Joy Walczak (JW) Welcome to the Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast where we celebrate student success one dream at a time. This program is made possible by Kent ISD in partnership with WGVU. I'm Joy Walczak. And today we're at Kent Career Tech Center where Eric Sorensen just completed the Networking and Cyber Security program with a record number of industry certifications. Part of the program here is taught by Mike Pepper who is also here with us today. Thanks to both of you for being with us today.
Mike Pepper (MP) Thank you very much.
Eric Sorensen (ES) Thank you for having me.
(JW) We're really looking forward to jumping into this conversation and I'd love to talk to you first, Eric. You're about to graduate from Forest Hills Northern High School, but long before you began high school, you had a strong interest in the world of information technology. Can you tell us about how you got started?
(ES) Okay, well, it all started in gaming. I started on a, actually I started on my phone years ago. I actually did YouTube on a phone. That was fun. And then I moved to a 20-year-old laptop. It was around an inch thick, could barely run Minecraft. And then that was very module, so I could take a lot of parts out of it very easily. And that kind of sparked it. I moved to a laptop, well to a school laptop my parents got me. And then I decided to build an actual computer, which I did everything to get money. And I bought the cheapest computer I could. And I built it and then it went from there.
(JW) I just want to emphasize you built that when you were in middle school, right?
(ES) Yes
(JW) Okay, so early on you had a strong interest in computing but took it to another level because you actually didn't have the computer you wanted so you went out and built one like most 12-year-olds do -not!
(ES) Yep
(JW) That was very inventive of you. And I know now you are learning even more and have actually exceeded so many expectations here at Kent Career Tech Center and beyond. Mr. Pepper, I'd love to get your information here. You teach the Networking and Cybersecurity program here at Kent Career Tech Center, the first year, and are involved in Eric's education. Tell us about the program.
(MP) Yeah, thank you very much. Yeah, the first year here at KCTC Network and Cybersecurity is a great program. Got multiple instructors. And we're taking kids like Eric who have a background in IT, but we're also really passionate about taking kids who it's their first experience in the IT world. They're trying to figure out what is IT, do they like it, you know, some big buzzwords of network and cyber security, because there are great jobs out there right now. And so we're trying to grow the whole gamut of kids that want to figure out is IT right for me. It's kind of a shock sometimes for kids to come in and think that we're going to build a computer over and over and over every day, but no, we need to teach them the proper way to act in a business meeting and how to conduct themselves in the industry. So we do a lot of really cool and fun, weird kind of things. Eric can attest to this. You know, day one we're doing handshake practice and we're talking about smiling and smiling with your eyes and a firm handshake.
You know, obviously they want to do technology. That's what KCTC is here for, to get their hands on to the technology. So we do many hands-on labs, including building a computer, tearing it apart, setting up a network, a small office, home office router, running our own cables, making a server, and then, you know, securing it to make sure that viruses don't pop into it. A lot of that kind of fun stuff. And then we're trying to get certifications.
(JW) Absolutely.
(MP) That's kind of what brought us here today is Eric's going to maybe tell you a little bit about the certs that he got down the line because it is amazing what he's done in two years, but it doesn't happen without a lot of hard work. In the IT world you can go to college and get a degree and get a job or you can get certs and for a lot of kids that want to go right into industry and not go into debt, certification is a great way to get your life started.
(JW) Well, let's go back to that very first year. And this program has a lot of elements like we just heard. But Eric, can you tell us what you learned in that very first year that you may not have had the opportunity to learn before you came to the Kent Career Tech Center?
(ES) First year, career skills, that was a really big one. Like I could learn all of this technical stuff on my own if I want to, but I think the career stuff was a really big help for me.
(JW) How are you putting that into action today as you're searching for jobs after graduation?
(ES) I'm using my interviewer knowledge to look better as a candidate.
(MP) You recently got a job, right?
(ES) Yeah, I did.
(MP) You had to interview for it?
(ES) I had to interview for it. Yeah.
(JW) Tell us a little bit about that experience.
(ES) So that was, it was more of a chill interview. It was online, so we didn't go, we haven't been in person yet. Yeah, they're really nice people and I had a good conversation with them.
(JW) Well, it sounds like you have a great next step. In the second year of your program, I understand you became what your teachers have called a team leader. You were somebody that I've heard described as the “human help desk”. Can you tell me a little bit more about how you helped other students in your program?
