Egner, 32, an information technology student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, was one of more than 900 competitors from the Unites States and Canada and 94 involved in the final of three elimination rounds of rigorous testing, representing the best of Kentucky in the competition, said John Vos, professor of information technology at WKCTC.
At least one WKCTC student has placed in the top ten of the competition during the last three years, Vos said. “Jeremy made a goal and commitment to doing his best by preparation and study throughout his advanced courses in network routing, switching and security. It takes lots of dedication and focus to prepare for this event and somehow he continues to excel while juggling school, a job, and a young family,” Vos said. “The IT program at WKCTC is proud of the success of all the local competing students representing some of the best in the country.”
The NetRiders competition allows students at the postsecondary level to showcase their IT and networking skills through a series of online exams and simulation activities. The competition is organized by Cisco as an opportunity for Networking Academy students to participate in a valuable learning experience by testing students' Networking/IT skills through a series of online exams and simulation activities using Cisco Packet Tracer that cover CCNA material.
Each year, over 10,000 Cisco Networking Academy students compete in the NetRiders rigorous exam process in over 80 countries across the globe. The top four highest –scoring individuals received the Study Trip Prize to California. Egner received a $300 gift card for his sixth place win.
A computer enthusiast growing up, Egner said his family, especially his grandmother and mother, encouraged his love of “dabbling in computers.” He went to college after high school, but later dropped out. The father of two daughters, Egner said he enrolled at WKCTC after being laid off a factory job. He credited his success to the support of his wife, Amber, and daughters, Calissa and Terri. He expects to graduate with an Associates in Applied Science degree in May.
“Winning sixth place in the prestigious NetRiders competition was quite a surprise and honor,” Egner said. “I feel like WKCTC has prepared me for a career in IT (Information Technology) and I’m very happy that I decided to finish my education after all these years.”