All posts by blenon

Career Skills, Cybersecurity, In-Demand Technology Pathways, Internships, Interpersonal Skills, Mentoring, NOVA to Mason, Student Success

Q and A With CyTalks Intern Maseeh Lalee

We spoke with NOVA cybersecurity student Maseeh Lalee about getting ready for the real world, self-advocacy, and career goals.

Q: Please explain the importance of cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity deals with every aspect touching the digital realm. I think when people think about Cybersecurity, they think about anti-virus or technical stuff like firewalls. In fact, it’s often simple concepts. For example: don’t overshare on social media, guard your digital footprint, use complex passwords, don’t add people who you don’t know, etc. The importance really lies in trying to limit the methods that an attacker can compromise a system or a person by gaining information, which often is publicly available. Also never assuming your data is safe or your privacy is ensured, cybersecurity’s importance is emphasizing that security is a shared responsibility that everybody is involved in.

Q: Generally, why are internships important?

Internships really give you a good look at how work, and to a larger extent business, is conducted in a professional environment. In this internship with CyTalks, I found the access we were given to Office 365 cloud suite gave us an opportunity to experiment with things and to complete the tasks we were given. I also value internships as a networking avenue, I met some people on my team that I’m still in contact with today.

Q: What specific hands-on activities have you engaged in during your internship? What has been your favorite task or project?

We were doing so many things related to Cybersecurity. The first project was auditing our systems to take a security baseline and it gave us some insight into system hardening and the compliance or legal side of Cyber. We reviewed guidelines like the NIST Risk Management Framework which outlines the process of managing risk associated with systems added to a network and the subsequent security controls put in place to secure those systems. I also got to write a paper on the Cyber Skills Gap which was pretty fun just doing research about the field I am actively pursuing. My favorite task or project was actually the most unsuccessful, which was malware analysis. Basically, we ran malware or a virus inside a virtual machine to observe its behavior. Although the malware’s execution didn’t work for me, building this sandbox environment really motivated me to doing this stuff on my own time since it was aligned with what I’d like to do in the future.

Q: Who has had a particular influence on you during your internship?

Dr. Kohy and my team lead Bethany has much influence on me. Dr. Kohy gave us insights in how we should carry ourselves and industry specific advice. Bethany gave our team a lot of motivation and support to stay on top of deadlines.

Q: What’s the importance of soft skills (communication, problem solving, working with people) in cybersecurity and what have you learned during your internship in this capacity?

Soft skills is super important and I think it was stressed on so much that it became ingrained in our mindset. Just working as part of a team let us know the importance of soft skills. For example, managing projects and their deadlines, effectively communicating and resolving any problems with your team. The golden rule I learned is you must be personable and be a self-advocate. Nobody’s going to help you if you’re not willing to help yourself.

Q: How did your experience as a NOVA student prepare you for your internship?

NOVA’s classes were much in line with what we were doing. Mostly I was pulling from self-study and research assignments I’ve done at NOVA to streamline the projects to complete them smoothly.

Q: Explain what you think are the benefits of a 2-year degree in Cybersecurity and also a 4-year degree. Do you plan to go straight into the workforce or transfer after NOVA?

I think there are both direct and indirect benefits. The direct benefits are what people often look to when they’re trying to convince students to go to college, that the degree makes you more employable. However, I think it really depends on the person cause self-study is definitely possible. I know people with 2-year degrees that don’t really know anything. They just went through the classes at NOVA but never retained the concepts. So it’s really about the work you put in. If you’re already an IT professional, a 2 year degree would suffice. If you’re just entering straight out of high school, a 4 year degree could be in your path because there are many fundamentals you have to learn in order to get into Cyber. Simply because Cyber isn’t really entry level even though there’s many “entry level” positions open. As far as my plans go, I’m transferring to George Mason University but am also actively partaking in other internship opportunities and applying to full time IT/Cyber jobs.

Q: What particular area of cybersecurity do you want to pursue?

I want to get into SOC, Incident Response or Vulnerability Management. They’re all Blue Team or defense roles but particularly SOC interests me because being a Security Analyst is my dream job.

Q: What type of software have you used in your internship and how has it equipped you?

