When Terezia Matejovic knows something is right, don't expect her to back down. That's what instructor James Martiny discovered when she enrolled in his computer science classes-including the Cisco Networking Academy Program-during her last two years at Briggs High School in Columbus, Ohio.
"My best recollections of Terezia are from the Cisco classes," he says. "Terezia always stood her ground when making a point about a program, process, or theory. Many students argue for the sake of argument or to be the center of attention, but Terezia's arguments were always timely, productive, and for the betterment of the class discussions and the learning process."
When Terezia decided to join the computer science classes offered at Briggs High School, she had little knowledge of the information technology industry. "I just jumped in," she says. But after completing all four semesters of the program, she passed the Cisco Certified Network Associate examination and received her CCNA certification. She followed up with the Cisco Fundamentals of UNIX course, and at the end of the year she was chosen to represent her school and its Cisco program at a regional Cisco conference.
"While enrolled in the CCNA course, I was able to work hands-on with actual routers, setting up a simulated WAN environment," Terezia recalls. "Some of the Cisco labs were difficult to complete, but they all gave me the opportunity to apply what I had learned, develop new methods of problem solving, and enhance my critical thinking skills. The group discussions we had in class helped me gain confidence in my ideas, and I was able to develop my thoughts well enough to explain them to the other students. My goal was to become Cisco certified before I graduated, and I was very proud to accomplish that goal."
The program also helped Terezia develop her teaching skills. "Teamwork and communication are important when working on large-scale projects like WANs," she says.
"I was able to share my skills with other students, so that we could achieve our common goal by working together. These skills will be of great value when I start my career," Terezia said. Instructor James Martiny notes that Terezia worked daily to assist one particular student, who doubtless would have dropped out of the program without her support.
As Terezia heads off to Xavier University in Cincinnati, where she'll study business management and computer science, it's certain that many opportunities will present themselves to her. This straight-A student and class salutatorian knows how to succeed, and the Cisco Networking Academy Program served as an excellent introduction to the broad field of information technology.
"The Academy program gave Terezia a chance to demonstrate her thinking skills, and the varied learning environment of the Cisco curriculum allowed her to flourish," concludes Martiny. "In addition to delivering solid technical knowledge, the program helped her develop excellent teamwork and communication skills. I have no doubt that Terezia will be a stellar success in college and in her future career."
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