Nyphen Sanders: Information Technology
When you meet Nyphen Sanders, he is enthusiastic when he explains why information technology is his life’s mission.
“I want to stop hackers, the bad guys,” said Sanders. “Cyber-attacks are growing each day.”
Sanders’ dedication to IT is paying off. He was one of only 10 students in the U.S. to be chosen for the 2019 Cisco Live Dream Team, a prestigious internship at one of the nation’s largest IT conferences.
Sanders represented Hennepin Technical College (HTC) at the event. ;His former instructor, Joan Bernard, recommended him for the honor.
“He isn’t just vested in his own success, he is a collaborative team member,” said Bernard. “He has coached and mentored his peers. His work brought the knowledge of the entire class to a different level.”
Sanders appreciates the compliment from his instructor and offered words of praise for her teaching as well.
“We learn communications skills and we learn how to think creatively to problem-solve. We’re truly prepared for our careers,” said Sanders.
With a passion for cyber defense, Sanders is on track to enter a high-demand, high-paying career. The IT sector is expected to create more than 480,000 jobs through 2024 [1]due to demand for computer and network security, mobile technology and other innovations. Salaries for IT employees are higher compared to the overall U.S. median wage and the average earnings in IT is more than $82,000 per year.[2]
HTC has remodeled classrooms to replicate the collaborative environments that students will find in the workplace upon graduation. The college receives input on its curriculum from area employers and recently added new associate degrees and certificates in cyber security and cyber defense.
Sanders is now pursuing a four-year degree in IT. He began his education journey at HTC because he wanted affordable tuition for the first two years of his studies. Now that he completed his associate degree at HTC, he says the quality of the instruction should be the primary reason a student selects HTC to begin their IT education. He enjoyed the small classes and the hands-on experience at HTC, which is home to a Cisco Networking Academy.
“Hennepin Tech gave me the edge. Without Hennepin Tech, I don’t think I would have had the key knowledge that I really needed to succeed,” said Sanders.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Technology Occupations. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Technology Occupations. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm.