All posts by Donna Smith

SPC hosts Florida colleges for training

June 22, 2023College of Computer and Information Technology, CybersecurityDonna Smith

As our lives go a little bit farther online each year, we allow information regarding our banking, social life, photos and more to be stored in places that could potentially be hacked. That’s why we must be able to trust that our personal information and accounts are secure. This drives the rising demand for cybersecurity technicians across America, and especially in Florida, where the need for information security analysts is projected to have grown by 52 percent by 2031. That’s why St. Petersburg College’s College of Computers & Information Technology (CCIT), a current Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAEC), welcomed 21 state colleges to its St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus for a training session to learn how they, too can become nationally certified as a CAEC and train information security analysts who are knowledgeable and adept at keeping our cyberlives secure.

The training, made possible by the Florida Cybersecurity Alliance, a subgroup of the Center of Academic Excellence for Cybersecurity group, and the Florida Department of Education, SIM TB as well as the SIM Foundation, took place on SPC’s St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus on June 20.

Norene Kemp, SPC’s Dean of CCIT, said the event underscored the critical importance of equipping our students and professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to safeguard our digital future.

“By fostering collaboration, sharing expertise, and staying ahead of emerging threats, we are not only protecting our institutions, businesses and individuals, but we are also ensuring the resilience and security of our society as a whole,” she said.

William Waas, member of SIM TB and a CCIT Advisory Committee leader, said a generous donation from the local chapter as well as the SIM Foundation was made to support the event and ensure no cost to the attendees.

“We are excited to see SPC’s CCIT lead the way in preparing all FCS Cybersecurity programs to become CAECs,” he said.

The session aimed to create and manage a collaborative cybersecurity educational program for colleges that:

Establishes standards for cybersecurity curriculum and academic excellence.
Includes competency development among students and faculty.
Values community outreach and leadership in professional development.
Integrates cybersecurity practice within the institution across academic disciplines.
Actively engages in solutions to challenges facing cybersecurity education.

Kemp said that the initiative allowed statewide collaboration and an opportunity for Florida to be the GO-TO for all Cybersecurity talent.

“Together, we can build a strong foundation that empowers us to navigate the complex challenges of the digital age and forge a path towards a safer and more secure future.”

CTE Month Spotlight: Isaiah Chavez

February 2, 2023College of Computer and Information Technology, computer technology, FeaturedDonna Smith

This profile is part of a series celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month at St. Petersburg College. Be sure to check out the full story to read more about the experiences of SPC students. To explore all of our degrees and credentials, visit spcollege.edu/degrees.

As a young boy, Isaiah Chavez was always tinkering. His mom would procure an old computer, and he’d pop it open and marvel at the intricate workings inside. Now 34, Chavez earned his Associate in Science degree in Networking Technology and Administration at SPC in May 2021, and he understands a lot more about what he sees inside those machines.

Chavez earned his bachelor’s degree in radio and television production in 2010. In 2019, he was working at a Tampa Bay area television station as a camera operator when his company offered a new perk: free college tuition.

“I was like, ‘free education? I can do anything I want!’ My company was hiring for IT positions, so I went that route,” Chavez said.

After earning two certificates – Computer Support and Linux Administration – Chavez completed his internship at his place of employment and was offered a position immediately, which made big changes in his life.

“This degree has given me the opportunity to pay off my home faster, save money and live and have fun without the pressure of having to make ends meet,” he said. “Plus, my new career is just easier and more fun.”

Chavez said he chose a fast track and took only 8-week session classes at SPC. He said the classes were challenging enough, but when compressed into half the time of normal semester, life takes some planning.

“The 8-week sessions set me on a fast track to success,” he said. “It was fun, but I had to plan my time wisely. But if I can do it while working two jobs, I think just about anyone can do it.”

Now firmly established in his new position and hoping for a promotion in the near future, Chavez emphasizes the impact of a good internship experience.