(ES) So, my role was a Chief Technology Officer. I was kind of top of the help desk. So when people ran tickets through the help desk, they kind of came to me at the top and then where I would take it on and try to fix it myself.
(JW) What kinds of situations are we talking about in the IT world? I'm someone who has a lot of skills in the area of communication, but information technology and cybersecurity are not things I know a great deal about. So can you tell me about some of the things you're learning through this program and will be applying in the future?
(ES) There's a lot of networking skills that I've gotten. So connecting routers and switches, configuring them to how people want. Threats, there's lots of threats on the internet and you need to know how to defend them. So that's where pen testing comes in, where you actually go ahead and try to break into your own network and you find loopholes that you then patch so that other people don't get in. The patching is called blue team, where, that's where you defend your network and then red team is the team trying to break in.
(JW) Well, that's very interesting and I know it applies to so many different industries. We have to all be careful of the cyber threats that are everywhere today. Can you tell me about some of the certificates? We keep hearing a record number. Mr. Pepper, tell me about how many certificates the average student might earn through your program.
(MP) Okay. Well, I don't know if we're even counting the low-level certs in his massive number here, but a first-year kid is going to get maybe three Microsoft certs and then we're going to go for a CompTIA cert called IT Fundamentals+. And then you know, maybe 10% of my kids will move on to the A+. So I would say three to five usually is a pretty fair number. I can recall that Eric when I first met him, you know, he was shy and quiet, but like, I instantly, as a teacher you can find the kids that you're going to be able to get them to help you because we're in a class 25 kids you need a lot of help.
And so I saw his technology and leadership skills right away, and I would put him on a team to lead. Low and behold, I want to say quarter one into quarter two, he pretty much had finished the curriculum for the whole year in my class. And a lot of times I'm a little suspect about that, because I'll have kids that will want to check out. But he would sit at our big round table every day with our community of kids, and he would participate, and he kept doing everything everyone else did.
And when we started doing our normal work, he sat at that laptop and he grinded, like day after day after day. I didn't have to push him. I didn't have to coach him. And then boom, boom, boom. He's getting like an A+, a Net+, a Security+ in one year, which is pretty unheard of. And that just grew into the second year.
And like, Mr. Lake would walk over, “You'll never guess what Eric did this time!” He would start telling me these certs that he has passed that I honestly haven't even heard of. It was pretty amazing.
(JW) So, Eric, why don't you share with us some of those certifications that are really beyond this classroom experience that you were able to seek out on your own, but also you were able to obtain for free because you're part of this program.
(ES) Okay, so, second year started off with Linux+. I did that over the summer. I studied Linux. I had my own Linux system and I was just playing around on it. Then that went into CCNA, which is a networking certification from Cisco. I didn't actually finish that right away because we had to wait on the voucher for it. So then I just skipped right to Pen Test, which is a certification for breaking into networks. So you learn
more hacking software is on Linux. Not necessarily how to use them, but I actually ended up sitting down and learning most of them. See, I got that cert, and then there's one called Cybersecurity Analyst. That one's more defending your network, so setting up security policies, more just making sure people don't get in, setting up your firewall. That's more an advanced level. And then there's CAS Plus. That's more of a wider network, kind of similar to a security analyst.
(JW) So, I've already lost count, but I know it's way more than three to five, and I understand the number is actually more than 20, which is so impressive. But that's not all you've been able to accomplish while in high school. You are also seeking your IT Associates degree from Grand Rapids Community College through our program, Launch U. Can you share with me a little more about that experience?
(ES) Okay, so I've been taking online classes through Launch U Online. I've taken Python and HTML, and then, I recently did Windows Server. And then, next year, I'm going to move on to other classes.
(JW) And next year will be your 13th year in this program, again, through Launch U, a Kent ISD program in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College. And you're actually achieving college credits for free. Is that correct?
(ES) Yes.
(JW) Wow. And how many credits do you think you've already achieved?
(ES) Right now? I have like 55.
(JW) College credits.
(ES) Yeah.
(JW) That is truly remarkable. We feel like you are really set up for the next steps in your journey. Can you share with us what do you think you're going to be doing, let's say five years from now?
(ES) Five years from now? Hopefully graduate from college. I'm going to be moving to Ferris after that, so hopefully I'll be done with that. Job-wise, I want to have a mix between networking and security somehow. So maybe network security, that would be a good one for me.
(JW) Yes, and you had an early start with some exposure to areas in this industry because your family is involved in the IT world. Isn't that right?
(ES) Yeah, yeah, a little bit, yeah.