It was primarily the Microsoft Office 365 Suite, which was Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It has benefited me because in the internship I’m at now, we primarily communicate through Outlook and Teams. Learning to schedule meetings on Teams was extremely useful.

Q: Tell us a little about the personal side of internships. What are relationships like with peers and with supervisors at Cytalks?

With peers it was great, I had 2 teammates and I really liked them both. One of my teammates his name is Justin, he ended up becoming good friends with me and I got to know him well. My supervisor Bethany was an extremely invaluable resource for me and she was extremely kind. I received great mentorship from both her and Dr. Kohy for guidance as we were navigating through the internship and figuring out our paths.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?

The biggest challenge is adapting. Trying to stay ahead and be able to manage the workload, because if you can’t deliver a project on time, it’s a bad look on your time management skills. I just tried to stay ahead and keep adapting to any new information I encountered.

Q: What has been the biggest game-changer for you in this internship?

I’d have to say the confidence I got with learning self-advocacy and getting myself out there as much as I can. I was taught an interesting lesson. “It’s not what you know but who you know”. It gave me an idea as to how important networking and the need to build connections with your colleagues or people who can become future friends. Even just treating everybody with respect is super important cause if you think about things solely on how someone can benefit you, you’re harming yourself. This internship was a humbling experience seeing people who’ve been in cyber for years volunteering their time made me think in more positive terms.

Q: What else should we know from your experience as a CyTalks intern?

It’s a great opportunity for interns to learn as much as they can. You’ve got to experience it to find out how great of an environment it is. It was insightful seeing how much freedom they gave us interns as to which projects we could choose but also in managing and creating these projects. We were just given a deadline and some guidelines, but as to how we implemented it was up to us and our creativity as a group. I was surprised how much research we did at CyTalks, it was almost like we were in a class but it never felt like a classroom environment. The team leads were always very motivational and supportive to us. I think that’s what really made this internship, we were put into teams and I felt accountable to my teammates and didn’t want to disappoint them.

Q: What are your career goals? Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

My career goal is to get into Cybersecurity, specifically the defense side of things. In 5 years I want be a Tier 2 or 3 Security Analyst working on incident response or in a SOC. Eventually I want to get into Cyber Engineering or the management side of things which can happen in 7 years. Cloud computing is a big field now so I would like to also incorporate my knowledge of cyber to become a Cloud Security Engineer which I could achieve in 10 years or just go towards Cyber management like CISO.

Q: Bonus question: Do you have a favorite show that depicts Cybersecurity? What do TV and movies get right and wrong about Cybersecurity?

I don’t watch much shows but I can speak to this a bit. I watched a couple episodes of Mr. Robot, and I can say it was somewhat accurate. Most ethical hackers have a strong background in cyber so they’ll be in a cyber engineer jobs cause there’s simply more blue team/defense jobs than red team/hacking jobs. From watching Snowden, I can say that’s pretty realistic too. Especially the part where he’s downloading files onto a USB and then exfiltrating it off the servers. He was a security analyst so he would’ve had access to those specific files/data and also the biggest threats are often insiders or employees/Ex-employees cause of their levels of access and knowledge of the network’s architecture or inner workings. It would be easy for them to break into a system they know like the back of their hand.

 

3D Printing, Community Partnerships, Design Challenge, Design Thinking, Fab Lab, Fabrication, Makers By Design NSF Grant, NOVA Awards, NOVA Fab Lab, STEM Awards

Spring Fab Lab Design Challenge Winners Awarded

Congratulations to the winners of the Spring ’23 NOVA Fab Lab Design Challenge!

The theme for this semester was Upcycling, where we challenged college, high school, and middle school students to use their innovative skills to design a product that reuses discarded objects or materials to create a product of usefulness and quality.

Grand prize winners Anirudh Holavanahalli, Rohan Matta, and Ajay Penugonda designed tires into a functional bookshelf, called “HigherTire”. They were awarded $1000 to split and their product was fabricated by the Fab Lab staff.

Anirudh Holavanahalli reflected “I like the concept of the design challenge and I’m also happy with the design that we as a team created. We reused old tires and added some wood and mechanics. I really like how the design looks, it’s hard to create. [The fabrication] looks exact and identical.

