CTE Expo 2026

Date: May 21, 2026

Location: DNHS Quad and Mr. Mort’s Room

Extra Credit Theme: What you saw and what you learned

Proof of Experience

Caption:
We were in Mr. Mort’s room with Mr. Johnson, and I took a selfie with Moiz, Aditya, Neil, and Aneesh.

Before the Event

Before attending, I honestly was not expecting much. I thought it would just be a brief presentation about who Mr. Johnson was and what he does, but I ended up learning a lot of new things and useful tips from him.

Curiosity Before Attending

Before his talk, I was curious about what Mr. Johnson does as the CEO of SafeBallot and how his company uses cybersecurity.

What I Saw

• I went to the DECA booth and learned more about the club, especially the different branches like Finance, Marketing, Hospitality, and Entrepreneurship.
• I saw two sheep and became curious about why they were there, so I learned more about Poway FFA and the animals they raise with their own money.
• I visited a robotics booth and saw an interesting ball-picking machine they made.
• I went to a firefighter booth and saw them suited up along with some CPR training materials.
• I stopped by the photography booth, learned more about the first-place photos, and talked to the representatives there.
• I saw an art and sculpture booth, and it was really cool.
• I briefly stopped by the Del Norte Computer Science booth.
• In Mr. Mort’s room, I listened to Mr. Johnson talk about his success and his startup as a businessman.

Most Interesting Thing I Saw

The most interesting thing I saw was a car structure that one booth built. I did not have enough time to learn more about it, but it stood out to me. I was also interested in the mechanisms the robotics booth built and thought it was cool how they designed a ball-collecting system.

What I Learned

One thing I learned about Mr. Johnson is that the company he co-founded and leads, SafeBallot, was created to improve election efficiency and security through blockchain technology.

What Surprised Me

Something that surprised me was the lesson that people buy personality, not just products. It made me realize that success is not only about what you offer, but also about the relationships you build, the customers you meet, and how you make your brand visible. I was also surprised by how Mr. Johnson promoted his brand in unique ways, such as sponsoring a basketball team and hosting a pizza party for fourth and fifth graders to teach them how to campaign.

What Inspired Me

What inspired me most was Mr. Johnson’s quote: “You don’t need to have the whole staircase before you take the first step… start before you’re ready.” Hearing that, along with his advice to “stack reps early” and keep dreaming big even if others think the idea is crazy, was very motivating.

Personal Connection

This connects to my personal interests in sports, school, and content creation. Seeing that Mr. Johnson was also an athlete inspires me to value discipline, teamwork, and belief in myself. Through his success in tech, even without knowing how to code at first, he showed me that success in my future industry will also be shaped by the values and motivation I build as a high school student.

Interaction

Person or group I learned from: Mr. Johnson

Mr. Johnson explained how the success of his tech company, SafeBallot, depends on the connections you make with the people you work with and the people you sell your product to. He emphasized the importance of pitching confidently. He also explained that a strong business usually succeeds by making something better, faster, or cheaper.

Depth of Experience

This event changed how I think about approaching business in the future. I may have technical skills from computer science class, but those skills are not enough by themselves. They become much more valuable when combined with networking, discipline, and the ability to solve real-world problems with other people.

Connection to CS or Future Goals

This connects to my CS class and future goals because of Mr. Johnson’s emphasis on social connection. The skills I learn in CSSE are only part of what I need to succeed in the future. Technical skills matter, but they are much stronger when paired with networking and collaboration. His message opened my eyes to the reality that school knowledge is not meant to go to waste, but to help us contribute to the world by solving real-world issues. Combining what I learn in CSSE with Mr. Johnson’s mindset of networking will help me succeed in the future.

Final Reflection

This event was meaningful to me because it showed the real-world side of success in business and entrepreneurship. Mr. Johnson revealed the importance of networking and perseverance, while the booths showed the practical and technical sides of many different fields.

Biggest Takeaway

People buy authenticity and emotions.