Cisco Canada Blog / Canada Perspectives / How one Canadian Cisco Networking Academy student lived the dream at Cisco Live 2012

Did you know that Cisco currently has over 18,000 students enrolled in 244 Networking Academies across Canada? Cisco Networking Academy is a comprehensive e-learning program that enables students to earn valuable information and communication technology skills, often right through their local high school or post-secondary school’s existing curriculum. Simply put, Networking Academy gives students interested in pursuing a career in IT, or those simply interested in IT as a hobby, the chance to develop industry-recognized skills as part of their everyday school curriculum. And the results? Over 600,000 students worldwide participate in the program annually, receiving the same high-quality education supported by online content and assessment, performance tracking, hands-on labs, and interactive learning tools. It’s the world’s largest classroom.

Every year, Cisco invites its top Networking Academy instructors to nominate one of their best students to be part of a special task force called the Cisco Dream Team. The Dream Team is comprised of ten students from across North America and are responsible for setting up the network that will serve thousands of attendees at our annual Cisco Live event. The job is far from a simple one, but what a rewarding experience! For the members of the Dream Team, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.

This year was to be very different for one Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) student from Gatineau, Quebec. Guillaume St-Georges was the lone Canadian selected to be a part of the Dream Team at Cisco Live 2012. Graduating this year with excellent grades and a solid 16-week co-op experience, his passion to learn was remarkable enough for his instructor from Cegep de l’Outaouais, Bernard Brunet, to nominate Guillaume for a seat on the Dream Team… and he got it! The rest is history. Read more about Guillaume’s story here as he shares his experience at the event.

Any one of you can have the opportunity to participate at one of Cisco’s most important technical gatherings, just like Guillaume. The recipe? Keep learning, living, and most importantly have fun with it! That is Cisco’s motto.

To find a Cisco Networking Academy in your area, visit our Academy Locator.

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