CORPUS CHRISTI — It would be hard to trump Liza Wisner’s summer, but you can judge for yourself by watching “The Apprentice.”
Wisner, a Corpus Christi entrepreneur seeking to expand her computer education company, competed against 15 other contestants hoping to land a six-figure job with business tycoon Donald Trump.
How did she do? You’ll have to watch and find out. Wisner, 30, said an agreement with NBC prevents her from discussing details of the show.
The 10th season of the reality TV series, filmed this summer in New York, premieres Sept. 16. An NBC news release described the 16 contestants as being hit hard by the economic downturn.
Trump, the show’s executive producer, has shifted the show’s focus to rewards aimed at improving the lives of the competitors, including one-on-one meetings with well-known business executives, according to NBC’s website.
Such networking opportunities could be valuable to Wisner, who started Texas Techies in Corpus Christi with hopes of expanding technology education for children. Wisner said she isn’t permitted to discuss how business is going.
Wisner, a native of Kenya, had a golf scholarship at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in education. Wisner also works full time as an associate director of a graduate student retention program at A&M-Corpus Christi.
The mother of two said the birth of her first son, now 4, made her recognize a lack of computer education opportunities for very young children.
“I was proactive about it and decided if it didn’t exist, I was going to bring it,” she said.
Texas Techies focuses on children beginning at age 3, integrating computer classes into daily schedules at area community centers, day cares and kindergartens. At age 7, Texas Techies offers a computer animation class.
Wisner said she was amazed when she realized how quickly her son could learn to operate a computer, and how well he learned to read and solve problems using computer games based on the public school curriculum.
Wisner said she and her husband, Denis, are looking for ways to expand the business to reach more children, especially those whose families can’t afford to pay for the extra lessons.
“I’ve been trying hard to get the funding, but you know how it is,” she said. “Everything’s difficult when you do it on your own.”
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