Island Tech Company Sponsors
Scholarship Contest With A Mission
February 19, 2008
A technology
company on the Island is sponsoring a high school
scholarship contest with a very serious mission, urging
students to try their hand at emergency services
technology. NY1's Michelle Park filed the following
report.
Last week, former Northern Illinois
University student Steven Kazmierczak burst into a
lecture hall and opened fire, leaving five dead and 16
wounded before killing himself. In the wake of the
tragedy, Staten Island network services company Digital
Edge urges students to think about how technology may
help in such an emergency situation. The "Key to the
Future" Scholarship challenges Staten Island high school
students to design a school emergency notification
system.
"To be able to notify staff faculty and
students of an emergency through email, through portable
communication devices would be invaluable," says Digital
Edge Sales Engineer Michael Molino.
Company
officials say they hope the contest will get high school
students engaged in the technology industry. Company CEO
Mike Petrov says the Island is an often overlooked
hotbed for technology. He hopes the contest will
encourage young minds to pursue the industry close to
home.
"A lot of IT specialists are living on
Staten Island but looking to work somewhere in Manhattan
or in New Jersey, but its some really cool technologies
are going on right here on Staten Island," says Petrov.
"We want people to know about it and come to us and work
with us."
Once all the entries are in and the
awards are handed out, the company says ideas won't go
to waste. They intend to turn them into reality.
"We are going to finish it, completely implement
it and then donate it to the city or to Staten Island
borough school districts," says Petrov.
Digital
Edge will award the top three entries with $5,000,
$3,000, and $1,000 scholarships. The deadline is April
30th, and students can visit http://www.digitaledge.net/ for more
information.
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