Students get hands-on experience during a computer course included in the Information Security degree program curriculum, which introduces them to secure coding techniques, information assurance and network security.

Degree lays foundation for computer-related careers

Mariya Stockwell’s job is constantly changing, and that’s part of what she loves about being an instructor in SUNY Adirondack’s Information Technology department.

“Technology is constantly advancing,” she said. “This creates a changing and growing curriculum within our program, giving me new learning objectives to continuously pursue.”

Stockwell teaches computer science and information technology courses as part of the college’s Information Technology program. SUNY Adirondack offers an Information Security path that introduces students to secure coding, information assurance and network security.

“An essential part of my job is to work with my students in understanding and fully grasping the purpose and uses of technology within our world today,” she said. 

The curriculum provides a foundation for future study of IT-related subjects and is designed so students can easily transfer to a bachelor’s program. 

“Working for SUNY Adirondack allows me to fulfill my passion of spreading knowledge and new ideas,” Stockwell said.

 

MEET OUR ALUMNI

Alyssa Bell is the college’s first graduate with an Information Security degree.

Graduate continues to develop professional skills

After graduating from SUNY Adirondack in May with a degree in Information Security, Alyssa Bell found a job with a promising future.

Bell is working as a technologist at Troy Web Consulting, a Troy-based web development and mobile application consulting company. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the web development job market is expected to grow 27 percent by 2024.

“They were looking for a candidate for a new apprenticeship program taking place in the Capital Region, and the goal was to hire someone new to the field and train them by exposing them to different aspects of development,” Bell said.

Since taking the job, Bell has been able to expand the tech knowledge she gained in college. 

“Through SUNY Adirondack, I became pretty comfortable with C++, C# and SQL, but was somewhat inexperienced with web development,” she said. “My job here is preparing me to become a full-stack developer, which is in high-demand. I’ve learned how to use the Laravel framework, which is mainly PHP and some JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Now I am working on a C# program. Shortly, I will be learning React, a JavaScript library, so I can be added to React projects in the future.”

Bell is thankful for the practical experience she gained while studying at SUNY Adirondack.

“There is no way I would’ve obtained this position without my education. This company doesn’t  hire anyone without at least some development knowledge. I think my professors — Marc Guise, Mark Strohmeir and Mariya Stockwell — gave me a solid understanding of the basics of programming. They taught me to think differently, and to approach problem solving in a different way,” she said.

Women currently hold fewer than a quarter of all jobs in technology. Bell is proud to be bucking that trend.

“Women getting into technology is a huge thing right now,” she said. “I like the idea of being someone who pushes boundaries.”

Did you know?

Information security analysts are expected to see a job growth of 28 percent through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.