Fellow grand champion Rohan Matta added “I really like the design challenge because you don’t really see these types of upcycle designs, where it’s not just about how cool it looks. I never thought the final product would come out this good.”
Northern Virginia Community College students were well represented in the post-secondary division. Champion Makayla Draper participated in her second design challenge, also winning last Fall, and said she enjoyed “the theory aspect of this challenge.” Fellow NOVA compatriot Joe Le Sage also enjoyed the challenge, saying “it was fun to participate. I needed an excuse to design something and this was a good excuse.”

Mary Ratcliff, one of our Fab Lab Coordinators, started at NOVA in the fall and from week one was involved in conceptualizing the upcycling idea for the challenge and spearheading the logistics of communicating with participants and fabricating the product alongside Fab Lab Coordinator Richard Sewell and technician David Burn.

Ratcliff said “the Spring Design Challenge Awards Ceremony was a celebration of creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness. Winners from middle school, high school, and post-secondary divisions were honored for their imaginative, yet practical applications of upcycling. Wood pallets, CDs, and plastic bottles were just a few of the transformed materials incorporated into the winning designs. Congratulations to all Spring Design Challenge participants!”

One of the judges, John Hicks, owner of Fillagreen, loved the sustainability potential for upcycled products and reflected on his involvement:

“It was a great experience to see the creativity and thought leaders in today’s students. I look forward to seeing the great positive impact these participants will make on the world! Sustainability is within reach and is attainable through small steps.”

Thank you to our sponsors and community partners BAE Systems, Inc., Micron Technology, and Fillagreen as well as our judges John Hicks, David Tuohey, and Jim Crane.

We will be announcing our next Fab Lab Design Challenge in the Fall. For updates sign up for our monthly IET Newsletter at newsletter.novastem.us

#WeDoSTEM #DesignThinking #Upcycling

Career & Technical Education, Career Skills, CTE, Cybersecurity, Engineering Technology, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Interpersonal Skills, Mentoring, NOVA Awards, NOVA IET, SkillsUSA, STEM Awards, Student Success

NOVA Wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze at SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference!

NOVA’s SkillsUSA National Competitors

Back Row (L to R): Soham Nawthale, Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael, Nathaniel Bunger, Ardian Peach

Front Row: Takeshi Tamashiro-Pardo, Marcus Dent, Claudio Molina, Dhyuthi Chegu, Kanykei Korosheva, Mahelet Gebremichael, Nora Kaup

Last September, upon being recognized at a special NOVA ceremony for winning a bronze medal in Cybersecurity at the 2022 SkillsUSA National Conference, Ardian Peach was prescient about NOVA prospects in future SkillsUSA events when he declared “although this is NOVA’s first medal on the national stage, it won’t be the last.”

How right he was. Last week, June 19-23, at the 2023 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, NOVA took home Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, with Peach one-upping himself from last year with a silver in Cybersecurity.

The Skills USA National Leadership & Skills Conference is the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education. This event brings together thousands of students, instructors, business partners, and administrators to celebrate the accomplishments of those preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and it’s an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their talents and skills on the national level.

NOVA’s Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael Wins Gold!

NOVA triumphed with their first national gold. Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael won in the category of Internet of Things: Smart Homes, a three-day intense hands on event where he was required to install a smart TV, smart thermostat, antennae and more onto a make shift room. The event included a troubleshooting component which required him to fix certain things that “went wrong” with his installation.

Gebremichael was ecstatic over his win, saying “It felt amazing. It was something that I’ve never thought would happen because I did not imagine that I was going to win. I worked so hard, not because I wanted to win, but because I truly enjoy what I do. Being encapsulated in my work and my love and appreciation for STEM and engineering led me to this moment. I’ve won at other competitions, but nothing this big nationally, and for that I am so, so happy. Words cannot even express right now. NOVA has brought me to the forefront of my dreams.”

Read more about Jonatan’s experience here.

As mentioned earlier, Ardian Peach returned to take silver in Cybersecurity and earned back-to-back National stage winner status. The three-person team of Nathaniel Bunger, Kanykei Korosheva and Mahelet Gebremichael earned bronze in the Engineering Technology Design team challenge. Claudio Molina also took bronze in Principles of Engineering.  Dhyuthi Chegu took the silver in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Mahelet Gebremichael, Kanykei Korosheva, and Ardian Peach with their medals.

