Jan. 22, 2020 – The North Texas Chapter of the Information Security Systems Association (North Texas ISSA) donated $25,000 to the Collin College Foundation for student scholarships on Jan. 16. The money was raised in conjunction with the group’s annual Cyber Security Conference held at Collin College’s Plano Campus (Spring Creek) in the fall.
“There are not enough qualified graduates each year to meet the demand,” North Texas ISSA President Bill Petersen said. “My hope is that through donations like this one and our Cyber Security Conference, we can help Collin College prepare its students for the workforce.”
Petersen said that North Texas ISSA values its partnership with Collin College because the college works with industry representatives to ensure the students’ education meets employers’ most important needs. Petersen also remarked on the fact that Collin College’s professors have experience in the industry and bring first-hand knowledge to the classroom.
Collin College is offering a new Bachelor of Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity beginning this spring, allowing students to take their associate degrees in information security to the next level with a degree that offers high-wage jobs in a high-growth field.
“I think (the BAT) is a wonderful addition to its offering of classes and degrees,” Petersen said. “Students need a way to get the education they need to get a job they will love and grow with for years to come.”
Lisa Vasquez, vice president of advancement for Collin College, said North Texas ISSA’s scholarship donation will provide several students with the opportunity to earn an information security degree which will benefit society.
“Cybercrime is a plague on our society, but North Texas ISSA’s gift stands to be part of the cure,” Vasquez said. “Their scholarships will place more cybersecurity professionals in the local workforce to protect and defend our data. We are very grateful and salute NTXISSA’s leadership because it sets a great example for others to follow.”
For more information about North Texas ISSA, including its next conference in October 2020, visit www.ntxissa.org. For more information about the Collin College Foundation, visit www.collin.edu/foundation.
Collin College serves more than 59,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity (BAT) degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and work force development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which has an enrollment of 3,500 each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.