“The internship taught me so many things,” he said. “I learned a lot about the basics of an IT job. If you do a good job at your internship, it will help you immensely.”

Chavez said he would encourage anyone to continue their education.

“It could take a little while but keep going. There is a light, and you can reach it.”

CTE Month Spotlight: Adelle LeCroy

February 2, 2023Certifications, CISCO, College of Computer and Information Technology, computer technology, Featured, Student StoriesDonna Smith

Adelle LeCroy raised three children, and when she was down to two still at home, both young adults, she decided it was time to do something for herself. LeCroy, who had worked in maintenance for years, decided to pursue her Associate in Science degree in Computer Networking Administration at SPC in 2016.

“I first attended SPC right after I graduated high school, but then I had my daughter and had to give it up,” LeCroy said. “I’d been working in maintenance for three years, and I just knew there was something else I needed to do. I needed to do something for me.”

LeCroy, who is currently employed by SPC in Technical Support, earned her Help Desk Support Specialist Certificate in 2017. She felt so empowered that she decided to go ahead and finish her AS degree. She wrapped that up in 2020 and still wanted to go farther.

“I’m hoping to earn my bachelor’s in Technology Development and Management in 2024,” she said. “The project management element of this degree has helped me so much. I feel more confident and comfortable dealing with faculty and students in my current position. Plus, the job helps me to contextualize what I’m learning in class.”

LeCroy wants to give back to the college. She’s a member of college organizations and clubs like Women on the Way and their advisory board, as well the SPC Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.

“I am reaching for the opportunity of growth and education in my college career,” LeCroy said. “I chose SPC because, not only was I allowed to learn in ways that I liked, but I was also given a community that supported me and allowed me to become who I am today.”

LeCroy credits her studies at SPC as a catalyst to bringing dreams to life – dreams that she didn’t fully believe she could achieve.

“My biggest fear was to not be able to gain and maintain a successful career,” she said. “But I love my work so much, and that’s a lifelong dream for me. It didn’t happen overnight, and I still have a little way to go. I’m not perfect, but I’m so proud of myself.”

SPC student places high in Cybersecurity challenge

June 23, 2022Cybersecurity, Featured, Student AccomplishmentsDonna Smith

When he was 10, Jarrod Monahan’s grandfather, a computer buff, set the young Monahan’s life on its course. As the senior Monahan worked on laptops, young Jarrod would assist, with his grandfather teaching him the name of every part and what it did. The experience stuck with him, and Monahan, now 20, has chosen computers as his life’s work. He expects to earn his Associate Degree in Cybersecurity from St. Petersburg College at the end of the Summer term, and recently beefed up his resume by being the only Florida student chosen for the first-ever Team USA in the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens, Greece. The group came in third overall.

“That’s not bad, considering it was our first year and we’re just one country,” Monahan said. “Europe’s team had participants from 16 countries and Asia had participants from eight, and they came in first and second, respectively.”

Getting there

Making the team was a months-long endeavor. Monahan, who is 20 and attending SPC on a Bright Futures Scholarship, began participating in cybersecurity competitions in the National Cyber League, where last year he landed in the top 200 of 6000 participants. After that performance, Dr. Laura Malave, Chair of SPC’s College of Computer & Information Technology, invited Monahan and other SPC Security Club members to try out to compete with Team USA. He jumped at the chance.

“After the opening challenge, I made it to week two in the top 25 percent,” he said. “I didn’t hear anything for almost a month, but then I found out I had made it to the next level.”

At that point, team hopefuls spent eight weeks solving security challenges before being split into smaller teams and given four days to work together to solve challenges provided by a coach. The first group to find a correct solution was deemed the winner. When the four days were up, the USA organization held a virtual draft day event, where they announced the USA team members. Monahan was thrilled to hear his name announced, and he and his fellow teammates immediately got to work.

“It was a lot of weeks of stress and prep,” Monahan said. “We had a lot of talented people, but before going in, we didn’t know what we’d be defending or what we’d be defending it from. We had a lot of strategy meetings.”

