Seven Bay Area high school students were given the opportunity to get a head start on their college careers by enrolling in courses from the College of Computer & Information Technology as part of the JumpStart Program. The courses were taught at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs and Clearwater campuses of St. Petersburg College. They are geared toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology Development and Management, with a goal of completion in four years for $10,000.

Courses taught in this program included:

• Introduction to Computers & Programming (COP 1000)
• Introduction to C# (COP 2360)
• Local Area Network Concepts (CNT 1000)
  

These students took COP 1000 which focused on topics such as the Internet, an overview of how computers work and binary numbers. Upon completion of the course, students received one credit hour to apply toward their college degree. It also prepared students who were interested in careers in Computer Programming with the necessary skill-sets to pursue careers such as Web Developer, Computer Programmer and Systems Analyst.

“It’s really satisfying to see your program come to life and do what was intended,” said one male student about an assignment he completed in class. Since he has an interest in cybersecurity and gaming, he felt that this course was very informative.

Learn more about the CCIT courses.

Though there was a lot of work involved in the course, students appreciated the challenge. In addition to completing a course such as this at a young age, many appreciated the fact that it prepares you for a career in cybersecurity, which is in high demand. It was also beneficial to one female student who is considering a career change.

“It is awesome having a class of motivated students who are working ahead and completing assignments in advance,” said SPC IT Security Professor Shane Hamilton.

After a successful pilot, Hamilton looks forward to being a part of programs such as this in the future.