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By Sam McDonald

Justin Geonzon, a geographic information systems major at ��������, spotted a flyer about a scholarship from the organization 757CIO and was mildly curious. 

“I thought, you know, it can’t hurt to ask,” said Geonzon, who also works as an information technology specialist for Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ��������. “I thought it might be something interesting to apply for and to see what’s going on.”

He’s glad he did.

At an Oct. 9 event called 757 TechNite held at the Chrysler Museum of Art, Geonzon took home a $3,000 scholarship from . 

The scholarship “is awarded to individuals who demonstrate a passion for supporting and growing the tech community in Hampton Roads,” according to the group. “This opportunity combines financial support with long-term mentorship from the region’s leading technology executives.”

Geonzon joined fellow finalists from Christopher Newport University and Norfolk State at the ceremony and was elated and shocked to learn he’d won the prize.

“It felt good,” he recalled. “But it was crazy — almost as if it was a game show and my name was being called on ‘The Price is Right.’ I was stunned for a moment. It took me awhile to compose myself and walk up.”

Soon, he felt a wave of gratitude.

“It was such a privilege to be part of the experience and certainly to be chosen as a finalist let alone to win the whole thing,” he said. “It’s certainly the privilege of a lifetime — one of the coolest things I’ve done.”

Family, friends and faculty members have expressed pride in his achievement.

“We’d like to extend a special congratulations to Justin Geonzon,” wrote Tom Allen, chair of Old Dominion’s Department of Political Science and Geography, noting that the student is interested in technology and its applications in emergency management. “We’re so glad to see him get this recognition.”

At age 32, Geonzon is a non-traditional student working to complete his bachelor’s degree. Years ago, he earned an associate’s degree in history from Tidewater Community College but wasn’t sure where he to go from there.

“Meandering brought me into IT,” he said. “I stumbled into a tech career.”

After community college, he worked selling mobile phones for a big-box retailer and a major cellphone carrier. That interaction with technology opened a new path.

“It took me upwards of 10 years make my way back to higher education,” said Geonzon, who grew up in Virginia Beach. He chose to study geographic information systems to expand his technical acumen.

“I figured I’ve already gotten my feet wet in business … by virtue of having a job in private sector,” he said. “And I’m working front lines of IT right now. I wondered if I could do something that would round out my skillset a little bit more, something I would be intrinsically interested in.”

Geographic information systems, or GIS, fit the bill. He was familiar with it from his days working for a cell provider. Networks rely on GIS to keep track of their coverage areas and specs. “I figured this would round out the skills I have under my belt.”

In an essay he submitted as part of his application for the scholarship, Geonzon expressed that he’s enthusiastically behind 757CIO’s mission to grow the information technology sector in coastal Virginia.

“I believe that Hampton Roads, augmented by major technological innovation and advancement of infrastructure, is on the cusp of becoming an important regional hub for technology,” he wrote.

“I hope to one day experience a time where brain drain in our region has regressed — and individuals from outside the area seek to move to the 757 to experience high-paying jobs and outstanding quality of life.”