My name is Colin Outerbridge, Jr. — I am a 17-year-old S3 student at CedarBridge Academy. Art has been one of my favourite subjects since primary school. I attended Harrington Sound Primary School and in 1997 I won an Islandwide art competition sponsored by the Department of Tourism. I continued my interest in art during Whitney Middle School and during my first two years at CedarBridge Academy. For the past year (my third year), I have studied art with the aid of computer software to enhance my artistic ability.

In February this year, a paper was given to all students inviting them to participate in the “B.TEC Logo” competition, sponsored by XL Insurance Company and the Ministry of Education. Unfortunately, it was given out during exam time and students did not show very much interest. My Multi Media and Design Teacher, Mr. Foggo, selected six or seven of his best students and encouraged them to submit entries. I was one of the students selected but when I looked at the requirements, I said to myself that I do not know anything about designing logos. So I went on the Internet to get some ideas. I looked at the logos of several companies like XL, ACE, BTC, Logic and many others.

I got the idea that their logos were simple and straightforward with not too much colour. I designed my logo on this basis.

I was exposed to computers at a very young age when my father gave me my first computer for Christmas and I was only ten years old. I enjoy playing computer games and have a great skill using some of the most popular games such as “Unreal Tournament”, “Max Payne”, “Medal of Honour and others. I have played against other people around the world by using the Internet. I also use the Microsoft suite of office software such as MSWord, EXCEL and PowerPoint. My mother signed me up with (IBL) Logic Communications over five years ago and I use up all of my time each month. I once had the opportunity to spend a full day at Logic on a day-release programme with Whitney Middle School. I am glad I won the “B-Tec” logo competition because one of the prizes is free Internet access through Logic Communications for one year.

I don’t just play games on my computer. My parents have always made me get involved with training on the computer. By the time I started Middle School, I was typing almost 60 wpm (words per minute) because my parents made me learn typing on my own using “Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing” computer software. On a trip to Canada, I did a computer graphics workshop for one full day. In Bermuda I completed two five day programs at “Teen Tech” under Mr. Lee Talbot, where I learned how to build a commuter from scratch, work on the BIOS, and troubleshoot problems.

A lot of parents think that computer games are bad for children because they show people getting blown up or killed with lots of blood and body parts. But I don’t think it is bad because my game “Medal of Honour lets me know just how bad the Second World War was because it really happened. I get to learn about history through playing computer games.

Children can see worse on regular television and even things that are real like the September 11th, 2001 bombing of the World Trade Center, children shooting other children in schools and all the wars going on in the world today. This is why there is violence in Bermuda’s schools, not because of computer games.

Really, if you think about it, somebody had to design a graphic card to make it look real. The graphics in computers have come a long way since I started playing games five years ago. Because I have been working with computers for a long time, some people ask for my advice about what computer to buy, what components it should have and stuff like that. I have rebuilt my own computer several times over the past four years to where the only part from the original computer is the case; all the components are the new and up-to-date versions.

At CedarBridge, I am not involved with the B. Tec programme because I am a third-year student. I do have a computer science class (Multimedia Design) with Mr. Foggo as my teacher. I am very glad that CedarBridge has a computer lab and I am learning new software applications like Adobe, Macromedia’s DreamWeaver. I used the Adobe software to create the “B. TEC Logo”. Using the computer has impacted my life in many ways. My parents have always encouraged me to look at the computer technology as my future. All of my projects and class assignments are done on my computer using it either as a research tool through the Internet and also to prepare great presentations in MSWord and on PowerPoint. This has helped to get me good grades in those classes.

I also know that when I finish at CedarBridge, I want to go overseas to attend a college that has a heavy concentration in computer sciences. I would like to earn a scholarship but I am not that worried because my father enrolled me in the Canadian Scholarship Trust when I was a baby, so I will get the opportunity to go abroad.

I also want to learn about business and business management. I am thinking about going to Devry Institute or the Canadian Institute of Information Technology.

My dream is to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and come back to Bermuda to work at a Bank or with an Exempt Company and make lots of money so that I will always be able to buy the most powerful computer on the market and to buy my own house.

I am very surprised that I won the B. TEC logo competition because many of the other students at CedarBridge also made very good logos. I want to thank Mr. Foggo for picking me, and the Judges for picking my design as the winner. I am happy that won because my parents have always supported my interest in computers and are very proud of me.

Colin is state of the art!