Tulsa Community College Boot Camps

During the pandemic, our office in Norman required us to work from home. A few months pass and an amazing opportunity came about for my family to move back to Tulsa, Oklahoma. After a year or so in Tulsa, still working from home; our Norman office began requiring us to come back to the office full-time. Having to resign due to relocating, I was left with nowhere to go, no backup plan and no idea what the future held for me; after dedicating 6 years as a Marine Meteorologist in Norman, Oklahoma. I was forced to do a deep dive in my interests, my goals and plans for my career. That's when I discovered Cybersecurity. I fell in love immediately and began self-teaching myself using Youtube university, ordering books and studying for my Security+ exam. I was then sent information for this incredible bootcamp! I knew exactly what I wanted to do and went after it. This bootcamp was the most life-changing, challenging and amazing program I've ever been apart of. My favorite aspect was learning about the SIEM tools and using Splunk and the instructor and TA's were incredible! My advice for anyone pursuing their dream in Cybersecurity by way of this bootcamp, is to give it your all. You get out of it what you put in. Use every resource available, and prioritize studying because it does get challenging. It is extremely worth it in the end! I loved my experience and can't wait to begin my journey as a Cybersecurity Professional!

This has been one of the most unexpected best things to have been chosen to participate in the first CS bootcamp cohort. I have been working in the auto industry for the past 8 years and have worked my way up in my department and have hit a wall. Knowing I eventually wanted to swap careers I focused on sharpening my skills while keeping a watch on other opportunities. When I saw the CS bootcamp opportunity on the Tulsa Community College (TCC) facebook, I immediately knew that is what I wanted to do. I had just had my son 6 months prior so we had somewhat of a routine and the timing couldn't of been better. 
The classmates were all very likeminded individuals and as I worked with them at different points, we made connections, networked and really helped each other out as much as we could. The encouragement, support, and overall sense of community amongst the classmates was one of if not the best I'd experienced in a "classroom" setting, especially considering it was virtual. 
Not only were my peers excellent, the staff from the administration, Instructor to the Teaching Aids, all supported us, providing resources, personal encouragement, and just any help we needed along the way. Though some of the curriculum was harder to understand or get through, the instructor and teaching assistants really clarified and fill in the gaps. Yes this program was challenging, but the amount of resources and guidance ensured success at every step of the way as long as I put in the work. With the full time job and baby, I had to take this serious, but really was very doable as I long as I stayed on top of everything and managed my time.
The last great thing about the program is now that I have completed, I still get assistance with the transition into my next career and to me that is extremely helpful. As my time seems to be extremely limited these days, getting feedback about my linkedin or my resume was really helpful in helping me get things ready asap. The connections made and networking done in class I think is also extremely valuable and useful as I am a believer in "it's who you know, not what you know". Though, now I know the fundamentals of Cybersecurity AND have a great start to my network!

 I decided to join the Data Analytics Boot Camp program at TCC after reading about it online. This program gave me a chance to dive into a new career and the opportunity to break into the constantly growing tech industry and in turn, create a better future for myself and my family. The application process was fairly simple as well as helpful in understanding the commitment this program would require of me, I was beyond excited when I got my email telling me that I had been selected as a participant in the program! Up to this point, I had been a welder for over 6 years and was excited to learn that I would have the opportunity to gain a valuable skill that would position me to transition into a new industry. The boot camp lived up to its name, it was intense with lots of hard work and its fair share of late nights. Despite its intensity, every learning opportunity was incredibly rewarding and the instructional/support staff were so helpful and supportive! There was always someone there ready to go the extra mile for you to make sure they could help you understand and succeed in the program. My classmates were also incredible, and we always felt like a team. The students were incredibly diverse in their data analytics experience. Some with a moderate experience never hesitated to help out those who had little to no experience like me. If I had to give a future student advice it would definitely be to take full advantage of all the support staff and all of the resources being offered to you. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you don't understand something! I encourage anyone considering going through this program to just go for it! The class is incredibly rewarding and even someone like me with no tech background was able to go through the program successfully and gain a new skill! Take the leap and go for it, you'll be happy you did!