On September 9, 2015, 18 Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students graduated from an intensive CISCO certification program offered through a partnership between BMCC’s Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, and the non-profit IT training organization, Per Scholas.
The graduation was held at Per Scholas in the Bronx, and celebrated the students’ completion of two CISCO training sessions. The speaker at the event was Tyrel Robinson, who completed the BMCC/Per Scholas training in 2014. The Valedictorian was Rogelio Supsup.
The graduates first completed a rigorous eight-week training at Per Scholas, in preparation for the CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) Network+ certification exam. That training was followed by a 10-week training at BMCC, preparing them for the CCNA certification exam.
So far, all 18 graduates have passed the CompTIA Network+ exam, and 16 people have passed the CCNA exam.
These certifications make individuals eligible to take on pivotal roles in building, managing and protecting a large or small computer network.
During the 18 weeks of the program, the participants prepared for job interviews made possible by the Business Solutions team at Per Scholas. They also met with Steven Nuñez, now BMCC’s continuing education Program Coordinator for Technology, working on “resume writing and interview skills, enabling them to market themselves better to employers,” he says.
About a third of the graduates secured employment in an IT setting before the full 18-week course had even ended. Others are continuing to work closely with Per Scholas, as they seek employment related to their new skills and certifications.
The graduates were Abdul Fatah Abu, Frederick Bacon, Shellianne Bowens, Luis Caldera, Johnny Choi, Roberto A. Colon, Reuben Dionisio, Sergio Galarza, Virginia Hernandez, Carl Hudson, Pedro Paulino, Ivan Pichardo, Inti Rodriguez, Jamie Russell, Wendin Valeo Sawadogo, Syed Shah, Roger Supsup and Younes Wadiai.
