Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”
Antoine Foster is a true example of this quote. Antoine graduated from St. Petersburg College (SPC) at the top of his class with an associate degree in Cybersecurity and a perfect 4.0 GPA at Tropicana Field on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
He was first introduced to the technology field at an early age as he watched his mother work as a senior networking analyst in Barbados. Antoine traveled back and forth from Barbados to St. Pete for about five years and decided to permanently move in with his father in Florida in 2017 to pursue his education in information technology. His family and his Northeast High School guidance counselor noticed his love for IT and encouraged him to apply to SPC.
Working Hard for Success
While attending his computer repair course, Antoine was told about the PITCH program by Professor Joseph Hall. Through the Providing Instruction for Tomorrow’s Collegians and Hires (PITCH) program—empowered by the City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions—Antoine earned his CompTIA A+ Certification, Security + Certification, Microsoft Technical Associate Operating Systems Fundamentals Certification, and secured internships at TriOrb Solutions and Moffitt Cancer Center of Tampa. As a result of his exemplary work at Moffitt, he gained full-time employment as an IT Service Technician.
Antoine worked hard to maintain his 4.0 GPA by taking full advantage of the out-of-class support at the college and mentoring in the PITCH program for advice on his career decisions while working and volunteering in the community during his free time.
“I stayed in the tutoring center for my general education courses,” Antoine said. “However, my IT courses were challenging because I could not find tutors for most of my classes.”
More Education in His Future
When asked what motivates him to work hard and stay focused on his goals, Antoine shared that his mother and father always told him to strive to be the best and to complete what he started. For this reason, Antoine will continue his educational journey at SPC to pursue his Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Technology Development and Management. His ultimate goal is to follow in his mother’s footsteps in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity.
The City of St. Petersburg’s Cohort of Champions funds entrepreneurial and educational training opportunities for African American male youth at SPC. The program also provides participants with opportunities for skill-building, leadership-focused workshops and events, mentoring, tutoring, academic advising, and wraparound services. Participants must be African American, 18–24 years old, and City of St. Petersburg residents.