(JW) Yeah, I understand your dad actually helped inspire you with his own engineering background. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
(ES) He is a software engineer. He works from home. I see him programming a lot. He also ran a lower level robotics team, which was also something that inspired me to actually take on robotics, which helped me a lot too.
(JW) Tell me what you learned through Robotics
(ES) Robotics is a big team of 30 people working on a singular robot. So you have to work with a large team of people to get to one single end goal. It's called FRT, First Robotics Team. It's a robotics competition where we basically have to play a mini game. This year, it was more foam rings that we had to shoot into a goal. So we had to build a robot to take that on.
(JW) And when you took that on, you actually took it to a very high level, didn't you?
(ES) Yeah, we did. We made it to Worlds, which was in Houston.
(JW) That's exceptional. Congratulations.
(ES) Thank you.
(JW) Also, I wanted to go back to what you started with in your YouTube world, working on your phone, getting that initial interest in this whole exposure. You have a very popular YouTube channel. Can you tell me about that?
(ES) Okay, yeah, so I make Minecraft content on YouTube. It's more technical, so I kind of break game mechanics in it. It's all survival, and I like to just take it to the next level.
(JW) You're not the only one, because you have quite a few followers.
(ES) So right now I have 140,000 subscribers.
(JW) Again, another very lofty goal and high achievement. So congratulations on that as well. Tell us what your dream is.
(ES) Dream? My dream is more IT-sided. YouTube is more of a side hobby. If that leaves, that's really fine with me. I more want to just live comfortably with a good job. I would like, honestly, I don't want too high a payment just because…more stress, but it's just where I want to go.
(JW) I think a lot of us are feeling a little bit safer knowing that there are people as committed to learning IT technology and cyber security as you are who are going to be entering the workforce in West Michigan and probably beyond. So thank you for doing that. Also what do you think we can learn as educators, Mr. Pepper, when we ask our students about their dreams and help encourage them?
(MP) Well, yeah, if you can create a relationship with a student and get them to open up to you, it is pretty amazing to figure out what somebody wants and try to utilize that to help them be successful. You know, Eric has done a great job in this class. And just by being with Eric, it kind of opens my eyes to what I can help bring to another kid because, like, you don't plan lessons for someone like Eric to just come in and hop into that. But if you can see the talent that's in front of you and kind of push them in the right direction and have give him the autonomy to do what he wants, he'll take control and it really helps to make the classroom run great. What people really don't realize just from seeing Eric sit here is like, Eric's kind of quiet. I wrote down the word humble here. Eric. isn't going to tell you he went to worlds or he's got 140 thousand subscribers unless you ask him, but Eric will go in a group of three or four kids who are struggling and he'll sit and he'll help them and he won't do it just because I asked him to, he'll do it because he's a great person. And if you let kids play to their strengths and do what they're good at, then they're happy and they're usually really willing to help out other people and so I think that's a great way to help their dream by letting them do what they want. And then it really helps the community by helping the other kids build up their skills also.
(JW) And how has it influenced you as a teacher?
(MP) I get a lot of pride watching this guy. Like it's almost like a joke. Like I hear what cert he has gotten and then two days later I walk over and be like, did you get the next one already? And everywhere, everyone we talk to, we can't stop talking to these companies. You should see the guy that we got right now. You better hire this guy. He's going to go fast. And we have just, we feel really good about him as a person and what he's going to do in the world. And the certifications are great, but just him as a person, he's going to go far and he's making the world a better place, right? And so we've really enjoyed him these last two years and he's special.
(JW) Well, that's a wonderful way to conclude what our conversation is all about today. It's not just about the record number of certifications in this IT and cyber security industry, more than 20. It's also not about more than 50 college credits before you even graduate from high school. And being part of a world competition with robotics, it's really about the leadership in the classroom that you have shown and that Mr. Pepper has described. Everyone here is so proud of you, Eric. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments.
(ES) Thank you very much.
(JW) We're really looking forward to seeing how you shine in the future. And again, feeling a little cyber safety because we have students like you who are going into our workforce to make the whole community stronger and safer for all of us. Again, thank you both for being here with us today.
(MP & ES) Thank you very much for having us.
(JW) And thank you to everyone who's listening today. If you know a student who dreams big, we would love to share their story. You can share your ideas and hear more dream stories at KentISD.org slash your dream. The Your Dream Is Our Dream podcast is presented by Kent ISD in partnership with WGVU.
