Student Spotlight - Suzanne Smith

What did you study at EvCC?

I started at EvCC in the High School 21 program and graduated with high honors and as an Outstanding Graduate in 2018. As of 2019, I completed my Associate in Technical Arts in Computer Information Technology as well as received certificates in Computer Support Specialist and System Administrator.  

Why did you choose EvCC?

I attended EvCC back in 2002 to obtain my GED, which I now know I was not mentally prepared for. It took me 14 years to come back to EvCC for my high school diploma. I loved my instructors and the experience so much that I continued on for my associate degree. My mother also attended EvCC as well as my Great Uncle, Bob Peterson, who was recently inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame here at EvCC.

How did your EvCC Foundation scholarship help you?

My scholarship helped me so much with book expenses, supplies, and, most importantly, living expenses so that I didn't have to worry about working overtime to pay my bills instead of focusing on school. This also gave me more time with my son, Benjamin. Receiving this scholarship took a huge weight off my shoulders and mentality.

What do you want your scholarship donor(s) to know?

I want to thank Vickie K. Norris and her husband J. Leach for choosing me to be their first STEM recipient. I applied for scholarships not expecting anything to come out of it and you chose me. I will be forever grateful and hope to keep in touch throughout the years on where I am in life. The scholarship was a true blessing to my life and I hope I have made you proud and will continue to do so as I advance in my new career. We are linked for life! 

Who helped you succeed at EvCC? (faculty member, staff). What did that person do to help you?

All of my instructors here at EvCC had a huge impact on helping me succeed. I would have to say that (Transitional Studies Instructor) Tim Langley was the first person to really help me blossom. I grew up with the mindset that I was horrible at math, and so I developed a stigma against math and it prevented me from attempting to obtain a GED or my high school diploma for many years (15 to be exact). So when I started back at EvCC, I took math right away to get it out of the way while still fearing that I would fail. Low and behold, because of his teaching skills, I was able to grasp and understand it. I not only ended the class with an A-, but I was tutoring other students! I was lucky to have him for my science class as well.

But, he is not the only one who had a huge impact on me. Another great instructor who saw greatness in me is Kerri Schwab, (Chair of Developmental Education and College Success). I not only fell in love with U.S. history during my two quarters in her class, I also became a teacher's assistant during my third quarter. Working directly with Kerri and helping my fellow students was so rewarding. I love seeing other students realize their potential and being a part of their success.

Thanks to (Transitional Studies Instructor) Shawn Dahl, I found out a lot of my family roots here in Everett and the surrounding area. I have divulged into ancestry and even thought about changing my major for a moment, but my heart is in IT and genealogy will become a hobby.

I also want to thank the Information Technology Program staff here at EvCC, Diane Walser, Ryan Masinelli, Matt Clements and Mary Bates. All of them have been so understanding and helpful when I was faced with multiple obstacles in my personal life, especially when my Grandmother was in and out of the hospital and near death, then defying odds and lasting two months in hospice before passing on May 2. Without their understanding and compassion, I may not have made it through some really tough quarters.

Most of all, I want to thank is Dennis Skarr. Dennis Skarr, saw great potential in me from day one and has pushed me to do bigger and better things such as taking a leadership role as the Ethical Hacking Club President as well as the first CIS honors program student. His mentoring has really helped me to blossom and grow as a leader with skills that I know will help make me successful beyond EvCC. To him, I will be forever grateful, he has exposed me to skills I didn't know I even possessed. The ones that I do have, only evolved because of him. I went from a shy person who avoided people around me to saying hello to strangers, complementing them to enlighten their day and being more confident in public speaking. He nominated me for a women in leadership workshop that I wouldn't have given a second thought about, but after receiving the nomination from him I couldn't let him down! 

Why did you choose the college’s Honors program?

I chose EvCC's Honors program because Dennis Skarr asked me! He is great at convincing people to do stuff that they are on the fence about; that's how I became president of the club! Actually, he pitched me his idea for my capstone project and I thought it would be really fun to attempt, and since I love helping people I wanted to help be a part of it. Also, I thought it would be awesome to leave my name in the history books for future students.

Please briefly describe your Honors project. 

My honors project is based in a virtual machine where multiple devices are set up in a Red team vs Blue team environment. I am in charge of the Red team (Offense) which where I will find vulnerabilities within the Blue teams (Defense) devices and then see if the Blue team can detect my presence or not in a security setting. My hope is that it will possibly become a learning tool for future CIS students here at EvCC. 

What advice do you have for new EvCC students?

Don't be afraid to ask for help and utilize the resources available to us (Tutoring Center, Writing Center, advisors and other students). There are a lot of tools available to help us succeed. When it gets tough, and it will, just know it is only temporary and the rewards are worth it in the end. Also, take time for yourself to refresh. It is easy to get overwhelmed and self-care is very important. 

What do you plan to do next? (Job, transfer, etc.)

I was lucky enough to land a career in IT before officially graduating with Quil Ceda Village which is the commercial side of the Tulalip Tribes as a Help Desk Technician. After a much needed and well deserved break, I will be taking a weekend at Ocean Shores then starting my bachelor's degree in cyber security either with Whatcom Community College or Western Governors University.

Describe the best experience you had at EvCC.

I cannot pinpoint this to just one experience. My whole time here at EvCC has been wonderful. I am leaving here with new friends, great mentors and skills that landed me where I am today. I got to experience two graduation commencement ceremonies, a leadership workshop with my scholarship donor (she didn't even know I was going to be there!) and lead an awesome club. I am proud to call myself an Trojan alumna. 

Anything else you want to add?

Go Trojans!