Monahan poses with the American team behind an American flag — Monahan, far left, back, poses with Team USA.

Contestants were challenged to defend a website, which they had to keep up and running while keeping it secure by logging network traffic, setting up a secure firewall and more, as new challenges were constantly thrown at them. He said the entire experience was amazing.

“At the end of the day, it’s meant to be fun,” he said. We showed up, challenged each other and did the very best we could.”

It wasn’t all work, though. Monahan said sponsors of the USA Team paid for his flight and lodging, as well as some fun outings.

“After each day of the competition, we would go out and grab food from street vendors,” Monahan said. “And the organization threw us a beach party with Team Europe and took us sightseeing.”

Monahan said he will continue his studies at SPC, going for a bachelor’s in cybersecurity. He’s also already putting out feelers for internships and jobs.

Malave said Monahan’s place on the US Cyber Team and their third-place finish demonstrates his commitment to months of training, his ability to work as a team with students from across the country, and his technical skills in offensive and defensive Cybersecurity.

“Jarrod has great promise in future Cybersecurity competitions and career,” Malave said. “He will continue to be an amazing competitor and an impressive future Cybersecurity professional.”

CTE Month Celebrates Tech Grads

January 31, 2022College of Computer and Information Technology, computer programs, computer technology, Cybersecurity, Featured, Student StoriesDonna Smith

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! CTE Month celebrates the value of workforce education programs and how they change lives, fill much-needed jobs and boost our local economy. At St. Petersburg College, we are proud of our programs and our graduates, and in celebration, we’d like to share some of their stories with you.

See how these two grads are living their dreams with technology degrees from SPC.

Terry Ellison – Computer Programming and Analysis

Terry Ellison in blue shirt — Terry Ellison

When Terry Ellison, 25, was five years old, he played Super Mario Brothers for the first time. His young mind was blown, and the trajectory of his life altered.

“I became passionate about gaming,” Ellison said. “And sometime around middle school, I realized that I could actually make a career out of video gaming and create something that would bring to others the same joy it brought to me.”

When he started taking classes at St. Petersburg College in 2016, it was in an introductory Python class taught by professor Adrian Tillman that Ellison realized that dream could be a reality for him.

“Playing games as a kid, it seemed like such a mystery, how to make a computer game do all those things,” he said. “Professor Tillman showed me it just wasn’t a complicated as it seems, and I found that I was just kind of a natural at programming.”

Ellison earned his Associate in Science Degree from St. Petersburg College in Computer Programming and Analysis in December of 2018. With the degree he earned at SPC, he recently landed a dream job.

“I had been working in the industry since I graduated, but Professor Tillman connected me with this opportunity to work for Microsoft.”

Working on Microsoft’s X-Box Game Development team, Ellison tests new games, both by writing programs that play it, and sometimes manually playing the game himself. So, he literally gets to play video games for a living. He gives credit not only to his own hard work, but also to the college, his professors and his fellow students for helping him achieve his dream.

“The tutors and Learning Resource Center were always there for me whenever I had an assignment I couldn’t figure out,” he said. “The faculty felt like family to me, and they really encouraged their students to work together and meet up outside of class to get to know each other. That helped us create a network in the industry.”

Ellison is currently studying for his bachelor’s degree in Game Development at Full Sail University.

Evan Huff – Cybersecurity

Evan Huff started taking classes at St. Petersburg College as a Dual Enrollment student at the young age of 14. Now 18, he has an Associate in Arts degree in his pocket, along with some industry certifications and a clear vision for his career future.

Along with his degree, Huff took two cybersecurity courses, which prepared him to take the exam for the CompTIA Security+ certification.

“SPC’s classes gave me the knowledge, but they also taught me how the test works so that I knew what to expect going in,” Huff said. “And it didn’t cost me anything – everyone who successfully completes the coursework gets a voucher that pays for the exam.”

Huff is proud to have earned that certification at such a young age.

