Computer Science 1 Led Me To 5 Different Certifications
By Andrew Dotson, Stride Student Advisor
I’ve been a dedicated Stride Career Prep student for many years, and Computer Science 1 was my first Career Prep class. I took it when the program was first introduced. I loved the class, and it was everything that I had hoped for, which included learning how to code. But, taking the class also led to something else…
When I first started the career class, during that first semester, the teacher told us that we would be getting something called an “IBC.” I had no idea what an IBC was, but I soon learned that it was an “Industry-Based Certification.” I found it intriguing. We were going to take the JavaScript MTA certification exam. Of course, you were not required to get the certification to pass the class, but it was highly recommended for future career options.
Training for the exam was a terrific educational task, which blended itself into my other courses at that time. When we started focusing on the exam, no more assignments were given out. This allowed for the enhanced focus of the students.
I believe I finished training just in time for me to take my exam, which was three days after the completion of my studies. Those three days were nerve-wracking, and I worried that I wasn’t going to pass. Exam day came, and it was after all my classes were over. My exam session was late in the day. I took it, and I barely submitted the exam in time. I will admit that it was a hard exam, but preferable to me than some other subjects. The grading was quick, and I got my score in less than a minute. I had passed, and I was so proud of myself! I was also thankful for my school, for Stride Career Prep, and for my teacher. Everyone was so helpful and encouraging.
After I had passed that exam, I felt inspired to look at some of the other career certifications that my school offered. Passing that one professional certification exam had boosted my confidence, and so I felt ready to pursue even more career certifications, to benefit my future. I decided to train for some of them in my free time. Using the encouragement and strength that I got from my teacher, I trained and got four more certifications within a week! I didn’t have much time… a week was all I had to get more certifications done, so I had to be both quick and able to retain the knowledge to pass. Thankfully, I did! Some of the exams had more training required than others, and some days I didn’t get to train at all. But, I was able to manage it, focus myself, and pull through. I’ll never forget my teacher, or my school, for all the support they gave me during this critical period in my education. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.
You just never know where one Career Prep class taken out of pure interest will lead…
Check out this Stride Insights article, by one of our Student Advisors, on The Benefits Of Attending An Online School, for additional reading!
To learn more about Stride Career Prep's Student Advisory Council, make sure to visit https://www.k12.com/stride-career-prep/about/student-advisory-council.html
