“The Apprentice” contestant Liza Wisner (left) high-fives Daniel Jackson, 4, after he got the correct answer to a question Thursday as she teaches a Texas Techies computer class for children at the Manna Childcare Center. The Corpus Christi mother and businesswoman made it to the final three in the NBC reality show.
By Mark Collette
CORPUS CHRISTI — Business magnate Donald Trump fired Corpus Christi resident Liza Wisner on Thursday’s episode of “The Apprentice,” but the show has enabled her to share her passion for helping children in ways she never dreamed — including drawing the attention of the Kenyan government.
One of the final three contestants on this season of the reality TV series, Wisner was eliminated in one of the show’s hallmark, tense, face-to-face boardroom meetings with Trump — despite having won a business challenge that involved pitching products on the QVC shopping network.
“I really feel like it wasn’t fair, and I put my best foot forward and really have what it takes,” Wisner said.
Because it has just one winner, the show forces a cutthroat competition that doesn’t reflect the kind of teamwork involved in the real corporate world, Wisner said. Besides enduring the scrutiny of Trump, Wisner also had to take trash talk aimed at her from the other 15 contestants trying to land a six-figure job.
She may have left the boardroom in tears, yet for all of Trump’s tough-as-nails exterior, his stalwart hair, piercing gaze and no-mercy reputation, Wisner said he still helped her.
“Mr. Trump is human,” she said. “They really edit the show a lot to make him look scary, firing people. In between all that is really a person who is genuinely interested in the success of others. He doesn’t just focus on the mistakes, but on how you can learn from them.”
Her boardroom exit has led to a literal world of possibilities. What was supposed to be a simple family visit to her home country of Kenya during the Thanksgiving holiday turned into something of an outreach mission that included international diplomacy with high-ranking officials.
During her two-week trip, cameras followed her as she visited schools, including her alma mater and a school that has no electricity. Wisner convinced Hewlett-Packard to donate laptops to the school so that children can use computers in the classroom, charging them at home. Other companies donated food and clothing to children.
Her meetings with Kenyan officials included the vice president, with whom she talked about her passions for bringing technology to children even before they begin school.
“Knowing that me being on ‘The Apprentice’ has put a spotlight on this need, I never expected that,” Wisner said.
Wisner is the associate director of a graduate student retention program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and she owns and operates Texas Techies, which aims to teach children computer skills and, at the same time, basic reading and math.
She said she hasn’t had much time recently to focus on growing her business, but she hopes the attention from the TV show will draw more support for classroom technology initiatives in Corpus Christi, especially in areas where children may not have regular access to computers.
On Thursday, Wisner taught children, including her two sons, at Manna Childcare Center. Ages 2 to 4, the children hovered over laptops playing a program called Puterbugs. Following on-screen and verbal instructions, they used a mouse and keyboard to feed specific amounts of gumballs to the cartoon critters on the screen. They’ll be reading and counting well ahead of other children their age when they enter kindergarten.
“It’s not about money, but ideas,” Wisner said. “Funding is going to come either way. I strongly believe that if you’re doing what you love, it’s going to happen.”
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