“To be certified at 18 is great because there are people earning that certification who have been working in the field for years with more experience than I have, but I could still pass.”

Huff said the experience at SPC that made the biggest impression was the opportunity to take part in the National Cyber League (NCL), a performance-based, learning-centered collegiate cybersecurity competition.

“I heard about it at SPC and thought it sounded cool,” Huff said. “That experience ignited my passion for cybersecurity – I have never been more inspired by anything. It exposed me to how beautiful that world is. I enjoy problem solving and finding solutions, and you can apply these skills to everything you do – not just cybersecurity.”

Last Fall, Huff began work on a bachelor’s degree in Community Engaged Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, where he entered as a junior. He ultimately hopes to land a job with the Department of Defense.

CTE Month Spotlight: Danielle Damico

February 2, 2021College of Computer and Information Technology, FeaturedDonna Smith

Danielle Damico, 39, was a single mom of three, making ends meet by bartending and serving in Downtown St. Pete. The restaurant was right across the street from St. Petersburg College’s Downtown Center, and she walked by it often. Damico says she often felt like the black sheep of her family because she hadn’t gone to college.

“I faced some personal struggles in high school, and then life happened,” she said.

Children came; years passed. Damico took some classes in 2018, but juggling work and parenting made it seem impossible. When COVID hit and she lost her job, she decided it was time, and she enrolled at St. Petersburg College in Fall 2020. By the end of her second semester, she will have earned her Google IT Support Professional certificate, as well as a Comp TIA A+ certification, both of which were paid for with scholarships.

“These certifications will help me get a job – as early as this summer,” she said.

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, which celebrates the importance of CTE programs, not only to Damico, but also to so many others like her all across the nation.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has skyrocketed in America. In Florida, where the economy relies heavily on the tourism industry, unemployment is widespread. As of December 2020, there were more than 614,000 people without jobs. Programs like those at SPC offer short-term training that can take people who are unemployed or underemployed and quickly train them for high-paying careers in fields where there is a real need for trained workers, such as computer programming, cybersecurity, information technology, health sciences, advanced manufacturing and more.

In order to make earning new credentials more accessible, SPC partnered with the State of Florida. To make short-term programs easier to find, the college partnered with Get There Florida, an initiative that raises awareness of short-term training programs. The college also aimed to make short-term programs more affordable. A $2.2 million grant from the Florida Department of Education’s Rapid Credentialing Economic Recovery and Prosperity Initiative allowed SPC to offer the Rapid Credentialing Scholarship to employees or at risk of losing their jobs due to COVID-19.

“Our region has felt the unprecedented impact COVID-19 has had on the global workforce,” SPC’s Dean of Workforce Development Michael Ramsey said. “SPC’s programs help impacted community members to quickly get the skills they need to get back to work and back on their feet.”

SPC has more than 30 Associate in Science degrees and over 60 certificates, some that can be completed in as little as 10 weeks. In 2019-20, the college awarded more than 740 workforce certifications and is already showing an upward trend. Director of Workforce Education Jason Boys said SPC’s enrollment in Workforce Education Industry Certification programs is growing, as is the college’s selection of programs.

“We’ve had over 1100 students enrolled so far this academic year, and are adding more every day,” Boys said. “We also have several exciting new programs like Electrical Line Worker, Solar Power Associate, Patient Care Technician, Google IT Associate and Entrepreneurship Essentials.”

Damico plans to graduate in Spring 2022, then keep working towards a Bachelor in Applied Science in Technology Development and Management at SPC. Her advice for anyone considering going back? Just do it.

“Don’t even think about it – do it,” she said. “Until you do, you’ll be stuck in that loop of should haves.”

SPC Information Security Officer Offers Election Advice

March 17, 2020College of Computer and Information Technology, Cybersecurity, FeaturedDonna Smith

A true democracy hinges on the public’s ability to vote and then have their votes counted accurately. After the hacking issues during the 2016 election, and with the 2020 election cycle in full swing, concerns are mounting, St. Petersburg College’s Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer David Creamer recently published an article in Education Technology Insights that addresses ways that higher education institutions can avoid being targets for election hackers.

