Intern Week 2008

On September 8th, 2008, DOT will welcome three Interns  to coincide with our annual Board of Directors Meeting. These three Interns have been nominated by their Country leaders because they exemplify the spirit of DOT. All three have shown much dedication and determination when it comes to working as a DOT Intern, as well as their education and communities.

During the week in which they will stay in Ottawa, the Interns will make presentations to the Board of Directors, members of the community, as well as Government Agencies, to show how they have worked with DOT to better their communities. The goal of these presentations is to help spread the message to people working towards the same ideals as DOT. We here at DOT already know the amazing stories that come from all of the Interns across the world, and the work that they do. There is no doubt that these three Ambassadors of the Interns will be able to spread that message to others, and show them how truly inspiring DOT is.

To learn more about the visiting Interns, please read their biographies below.

KENYA

Patricia Oyoyo

I am Patricia Oyoyo, the fourth born in a family of six children. I was born in the year 1983 to Mary and Philemon Oyoyo who resided in Chemelil at the time, a place well known for growing sugarcane and production of sugar. My dad worked as a technician in the sugar factory and my mum baked cakes for sale and sold clothes and fabric.

In 2003 I passed my O-level exams and was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where I pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology. I graduated in December 2007.  I enjoyed the campus life and it was truly a great experience. Learning a lot, getting to know much about what I liked, my capabilities and made friends. Due to my popularity and effectiveness in the University of Nairobi Red Cross Chapter, I was elected publicity secretary a post I held for two consecutive years. I enjoy working with people and enjoyed the club activities under the HINIVUU spirit (Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Volunteering, Unity and Universality).  The activities included clean-ups, visiting children homes and hospitals, camping just to mention a few.

After campus I volunteered as a social worker in Riruta Recoupag Centre-a street children project in Nairobi dealing with recycling of solid waste. My duties involved report writing, giving presentations, purchasing material, preparing budgets and fund raising. This gave me experience in the job environment.

Currently, I am a Digital Opportunity Trust-Kenya Intern working in the community in Nyanza- a province in Kenya. This has greatly improved my facilitation and communication skills and I have gained a lot of knowledge. Here I train the youth on sustainable livelihoods through the use of ICT and this aims to improve the socio-economic lives of the youth.

USA

Louis Austin Whittington

I am originally from Jackson, Mississippi.  Now, I am a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as a senior in the college of business. I should graduate in December with my Bachelors in Business Science with an emphasis in Marketing. The interesting thing about my major at USM is the great variety of course work that we are required to undergo. This means that I am trained and well rounded in all forms of business operations, and highly trained in Marketing.

Marketing is all about human interaction. Understanding how people work, think, and play are a huge part of being an effective marketer. I am a second year intern and I have found it to be a great tool for sharpening my professional skills. I interact with a wide variety of people on a daily basis, as well as perform team building exercises. This type of learning cannot be accomplished in a class room setting. It has been a great opportunity for me to adapt and sharpen my new found skills within these areas.

I am also graced with the entrepreneurial spirit. I am highly active and constantly interested in improving projects. I have several side businesses. One of which is my personal web design business. The others consist of various other side projects/ideas I have for improving the way the internet is used within the class room as well as in daily life. I have always enjoyed computers, and I enjoy making them more accessible to all audiences.

USA

Antoine Powell

My name is Antoine Powell.  I was born December 20, 1984 in Los Angeles, California. I am the oldest of four siblings. At the age of 14, I moved to Jackson, Mississippi where I attended Forest Hill High School. In high school, I played the trombone for the all superior marching band and was also awarded 2nd place overall in algebra. After graduating, I applied and was accepted to The University of Southern Mississippi where I majors in Computer Engineering Technology.

 On the Southern Miss campus, I am  the President of the NAACP,  and the Vice President of Men of Excellence.  I have also worked with Habitat for Humanity, The Boys and Girls Club of America,  The American Cancer Society, and the National Down syndrome Society.

My love for technology and helping others is what drove me to the internship at Digital Opportunity Trust USA where I am a returning intern. Through my first year as an intern, I found the interactive whiteboards to be the path for a career after graduation. I have since held training sessions for teachers as well as other interns on the interactive white boards. My thanks go to the Digital Opportunity Trust USA organization for being a firm stepping stone to a much brighter future.