Ardian Peach remarked on his continued success “there’s really something special about being able to compete at nationals against some of the brightest students in the country, and fly home with a medal. We’ve proven that our skills go far outside the classroom and have real world impact, and I’m really proud of that. I’ve gotten opportunities at NOVA that I couldn’t get at a lot of 4 year institutions, which have definitely put me ahead. Shoutout to AllCyber at the Woodbridge campus for helping me prepare for SkillsUSA Nationals!”

Peach will transfer to University of Central Florida this Fall and just this week received news that he has been accepted to the USA National Cybersecurity Camp/Combine, which is used to select the team to compete at the International Cybersecurity Challenge.

NOVA’s SkillsUSA team began their journey in Fall 2022, which culminated in 13 gold medals at the State Championship in April (read more about that here) and 12 students qualifying for Nationals. Students arrived in Atlanta on Monday, June 19, registered and went straight to work.  Some worked on final adjustments to their projects, others put in one final night of studying and review while others met other students and industry professionals from across the country.  The conference was held at the Georgia World Congress Center with some events held at nearby venues.  Thousands of students competed from all 50 states.

The theme for the conference was “Our Time is Now” and NOVA students proved themselves up to the task.  Each team member supported each other and cheered each other on as the conference and competitive events progressed.

One of the bronze medalists In Engineering Technology, Kanykei Korosheva (who is also president of NOVA’s Student Government Association), said that being part of SkillsUSA “has truly been an extraordinary journey throughout my college experience, enriching me with invaluable skills and unforgettable memories. The camaraderie and collaborative spirit we fostered as a team were instrumental in our success. The networking aspect of SkillsUSA opened doors to new friendships, mentorship possibilities, and potential career prospects.”

Her teammate Mahelet Gebremichael added “this has been an incredible journey for me. It required courage to step out of my comfort zone and explore various areas of engineering, technology, and design through my competition. NOVA has played a crucial role in my growth by providing opportunities to engage in clubs, attend conferences, and even pursue an internship that exposed me to real-world applications of my studies. NOVA’s commitment to providing opportunities for all students, regardless of their background or level of confidence, is truly remarkable and Skills USA plays a big role in connecting students with the same passion and interest, providing a platform for collaboration and learning from one another.”

Nate Bunger, a fellow bronze medalist, was similarly grateful for the support he has received in his success: “SkillsUSA, along with the gracious help and resources of NOVA, helped build my skills, let me explore my passion, and gave me the tools necessary to succeed in our competition.”

NOVA’s medalists are listed below.

  • Jonathan Solomon Gebremichael – Gold medal: Smart Homes, Internet of Things
  • Ardian Peach – Silver medal: Cybersecurity
  • Dhyuthi Chegu – Silver medal: Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Nathaniel Bunger – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Mahelet Gebremichael – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Kanykei Korosheva – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Claudio Molina – Bronze medal: Principles of Engineering

There was success for other NOVA students as well. Marcus Dent, placed 5th in telecommunications/cabling and received an immediate job offer from his mentor. Takeshi Tamashiro-Pardo competed in Information Technology and earned his industry certification, CompTIA A+ core 1 and core 2.

Along with all the students listed above, Nora Kaup – First aid/CPR, Soham Nawthale – Computer Programming, and Tanjim Redhwan – Realted Technical Math competed at the national level after winning at the State Championship in April.

Special thanks goes to NOVA IET’s CTE Coordinator M. Andy Chaves and NOVA SySTEMic’s Fab Lab Coordinator Mary Ratcliff for expertly guiding and advising students through the entire process.

Congratulations SkillsUSA NOVA students! You make us proud and boldly lead the way for others at NOVA to strive and succeed.

#BoldyNOVA #SkillsUSA #InDemandTech #NOVAIET

CTE, Engineering Technology, Internet of Things, SkillsUSA, STEM Awards, STEM Competitions, Student Success

NOVA Student and SkillsUSA National Gold Medalist Reflects On His Journey

NOVA’s Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael won a Gold Medal at the 2023 SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta on June 23.

Gebremichael triumphed in the category of Internet of Things: Smart Homes, a three-day intense hands-on event where he was required to install a smart TV, smart thermostat, antennae, and more items into a makeshift room.