In the article, titled Election Cyber Security – Considerations for Educational Institutions, Creamer offers insight on how educational institutions can prevent security breaches that interrupt the democratic process during voting season.

“We indeed have a significant role to play addressing cyber security vulnerabilities and protecting against threats to our democratic process,” he wrote.

Noting that higher education institutions often serve as polling precincts, Creamer suggests ways that they can ensure that no tampering is done to voting equipment. He also notes scams via voting campaigns, which can trick students into making themselves ineligible to vote.

“Imitation registration campaigns, both on campus and online,” he writes, “seek to exclude parts or all of the electorate.”

Creamer said this can happen in more than one way.

“Tampering can introduce misinformation to voters, or in the case of voting machines, alter vote reporting,” he said.

Creamer encourages educational institutions to stay aware, inform their faculty, staff and students, and protect voting equipment, if they are a polling site. He also advises staff and faculty to pay special attention to phishing via email and maintaining situational awareness of people on campuses.

“We need to be vigilant because hackers consider educational institutions to be soft and rich targets that provide high bandwidth access to the internet and an easy place to compromise accounts,” Creamer said.

Read Creamer’s article on the Educational Technology Insights website. Also, check out SPC’s degrees and certificates in cyber security.

CCIT Professor Lends Talents to Refugee Camp

October 9, 2018College of Computer and Information Technology, FeaturedDonna Smith

St. Petersburg College’s John Just, College of Computer and Information Technology adjunct professor, recently volunteered with the Boat Refugee Foundation, an organization that provides services to people living in the Moria refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece.

The Lesvos camp was formed in 2016 after more than 46,000 refugees had reached the Greek Island, and, as they sought asylum, the Greek government contained the people in camps located at five different islands. Moria is the largest of the camps.

Just, who teaches Intro to Computers at SPC and is the Senior Vice President of Learning Innovation at KnowBe4, traveled to Greece to teach English, help set up a library and teach computer skills during his two-week stay at the camp. He said the conditions there were primitive.

“It’s very overcrowded and more people are coming in every day,” Just said. “There are families with children and older people, as well. People are living in small tents in between the ‘containers’ because they are full.”

In addition to the English and computer classes, The Boat Refugee Foundation offers many other services to the refugees, including a medical clinic, a school, a stress relief class and mental health workshops.

“There are experts from various fields there helping out,” Just said. They are some of the best people I have ever had the opportunity to work with.”

The refugees come from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and many other war-torn countries, and though they bring their own expertise, the need for education and enrichment is vital. Just noted that he met many extraordinary people at the camp, like Ousmane, an engineering student who escaped war and devastation in North Africa.

“His native language was French,” Just recalled. “He volunteered in our library and was always studying: English, Greek, and anything he could get his hands on. He hopes to go back to engineering school once he gets out of the camp. Any country would be better for having someone like him in it.”

To find out more about volunteering at a refugee camp or making a donation, visit the Boat Refugee Foundation website. Just said he would recommend the experience to any and all.

“It is such a fulfilling experience because you are working with great people from all over the world,” Just said. “They need our help because these people have lost everything,” Just said. “And they are really appreciative of our efforts. Several people wrote me notes of “thank you” and too many people said thank you to mention. It’s really rewarding, and there is a lot to do to help with the programs besides teaching class, so it’s great experience. I highly recommend it to SPC students and faculty.”

IT certification training available through new grant

March 21, 2017College of Computer and Information TechnologyDonna Smith

St. Petersburg College’s Workforce Institute is an approved educational provider for the new Tampa Bay TechHire program, which provides certification grants for free accelerated training and paid work experience opportunities to over 1,000 youth and young adults in high-growth industries. SPC will provide the free training in all IT related certifications, including CompTIA A+, Networking, IT Security, Java Programming and Web Development.

