Taking a Step Back To Take a Step Forward Claudio Pauta is an electronic development technician at Owl Cyber Defense with an impressive list of cybersecurity projects, including ones for government agencies like the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and Federal Aviation Administration, and aerospace companies. Claudio is the personification of enterprising and forward-thinking and credits the challenges he experienced as a 15-year-old, newly arrived in New York City from Ecuador 25 years ago, for his work ethic and determination, for his family’s sake, to make something of himself. Earlier this year Claudio’s manager, seeing his potential, encouraged him to take Red Hat Linux-based classes in his free time. After researching his options, Claudio chose SUNY WCC. The thoughtful scheduling and reasonable cost made it possible for someone like Claudio, already established in his career, to attend school in the evening and online. When he learned that PepsiCo Foundation was offering financial assistance through its Uplift Scholarship program, Claudio was astonished. “I couldn’t believe an important company like Pepsi is so involved in the community, and helping people like us. It’s amazing.” Once he has time, Claudio will study the coursework he learned at SUNY WCC in preparation for sitting for the Red Hat certification. After high school Matt attended a four-year college, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, majoring in computer science (CS). But as much as he loved tech, Matt quickly learned that he didn’t love programming, a big component of CS. He withdrew from his CS classes—even as he continued to study intensively on his own—and at the end of the year, he left school and moved back home. Matt had learned that programming was not for him, but as he pondered his next steps, he remembered the positive experience he’d had in his high school IT course. When he proposed the idea of trying out SUNY WCC’s program to his parents, they were dubious about going the community college route. Nevertheless, Matt applied and enrolled in SUNY WCC’s Computer Information Systems program. Looking back, when Matt compares the caliber of the classes and commitment of the teachers at community college to those at the four-year school, Matt says SUNY WCC was hands-down superior. He points to one professor in particular, John Watkins, as always going above and beyond for him. It was Professor Watkins ’01, who convinced Matt to move to the cybersecurity program, where Matt thrived, and was one “I will keep taking classes to stay relevant and an asset to my company.” Claudio Pauta of the first students to be awarded a scholarship by the new Robert R. Wiener Cyber Scholars program. Two years later he had earned both an A.A.S. and a certificate in cybersecurity. Soon after graduating, Professor Watkins, approached Matt to ask if he could submit Matt’s resume for consideration for a contract position in IT with Heineken. A SUNY WCC alum and former student of Professor Watkins, Justin Sprance, had reached out asking if the professor had any recent graduates to recommend. Matt said yes and got the job. Now a contractor for Heineken at their White Plains office, trouble-shooting Heineken employees’ technology issues across the country, Matt feels like he’s exactly where he needs to be. He is gaining valuable experience, is appreciated by the employees he is helping, and his work ethic and skills have been noticed by management. He views this job as a stepping-stone and continues to take home what he learns on the job, delving deeper into the material on his own. Self-direction, he says, is essential in the ever-evolving world of IT, and will serve him well in the future, wherever his calling takes him, whether it be IT, cybersecurity, or something else in the wide-open field of technology. From a young age Matt was interested in technology. When SUNY WCC offered an IT course at Matt’s high school, he took it. He credits this class with igniting his interest, and ultimately his career, in IT. STUDENTS MATT CARMONA ROBERT R. WIENER CYBER SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS CLAUDIO PAUTA RED HAT LINUX CERTIFICATE CANDIDATE 29
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