See related story: NOVA Wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze at SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference!

We spoke to Jonatan the week after his big win and he has a great story to tell, from overcoming extreme adversity to being a SkillsUSA champion.

How did it feel to win Gold at the national level?

It felt amazing. It was something I did not imagine that I’d win. Winning States was one thing, but winning Nationals kind of blew my mind.

I worked so hard, not just because I wanted to win, but because I truly enjoy what I do. Being encapsulated in my work and my love and appreciation for STEM and engineering led me to that moment. I’ve been to multiple hackathons and engineering competitions with my friends at the Northern Virginia Community College Society of Physics Students and engineering club and we’ve competed at a NASA hackathon physics conference. I’ve won second place, I’ve won third place, but nothing this big and nationally. And for that I am so, so happy.

When I went on that stage at Nationals and they called my name out, I could not believe it – I placed as a finalist. When they called third place for someone else, I was like, “oh my God, I won second place.” And then they called second place and it was the other person, my heart just dropped because I knew I was first! At that moment I realized, I am worth it. My work has been acknowledged.

What obstacles have you overcome while building your skills?

I come from poverty. I would never wish the kind of struggles I’ve had on another person. I came here alone, 14 years old, and then my mom followed me, and then my sister followed me because we were fleeing Ethiopia, without money, drinking sparkling water so the hunger would disappear so we can sleep. We lived in a basement, renting from somebody else’s house. And I had to learn English.

It is difficult to be the parent of my mother, to be the parent of my sister, to be the breadwinner of a household, at the same time trying to reach my goals. Who am I supposed to turn to to reach these goals? I know I will achieve greatness, people told me this starting from when I built an electric sharpener out of a broken computer fan in the villages of Ethiopia when I was a kid. But my experience getting to where I am has been very hard.

What does greatness mean to you?

To have opportunities. To be significant. To be needed. To have purpose. And I will be ready at the door for opportunities because it’s stuck in my fingernails.

Earlier on, no matter how much I tried, no matter how much passion and tenacity I showed, I could never keep up with the workload. It’s not my not understanding of the subject but the struggles of being a Northern Virginia Community College student when I also have to feed my family. Even with previous accomplishments, trying to be recognized for my ability, I lost my mind when people told me, “Jonatan, you’re going to be great someday,” just for them to turn around and say my grades didn’t reflect that, it made me mad. I would hide my identity. I would hide all the problems because I didn’t want to be treated differently. I had a goal in mind to provide for the world – problem solving is the core part of who I am – helping people with kindness and care. And the SkillsUSA win was insanely great because of that.

What does the win mean to you personally?

It really hit close to home because of the adversity I am from. It gives me the opportunity to be great, to imagine growing in this field. I am not a person who is afraid of failure. I am an inventor and my purpose is way bigger than me. I joined the Society of Physics Students when I’m not even a physics major. But allowing myself to be around people that have the same purpose and passion is so wonderful to me. And that has helped me grow and learn.

Because of my immigration status and the adversity I’ve come through, showing my skills and being recognized was something that really impacted me for the first time when I was standing on that national stage.

I care about my purpose. I don’t care about money, power, or fame. I have a goal in mind and I will not stop that I get there and it is finally starting to pay off. NOVA gave me a chance to go to college when all other colleges declined me, it let me be part of a community of people who are also passionate in their field, learning and growing while having fun at the same time. This is when learning happens, not only in the classroom but through conversations and projects and work and just hanging out with your fellow classmates who are passionate about what they do.

I am also so thankful for SkillsUSA because it gave me the opportunity to show my knowledge outside the realms of traditional education. SkillsUSA and NOVA provided me with a chance to be great.

How have you achieved your goals?

Preparation and loving what you do.  No matter how bad things are, no matter how much I’m failing, no matter how much I’m struggling, I’m not giving up or letting go of my identity. My preparation was also being surrounded by people also wanting to do this, stuff like this, for fun, regardless of winning or losing.

How will this award impact your future and how will you help others?

NOVA has brought me to the forefront of my dreams. When I try to get a job, I’m able to prove myself now. Hopefully I’ll make enough money to create a learning center, but more importantly, I’ll create a scholarship for students like me that never got the support. The kid who is smart and loves what he does, but just can’t make it happen because of this trials and tribulations. I want to be there for that kid, because I went through it man. I’ll help them out. I can’t wait to help these people, because I know the kind of potential that we can give to the world – future leaders that would otherwise have been abstracted away by the society we live in.

