially

thought she might need a new degree, she decided to start by learning to use a

computer. In just a few short weeks, Ms. Butler discovered that most of the information she needed was avail-

able for free on the Internet. I had no idea this information was out there, Ms. Butler said.

Now that she is comfortable with a computer, shes incorporating technology into each step of her creative

process. She has started revising her work using Microsoft Words editing tools, and she is updating her books

into more professional formats. The online skills she learned in class have helped her connect to online com-

munities of writers, and she has started developing a business plan to get her work published.

With her newfound confidence, Ms. Butler is considering self-publishing. These days, technology allows writ-

ers to distribute their work to a wide audience without relying on major publishing houses and resourceful

writers are building lucrative careers through self-publishing. Ms. Butler describes her fiction as niche drama

for the LGBT community, focused on women of color. Its important to her that her work draws heavily from

the Washington, D.C. community, and she always sets her stories locally.

Ms. Butler is optimistic about her future as a writer, and she feels prepared for the future. The skills I learned

at Byte Back are invaluable to what I want to do, she said. As a writer, this is so important to me. Inspiration

comes and you need to know how to do what you want to do.

Fabiane Butler

Lorena Holguin


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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 Cristina Moscoso at [email protected] by calling (202)

529-3395.

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 Backs director of

volunteer services, at [email protected] (202) 529-3395.

Volunteer Opportunies

Five Questions with Our Volunteer Coordinator: Erica HellerEricas service as a Public Ally ended June 24 and she will start graduate school at the University of Texas at

Austin this fall. We thank her for all the amazing work she has done this year. She will be missed!Interview By: Lydia Vanderbilt, AmeriCorps Instructor

Q: What has been your favorite moment as a Public Ally serving as the Byte Back Vol-unteer Coordinator?

A: Getting to work with different volunteers and the students who come back to volun-

teer and hearing their stories.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about being the Volunteer Coordinator, and why?

A: Being able to allow volunteers to have a direct impact on the lives of our students.

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

A: The diversity {of the people} and the unique culture of the city.

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

A: That there is value in giving back to your community, and its never too late to help.

Q: What is your best memory about being here at Byte Back?

A: Being a part of the Byte Back family and my home away from home.

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

A: All the free stuff: concerts, events, museums, food, swimming pools, the people, and Malcolm X Park on

Sundays. At Malcolm X, you get to see Capoeira and djembe drums and you get free lessons at the end!

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

A: I am deeply passionate about students understanding that education is not consumption but an investment.

Sometimes we dont want to invest in things because they are hard, take time, and are painful, but thats how

we come to love things, even people.

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

A: A woman reconnected with her son by finding him through Google after not having spoken in 20 years!

Erica Heller
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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JUNE 2013 INFO-BITS

About Byte BackFounded in 1997, Byte Back seeks to improve economic opportunity in the Washington, D.C. area by providing 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 preparation. Byte Back is licensed by the DC Educational Licensure Commis-

sion as a postsecondary educational institution.
mailto:[email protected]://www.nonprofitadvancement.org/PostAward2010http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy-dc.org/cfpdc/nonprofit-detail.php?id=94481mailto:[email protected]

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