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Cisco Networking Academy Opens Doors |
What does it take to make dreams come true? In the case of Brian Panosian, a great idea, teamwork, cross-collaboration—and a commitment and drive to make it happen. What began as a simple idea blossomed into a brand-new scholarship program that brings together Cisco Networking Academy, a nonprofit organization, generous chief information officers (CIOs), and, most importantly, deserving students with a desire to build a career in technology. "It’s common for large companies to donate money or provide corporate sponsorship to worthy causes," says Panosian, premier account manager. "But I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could take that a step further and directly help underserved people achieve a career that they only dared dream about before?’ " Because of this simple question and Panosian’s passion, five adults in the area of Atlanta, Georgia—ranging in age from 23 to 38—will graduate from Cisco Networking Academy in September as part of the TechBridge Networking Scholarship Program. They will then begin a six-month internship at local corporations. And this is just part of the scholarship package. The students also have the privilege of receiving personalized 1-to-1 executive mentoring from leading CIOs in Atlanta. "Cisco is all about giving back, and I just saw an opportunity and went for it," Panosian says. Went for it, indeed. While Panosian may underplay the efforts required to orchestrate this educational opportunity for five area students, it was a tremendous undertaking that involved pulling people together from different areas, staying on top of a multitude of details, and seeing it through. Cross-Collaboration Creates Opportunity Brian knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he worked really hard at it. He truly is an inspiration, and it has felt so good to play a role in helping people improve their lives. Susan Weatherly, education specialist, Cisco Networking Academy:"I had never met Brian before, and here he was with this fantastic concept," says Weatherly, education specialist. "It was clear that he felt strongly about building a scholarship program and I rolled up my sleeves to help." He also connected Weatherly with TechBridge, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization known for facilitating millions of dollars of technology donations for other nonprofits. Together, the three went to work creating the TechBridge Networking Scholarship Program. Panosian had the privilege of announcing the brand-new scholarship program, dedicated to former Cisco employee Bill Aussem, at the TechBridge Digital Ball, which hosted more 1,000 people in May, including Atlanta’s top CIOs. As part of the program, Cisco Atlanta provides scholarship funding for the students to attend Cisco Networking Academy, while TechBridge awards and manages the scholarships. "It was an amazing evening, and when I shared the concept with the audience, they were hooked," Panosian says. Immediately after Panosian’s presentation, CIOs were "lining up" to become scholarship mentors. "You would have thought I was handing out gold bullion," he says." Scholarship Recipients Selected Five Atlanta CIOs were also selected as IT executive mentors, including Steve Winterbottom, vice president and CIO, Scientific Atlanta; Brian Shield, EVP and CIO, The Weather Channel; Helen Berg, SVP and CIO, Merge Healthcare; Dave Kardesh, vice president IT Corporate Systems, The Home Depot; and Robert Marburger, CIO and Partner, Alston & Bird. "The cross-collaboration and teamwork among Brian, my group, and TechBridge was instrumental in providing scholarships and internships with leading CIOs," says Weatherly. "Brian had a vision and took the time to network all of the key players, and the CIO involvement is the icing on the cake." Graduates of Cisco Networking Academy, administered locally by Atlanta Technical College, will be fully certified Cisco networking associates, providing the students with an opportunity for life-changing careers in technology. "Brian knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he worked really hard at it," Weatherly says. "He truly is an inspiration, and it has felt so good to play a role in helping people improve their lives." Recently, Panosian met with TechBridge to begin discussions about expanding the scholarship program in Atlanta and across the United States by leveraging its membership in the national NPower Network, which also provides technology services to nonprofit organizations. Panosian credits others for helping make all of this possible; in particular, Ralph Ferguson, regional manager; and John Austin, operations director; both of whom supported the initiative from early on. "We’re doing together what we couldn’t do alone," Panosian says. "This lesson takes us beyond business, beyond selling products—it’s all about driving change within our own communities." |
