Through AIM’s partnerships with Cornerstone Staffing and the Omaha chapter of the
Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), several deserving students
have earned scholarships to pursue tech careers, thanks to financial support from
Cornerstone Staffing and AITP. The following students are either planning on attending
or continuing to attend a college, university, community college, or technical school in
Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, North Dakota, or South Dakota, with the goal of
achieving an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Information
Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.

*Austin Allen – Computer Science, Mineral Area College
*Connor Beachler – Computer Science Comprehensive, University of Nebraska at
*Kearney
*Michael Bourne – Computer Information Systems, Dakota State University
*Pawan Chaudhary – Cybersecurity, Dakota State University
*Keenan Flannery – Computer Science, University of Nebraska Lincoln
*Michael George – System and Network Security, Southeast Technical College
*Micah Harper – Computer Information Science, College of the Ozarks
*Regina Hua – Computer Science, University of Missouri – Columbia
*Linh Le – Data Analytics, Nebraska Wesleyan University
*Abe Schieuer – System and Network Security, Southeast Technical College
A big congratulations to these deserving students, and we sincerely thank Cornerstone
Staffing and AITP.

Omaha, Neb. (September 26, 2024) AT&T* and Human I-T provided AIM Institute 200 refurbished
Chromebook computers to distribute to Omaha residents in need.
The computers are funded by an AT&T contribution. The first of the computers were given to adult
graduates of the AIM Code School, with more devices to be provided to students and adults involved in
other AIM Institute programs in the months ahead. The AIM Code School offers accelerated training
for high-demand tech skills to adults and career-changers. “These graduates of the AIM Code School have just earned certifications in tech fields, so providing this necessary equipment puts them another step closer to success,” said AIM Institute Director of Technical Training Brett Berkebile. “It’s not just about technology; it’s about giving them tools to unlock their potential.”

In Nebraska, it’s estimated that 9% of households don’t have access to the internet or connected
devices needed to fully participate in the online world, an issue known as the digital divide.
This effort is part of the AT&T Connected Learning® initiative to help address the digital divide through
internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption. AT&T is committing $5 billion to help 25 million
people get and stay connected to high-speed internet by 2030.

“AT&T is proud to collaborate with the AIM Institute to help close the digital equity gap in Omaha,”
said Dustin Blythe, External Affairs Director, AT&T Nebraska. “Access to computers is vital in helping to
bridge the digital divide and we are glad we can provide these resources to those that need them
most.”  
Learn more at att.com/connectedlearning. 

About AIM Institute
Leading tech nonprofit AIM Institute has fostered the growth of the Omaha area’s tech sector for 30 years. AIM
understands that a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce will improve the sector so AIM works to fill the growing gap
in the tech workforce by training new tech talent and upskilling existing tech workers. AIM Code School offers accelerated
training for high-demand tech skills to adults and career-changers. Led by industry experts, AIM Code School students gain
access to a professional network throughout the duration of their enrollment. Offering seven accredited courses via the
State of Nebraska Dept of Education, AIM Code School offers all participants the ability to pursue their dream of one day
holding a career within tech. AIM Code School embodies AIM’s mission of creating a more diverse tech workforce, where
anyone can have a seat at the tech table.

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T  
We’re committed to advancing education, creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and improving lives. As part
of our companywide commitment to address the digital divide, we launched AT&T Connected Learning® to invest in
connectivity and technology, digital literacy, and education solutions to help today’s learners succeed inside and outside of
the classroom. Since 2008 we’ve committed to programs that help millions of students across all 50 states, Washington D.C.
and around the world, particularly those in underserved communities.   

AIM Upward Bound students volunteered at Chariots4Hope, dedicating their time to detailing cars and cleaning the playroom. The students worked hard and had a great time making an impact in the community. Special thanks to Chariots4Hope for providing this wonderful opportunity. 

AIM’s Upward Bound program is part of AIM’s Youth Academies. Upward Bound is a college preparatory program funded through TRIO and the Department of Education to prepare first generation, under-resourced high school students for college.

Chariots4Hope helps people remove transportation barriers that prevent struggling families and individuals from reaching and maintaining self-sufficiency. Transportation is a critical component for employment, healthy community, child care, medical appointments and many other situations in daily life. Chariots4Hope helps individuals thrive.

Registration is now open for our 2024 Tech Awards, to be held on Nov. 14 at the exclusive Peter Fink Private Car Museum, 5808 North 90th Street. This annual awards ceremony recognizes and honors individuals in our community who make a positive impact in tech. This year’s AIM Tech Awards Honorary Chair is Al Lopez, CEO & Managing Partner of Let It Fly, which recently opened its second location at 1311 S 203rd Street. The event emcee is Rick Allen. Rick is the lead race announcer for NBC Sports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series race coverage. The 2024 Tech Award categories consist of Technology Innovator of the Year, Technology Leader of the Year, K-12 Educator of the Year and many more.  This event also is a fundraiser to support AIM’s programs that make tech education and career training accessible to youth and adults. Please join us for a fantastic evening—you can reserve your seat here. If you know of someone who is positively making an impact in tech, please nominate them here.

AIM Institute thanks the attendees who participated in this year’s Heartland Developers Conference and Big AI, presented by Farm Credit Services of America. The two-day event featured keynote speakers Dr. Radhika Dirks, CEO & Founder XLabs and RIBO, and Matt Waite, a Pulitzer Prize winner who developed PolitiFact; each discussed vary aspects of AI. Other key speakers included Farm Credit Services of America’s Executive Vice President and CIO Russ Wagner and Vice President of Strategy Enablement Jaclyn McLaughlin who spoke about the importance of customizing agile transformations to meet an organization’s unique needs.

Leading tech news media entity Silicon Prairie News provided excellent in-depth coverage of the event—read SPN’s highlights/narratives here. We also are very grateful to our other sponsors, including Lunavi for sponsoring the Tech Bash held at Let It Fly Sports Bar in downtown Omaha. AIM is happy to announce the 2025 Heartland Developers Conference, presented by Farm Credit Services of America, will be held October 6-7 at CHI Center. More info here: https://bit.ly/3MJxRuR