What advice you have for other students?

Don’t let your struggles define your potential, your ability, and your identity. Do what you love. It’s so easy for great minds to disappear. If you’re are a great thinker, just stand at the door of opportunity because no matter how twisty the roads, no matter how many dead-ends, your passion and love for what you do will get you to the finish line. Places like Northern Virginia Community College specialize in these opportunities.

Jonatan with Chelle Travis, National Executive Director of SkillsUSA, after his gold medal win

Jonathan’s sister, Maddie Gebremichael, also won the bronze medal in Engineering Technology and Design, proving that vision, hard work and skill run in the family. She reflected “Thrilled and grateful to have won the bronze medal in Engineering Technology and Design at the SkillsUSA Nationals as part of the NOVA Nightwaks team! A huge thank you to Northern Virginia Community College and NOVA foundation for their incredible support and opportunities. It’s an honor to be a part of a vibrant community that truly cares about opening paths for student success.”

You can read more about NOVA’s other medal winners here.

 

Career Skills, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Grants, Networking, NOVA Fab Lab, PDI NSF Grant, Product Design Incubator (PDI)

PDI Completes Inaugural Cohort with Pitch Event

On Friday, June16th students from the Fab Lab’s inaugural Product Design Incubator (PDI) presented their product pitches to an audience of faculty, staff, and industry guests.

PDI is a project designed to train groups of community college students through a product design challenge. The PDI curriculum integrates entrepreneurship training and design thinking to guide students from initial ideation through the prototyping and pitch processes. PDI increases contact between students and industry professionals, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between NOVA students and staff, and increases the supply of IET workers with industry-required collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.

At the pitch event, student groups met informally with guests during a networking event, then gave formal 10-minute pitches. Two product prototypes were presented: Student Rise, a student-led recruitment service for internships; and Novagation, a mobile indoor navigation app for college campuses.

Isaiah Harris, a PDI student who helmed Novigation, said “PDI is a great opportunity because it puts you in contact with so many people in the industry and it allows you to learn so many different skills from business to marketing to product design and creative thinking. Definitely recommended. It really allows you to work as a team and will help you figure out what your strengths are and also how to improve upon your weaknesses.”

Tina Dang, another PDI student added “I’ve been able to meet some amazing people in PDI. It has taught me how to communicate better and learn how to adapt in difficult situations and has also allowed my creativity to expand.”

As far as the advisors, Fab Lab Coordinator Richard Sewell praised what the students achieved: “I’m immensely proud of the work that students accomplished during their time at the Lab. They’ve all shown tremendous growth in their ability to collaborate, innovate, and design.”

In addition, NOVA associate professor of business and PDI advisor Cameisha Chin embarked that “each project presented was clear, compelling, and commercially viable. Students demonstrated both an entrepreneurial spirit and a shrewd business sense.”

For more on PDI in general, click here.

 

Data Center Operations, Data Centers, Engineering Technology, Industry Partnerships, NOVA IET, STEM Awards, Student Success, Student to Workforce

STACK Infrastructure Wins NOVA-Nominated “Creating Excellence” Award

NOVA IET nominated STACK Infrastructure for the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia’s Community College System State Postsecondary Business and Industry Partnership “Creating Excellence” Award and they won!

STACK is Northern Virginia Community College‘s strongest ally in expanding its Data Center Operations program, serving on advisory boards, assisting with developing and improving curricula, and hosting site visits and a summer bridge program for high school students.

Chad Knights, VP of IET and College Computing at NOVA, alongside Thomas (TJ) Ciccone, VP at STACK Infrastructure (and NOVA DCO Adjunct Professor) and Anthony Antonellis, Asst. Critical Operations Manager at STACK, were on hand to receive the award at the Four Points Sheraton, Richmond on June 8.

STACK has actively worked to expand the DCO program by including additional industry partners and stakeholders, providing guidance, securing funding, preparing and teaching DCO programs of study, and presenting alongside NOVA at industry conferences.

