Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/891007
"Once you are in the field, I think it's easy to progress," Valliere said. "But it's hard to find that first opportunity. No one wants to hire you until you have experience. HCC has helped me find that." Valliere's first opportunity was with iSystematics, part of the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland. He took a summer internship, learning and applying new programs as part of the company's suite of managed security solutions. The internship became a part-time job, which eventually led to full-time work. "There is so much opportunity in this field," said Valliere. "Right now, my focus is on getting a lot of exposure and trying different things so that I can figure out exactly what I want to do once I have my degree." It's that wealth of opportunity that motivated Ayodeji Adedeji to change his career path two years ago. He thought he wanted to be an attorney. After observing a court hearing as part of a criminal justice course, Adedeji realized that he was not moving in the right direction. He began researching alternative career options, focusing on what he knew and also what he wanted to excel in. He had basic computer skills, and the idea of expanding on that foundation, in a field with a promising outlook and strong job security, was inspiring. "Computers will always be around. So computer problems will always be around," laughs Adedeji, a native of Nigeria who moved to the United States in 2015 in pursuit of the best educational opportunities available. Like so many of his classmates, Adedeji was looking for a practical, real- world experience to expand his skills and connections, and he landed a local internship with support and guidance from his mentors at HCC. Adedeji's opportunity came from Daly Computers, with an assignment to install new computers, printers, and system networks in area schools. "I've realized that when you go into this field, you need to be eager to learn new things for the rest of your life," says Students in the Women in Technology group program Raspberry Pi computers to respond to touch. Fall 2017 | Pathways 9