Act of Kindness Results in New Student at Cerro Coso
Cerro Coso student Alexander Harmon is the 2022 recipient of a scholarship from the California Community College Chief Information Systems Officer's Association (CISOA), a non-profit organization supporting technology leadership in the California Community College System.
Living in Boron, California, Harmon is an online student, but would study from time to time and take his proctored exams at the main campus in Ridgecrest. A triple major in Web Professional, Information Technology, and Cyber Security, Harmon graduated from Cerro Coso this May and is currently finishing the last class he needs to earn his Web Professional degree.
Harmon credits the support and kindness of the Cerro Coso Library and Learning Resource Center (LRC) for drawing him to Cerro Coso. “When I first moved from North Carolina to California, I was in the middle of my semester from my previous college. At the time, I didn't have a laptop and I needed to use my desktop for 3d modeling programs to complete my assignments. The Library/LRC staff at Cerro Coso let me bring my desktop, monitor, and peripherals to one of the study rooms so that I could successfully finish my semester from a different online college. After a year and being qualified for in-state tuition, I knew that I wanted to attend Cerro Coso. Because if the staff would help me, a student from outside of the school, to succeed in my education. They will absolutely help me when I am a student at Cerro Coso,” he said. “College can be daunting at first, but there is always someone that will help students to overcome the challenges that they face at Cerro Coso.”
Without much experience in applying for scholarships, Harmon wants to thank his Instructor Christ Harper for telling him about the CISOA scholarship and encouraging him to apply. “I was not really expecting to get the scholarship,” he said. “It really surprised me when I was told that I got the scholarship. My advice to others students is to simply try it, you might be surprised too!”
Harmon's overall career goal is to work with technology. “It is constantly changing and improving, being able to work with, and even influence this change is an amazing prospect,” said Harmon. “This scholarship will help pay for website hosting services, and allow me to improve my technical and management skills on a live website. Translating my skills from theoretical to practical.” He is currently planning on looking for work upon completion of his class this summer.
“One of the reasons I decided to attend Cerro Coso and enjoy it was because the staff and teachers at the college are very supportive. Even to non-Cerro Coso students,” he concluded. “Compared to other colleges that I have attended, I think that Cerro Coso has the best online courses that I have ever seen. From my experience, Cerro Coso's online resources are excellent.”
CISOA announced the establishment of their annual student scholarship program in 2021. The CISOA Scholarship Program is open to deserving students who attend any of their “Dues Paying” Member District colleges. Funds for the scholarships come from membership dues, revenue obtained through their annual Summit, and direct donations.