They have been a long-time supporter of the Northern Virginia educational community, from participating in the AFCOM Internship Program to contributing to NOVA IET and NOVA’s Student Success Fund.

Ciccone reflected “Being a part of this project from its inception and watching it grow into such an impactful and meaningful program has been rewarding beyond words. The bright individuals that I’ve had the pleasure of teaching through the NVCC Data Center Operations Management class are truly going to have a lasting positive impact on our industry. Being able to witness the success of former students, some of whom join us here at STACK, is an honor that I hope to continue for many years to come. I’m proud to be a part of a program that is ushering in the next wave of data center talent.”

Antonellis added ““As an NVCC Data Center Operations program graduate, I can confidently say that the deep institutional knowledge gained in this class has been instrumental in forging a clear career path. Now I work within one of STACK’s Northern Virginia data centers, and whenever I support or lead the onsite student tours, it is always a pleasure to watch their enthusiasm and interest grow as they learn about an industry career with exciting upward mobility and a wealth of options for growth.” 

Congratulations STACK, we’re proud to partner with you!

For more on DCO at NOVA click here.

#DataCenter #DCO #northernvirginia #InDemandTech #HighDemandHighWage #YoungTalent

Data Center Operations, Data Centers, Engineering Technology, Externships, Industry Partnerships, Industry Tours, Information Technology, NSF DCO Tech Grant

Educator Externship Participants’ Embark on Engineering Tech and Data Center Site Visits

The DCO Tech Secondary Externship Program for secondary educators and career counselors is grounded in the necessity to guide students into successful, in-demand tech careers.

A major component of the externship is visiting these state-of-the-art engineering technology and data center facilities to bring first-hand visuals of daily operations and knowledge gained on-site back to their classrooms.

Eighteen educators and counselors from Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County Public Schools participated in industry tours in April and May to Data Centers such as CoreSite, Equinix, Iron Mountain, QTS, and STACK Infrastructure, as well as Lockheed Martin and Micron Technology. These companies are thoroughly invested in the formation of tech career pathways and provided informative tours of their facilities while fielding questions about careers in the industry.

The NSF-funded externship began in March with an introduction to NOVA’s Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations degree programs, and will conclude in July with a tour of the NOVA Fab Lab where educators will begin to work on their Plan of Action to take back what they have learned to their schools and their students.

Action Plans submitted from last year’s cohort resulted in NOVA SySTEMic school presentations, class field trips to NOVA campuses, and industry site visits by educators and their students.

Applications for 2024 Externships will be open next January. They will be announced in our newsletter and through NOVA IET Twitter and LinkedIn.

For more about Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations at NOVA, click here

AFCOM, Data Center Operations, IET Events, Internships, Mentoring, STEM Careers, Student to Workforce

AFCOM Summer Internship in Data Center Operations Lifts-Off!

The AFCOM summer internship kicked-off on May 23rd at STACK Infrastructure with an impressive gathering of students, faculty, DCO program alumni, industry leaders and internship sponsors invested in the success of the Data Center industry, the community and NOVA’s DCO programs.

AFCOM is an association for career advancement of IT and data center professionals. The 10-week internship program lead by the AFCOM Potomac Chapter, connects students to industry partners and is centered around building the data center industry by partnering with NOVA’s IET Division and providing paid summer internships to students in the DCO programs. Historically, more than 70% of these internships will lead to job offers.

For the past 4 years the NOVA IET Data Center Operations (DCO) program has provided the bulk of the students for AFCOM internships, doubling the number of interns from last year, where we provided 8 of the 11 interns that participated. This year we are providing 16 of the 20 interns, answering the challenge to have 20 interns for the summer of 2023. 

During the internship, students experience working at 2 and sometimes 3 different companies, gaining a much broader understanding of how their role as a DCO technician impacts the business and keeps this critical infrastructure up and operational 100% of the time.

A couple of years ago many students did not know what a data center was, but now they are gaining invaluable experience alongside industry giants and through the internship are becoming equipped for high-demand, high wage careers.

In addition, each intern has a mentor from the organization they are interning with as well as an AFCOM industry steward who supports them on their educational pathway beyond the internship.

NOVA IET has another program that prepares students with professional interpersonal skills, the Career and Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI). Of the 16 NOVA interns, 7 are from CLRI.

We anticipate another successful summer of career-enhancing data center internships and look forward to continuing the successful growth next year thanks to the hard work and dedication of the AFCOM leadership team and funding provided through the GO Virginia DEEP IET grant.

Applications for AFCOM Internships for summer 2024 will be open next February. They will be announced in February in our newsletter and through NOVA IET Twitter and LinkedIn.

For more background info about NOVA pathways to IT and Data Center careers, read this article

For more about Data Center Operations at NOVA, click here

Business Engagement, Career & Leadership Readiness Institute, Career Skills, Community Partnerships, Engineering Technology, IET Events, Industry Partnerships, Information Technology, Internships, Interpersonal Skills, Mentoring, Networking, NOVA IET Career Pathways

CLRI Celebrates Spring Graduates at Networking Event

On March NOVA IET hosted the Executive Mentoring (EM) and Networking event at the Annandale Campus as the culmination of the Spring Career and Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI). 

CLRI students completing the program networked with nine industry professionals from various organizations including Microsoft, Coresite, Iron Mountain Data Centers, HRTech, Simple Technology Solutions, Cytalks, AWS, and Lockheed Martin.

A total of 23 students completed the Spring CLRI program and were recognized for their efforts with a short ceremony where they received CLRI leather portfolios and a CLRI T-shirt. They participated in facilitated roundtable discussions with the industry professionals who shared insights into careers in the IT industry before a catered networking event with CLRI grads eager to learn and build their networks.

The industry professionals shared their stories, provided career advice, and encouraged learning and professional development as keys to starting an enriching career. The CLRI program depends on the participation from industry professionals both as workshop presenters and EMs.

The Spring CLRI program offered a blended approach including virtual and in-person workshops, Technical Resume Writing, in-depth discussions about Government vetting and clearances, Mock Interviews, a team project formulated around a case study with a community service component and the EM and Networking event.

All sessions were recorded and are available through Canvas.

NOVA IET’s Sedrick Settle and M. Andy Chaves lead this Spring cohort and served as mentors and guides to encourage attendance, participation and completion of the CLRI program elements.  Many of these students have applied for paid summer internships offered through various NOVA IET strategic partners.

For more about CLRI go to www.nvcc.edu/career-services/clri.html

 

 

Career & Technical Education, Cloud Computing, Computer Science, CTE, Cybersecurity, Data Center Operations, Engineering Technology, HS Outreach, IET Career Days, IET Events, In-Demand Technology Pathways, Industry Partnerships, Information Technology, NOVA IET Career Pathways, STEM Careers, STEM Education, Student Success, Student to Workforce

IET Career Days Bring 400 HS Students to NOVA

Our inaugural NOVA IET Career Days were a huge success, with nearly 400 high school students attending from all over northern Virginia.

Held on March 23 (Woodbridge Campus), March 30 (Annandale), March 31 (Alexandria), April 14 (Manassas), and April 28 (Loudoun), Career Days are geared toward bringing students to a NOVA campus and informing them about in-demand technology education and career pathways. More about NOVA IET here.

Career Day events featured presentations and panel discussions by industry experts, including representatives from Google, AWS, Johnson Controls, Leidos, CBRE, QTS, Digital Realty, Deletek, and NOVA, covering a range of topics, including cybersecurity, cloud computing, data center operations, computer science and more.

Industry partners discussed the latest trends and technologies in IET fields and offered advice on career development. Attendees were able to ask questions and gain valuable insights into the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in these in-demand fields.

IET Career Days are an effective example of the burgeoning collaboration between industry and academia as we continue to connect students and professionals with industry partners. Overall, the events successfully showcased NOVA’s commitment to supporting students and professionals in the fields of IET and Computer Science. Many Career Day attendees expressed their desire for similar events in the future.

“My students and I had a great time. It was a great opportunity to hear from a diverse group of professionals about their career journeys, and I have already heard from a few students who got excited about studying computing/IT/security, and about opportunities at NOVA. My students seemed to especially enjoy the tour, and the tour guide did a fantastic job of getting them excited about the facilities and resources at NOVA.”

~ Chris Jones, Counselor, Wakefield High School

NOVA’s Career Days were organized by NOVA IET’s Career and Technical Education Coordinator, Amira Alexander. You can reach her at aalexander@nvcc.edu