STCC students make connections at Python software conference

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College students who traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a conference focused on the Python programming language came home with an experience they will never forget.

Cybersecurity Professor Brian Candido brought two students who assisted him as peer tutors in the STCC Supplemental Instruction (SI) program to the PyCon US 2023 conference in April.

Events at PyCon include a job fair, tutorials, presentations and more. The conference attracts a variety of Python users, from beginners just learning the programming language to leading developers in the field.

“It was a great time,” said Jackson Perez, an SI and student who is graduating from STCC this spring with an associate degree in Cybersecurity and a Programmer certificate. “We got to meet a lot of great people.”

Perez thanked Candido and the STCC administration for giving him the opportunity to travel farther west than he’s ever been in his life. In addition to the conference experience, he was able to see the Western landscape. “The mountains were beautiful out there,” said Perez, who lives in Windsor Locks, Conn.

Timothy Rudenko, an SI who is pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity and certification as Programmer from STCC, called the conference “one of the most profound experiences in my educational journey.”

“The conference was brimming with people from all walks of life and varying fields of technology,” said Rudenko, a Westfield resident.

The STCC students met Python experts, including Guido Van Rossum, who created the Python language.

"PyCon was too good an opportunity for our faculty and students to pass up,” said Lara Sharp, dean of the School of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). “The networking, job fair and content sessions were invaluable opportunities for Jackson and Tim, and to have their mentor and teacher, Professor Candido, with them, allows him to see them thrive in the area they chose to study."

The conference was brimming with people from all walks of life and varying fields of technology. Timothy Rudenko, STCC student

Candido said he was thrilled that STCC was able to give Perez and Rudenko an opportunity to travel, network and experience tutorials and presentations.

“I’m proud that the STCC Cybersecurity program offers our students opportunities to go to conferences, which can open the door to internships and employment,” Candido said.

The STCC Cybersecurity Program offers a class and lab in Python Programming for students in their first semester. The programming language is commonly used to develop websites and software.

Candido said, “Python can also be used for data analytics, and it is a great coding language to learn due to its ease and power. In fact, due to the popularity of the Python class, we are offering for the first time at STCC a Python 2 coding class that will focus on more advanced topics. Some of them are so new we just learned about a PyCon 2023.” 

STCC also is working with the Springfield Redevelopment Authority and the Mass Tech Collaborative to establish a Cyber Range and Security Operations Center (SOC) at the City of Springfield’s Union Station, serving Western Massachusetts and beyond.  In addition to supporting the cybersecurity needs of regional municipalities, businesses, and non-profits, the Center will provide valuable hands-on training and career experience for students and will be a unique draw to attract a diverse workforce to the profession.

STCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution, a designation given to colleges which have a student population that have at least 25 percent of students identifying as Latina/Latino/Latinx. STCC also is the only technical community college in Massachusetts.

With Candido’s help, Perez landed an internship at the cybersecurity company TOSS C3. He started in November 2022 as their first intern and will work as a full-time intern this summer after graduating from STCC.

“We probably have one of the best programs in regard to actually getting you real life experience,” Perez said. “The professors want to get you internships. They want to get you out there and get experience.”

Rudenko said he feels the Cybersecurity program has one of the strongest curricula in the region. “With the combined efforts of the professors teaching the courses, I learned the necessary skills to flourish in the industry,” Rudenko said.

“Thanks to Professor Candido's wise mentorship and recommendation, I was able to get an internship at the MGHPCC (Massachusetts Green High Performance Computer Center), servicing the infrastructure for the major universities in Massachusetts. This internship led to an apprenticeship with Red Hat, a company specializing in Linux systems, where I applied the skills I learned in the courses provided at STCC.

While at the conference, Perez and Rudenko met STCC graduate Chloe Gerhardson, who earned a degree in Computer Information Technologies in 2022. The program is now known as Cybersecurity.

Gerhardson also worked as a peer tutor in the Supplemental Instruction Program and as a tutor at the Student Success Center at STCC.

She now works as an infrastructure engineer for Python Software Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes Python, a programming language commonly used to develop websites and software. Candido served as her reference.

“I was taking Python courses at STCC, so to be offered a position representing the language was great,” Gerhardson said.

Rudenko said he decided to pursue a technology-related degree at STCC after working in the solar industry and marketing.

“I can confidently say that going to STCC was one of the best decisions I have made,” Rudenko said. “It has provided me with the knowledge necessary to be effective in my chosen field, and I had the honor of learning from extremely knowledgeable professors with industry experience.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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