Along with any program-specific requirements for application, applicants for the TechHire grant must:
• Be between the ages of 17-29
• Possess a high school diploma or GED
• Be unemployed or underemployed

Training will be offered on multiple campuses, or with sufficient enrollments, may be provided at local schools.The grant covers tuition, as well as lab and certification fees, for the eligible students.

Fred Tucker, Program Coordinator for Information and Innovative Technologies at St. Petersburg College, said the program is growing rapidly.

“March will be our best month yet,” Tucker said, “with new students enrolling in IT certification training. I expect the enrollment numbers to grow during the next several months.”

Tucker also noted the demand for workers with IT certifications.

“Our digital world is expanding so quickly that it’s creating IT jobs and openings faster than the right people can be found to fill them,” he said. “Besides having low unemployment levels, IT jobs pay well with salaries that are significantly higher than the national average. The outlook is good, too: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the availability of IT jobs is projected to grow by 17 percent through 2022.”

An IT certification puts applicants ahead of the crowd.

“Having a certification in your hand boosts your resume and is an increasingly compelling credential when you’re applying for a job,” Tucker said.

For more information regarding applying to the program or bringing the program to your organization, contact Fred Tucker at 727-791-2409, or tucker.fred@spcollege.edu.

For information on all other training available, please visit SPC’s Workforce Institute, or contact us at (727) 341-4445 or at workforce@spcollege.edu.

Information Technology student named Outstanding Online Student

February 6, 2017Certifications, College of Computer and Information Technology, Student StoriesDonna Smith

When St. Petersburg College co-hosts the annual International Technology Council (ITC) eLearning Conference Feb. 19-22 at the Tradewinds Resort, ITC and SPC will present the 2017 Outstanding Online Student Award to College of Computer and Information Technology student William Wantling.

Wantling began his online journey to a degree in Fall 2015, but before that, his life had spiraled to a low point. He’d worked in the IT field for 18 years, but emerging technologies had outpaced his credentials, so he found himself unemployable in IT.

“For several years I struggled trying to get back into any type of IT job, but found myself stuck in more customer service roles,” Wantling said.

This, coupled with other personal issues, increased his personal struggle.

“I was severely depressed and found myself homeless for nearly a year,” Wantling said. “I have always been professionally employed, but found after a while I had nothing to look forward to.”

In April of 2015, Wantling landed a full-time position, which allowed him to get his own apartment near SPC’s Downtown Campus. He visited the Admissions Department there, which set him on course to change his life.

“With the help of the admissions department, I was able to get Pell Grants and financial aid and began my first online course in the Fall Semester,” he said.

Wantling enrolled in the Computer Support Certificate program, achieved a lifelong dream of being CompTIA A+ certified, then earned a Microsoft Technology Associate Certificate for Windows Server. He credits his instructors for their support, especially Downtown IT Academic Chair Laura Malave.

“Ms. Malave met with me and encouraged me to continue my journey and get further certifications,” he said. “I spoke to her every few weeks, giving her status updates, and she encouraged me to continue my education by switching to the A.S. Degree in Cybersecurity. I just got my CompTIA Network + certification, and if it wasn’t for the encouragement of Ms. Malave, it wouldn’t have been something I thought I could accomplish.”

Malave said Wantling is a dedicated and enthusiastic student, fully deserving of his award, which brings not only recognition, but includes a $500 stipend.

“William works very diligently to excel in his coursework and also to complete industry certifications,” she said. “He has demonstrated outstanding scholarship through online coursework, while working and studying for industry certifications. He is also active in campus life. I look forward to his continued academic and career success.”

Wantling is now 48 years old, working 35 hours a week at his job and taking a full load of online classes. He said SPC’s CCIT online courses are challenging but rewarding.

“I now have the skills needed to resume a career in Information Technology, with many opportunities. I am indebted to the instructors, staff, Ms. Malave and Dean Setterlind for the support and assistance in getting my education. I am once again becoming a productive member of society.”