Ivy Tech alum putting IT education to work
Also, Tuesday@theTech focuses on IT education, Aug. 30
Before he’d even completed his associate degree at Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo, Antonio Viera had moved into the full-time role of manager of Information Technology at Guardian Angel Hospice.
With offices in Kokomo, Lafayette, Logansport, and Carmel that serve about 30 central Indiana counties, gigabytes of sensitive personal and medical data about its patients, and a range of vendors, the hospice care provider’s IT needs pose a daily challenge. Thanks to his Ivy Tech education and experiences, Viera, who graduated from the College’s Cyber Security Assurance program in December 2020, has been starring in Guardian Angel’s “one-man IT show” for more than two years.
College came later for Viera. After graduating from Kokomo High School in 2008, he went off to a four-year university but, burdened by the cost, soon came home. He followed his mother into the world of healthcare, working as a caregiver and cook at two different Kokomo nursing homes, including seven and a half years as head night shift cook at Golden Living. Long interested in technology, he found out Ivy Tech had one of the few Indiana cyber security programs accredited by the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. Matching that quality with the affordability offered by Ivy Tech, Viera enrolled in the College in 2018.
“Ivy Tech’s IT offerings are great programs in their own right,” Viera said. “but if you’re looking for a great education at an affordable price, you can’t beat Ivy Tech.”
Viera excelled at Ivy Tech – dean’s list status, induction into the National Society of Leadership and Success, and, eventually, magna cum laude designation at graduation. He was the Dean’s Award winner as the outstanding student in Cyber Security Information Assurance for the 2020-2021 school year and participated in Ivy Tech’s Statewide IT Challenge, a daunting competition that tested his skills against other IT students around the state.
“Antonio was such a good student,” said Robyn Schmidt, department chair for the School of Information Technology for Ivy Tech Kokomo. “He always came to class ready to learn. He came early and stayed late and helped fellow students who were struggling. He made the important connection with his teachers, and we were able to help him on his path.”
Viera’s classroom success opened doors to a four-month IT internship with Guardian Angel Hospice. As Brian Rude, chief operating officer and co-owner of Guardian Angel Hospice Inc., tells it, Ivy Tech was his first thought when he needed to replace a long-term IT manager. At his request, Professor Julie Byrd, chair of the Software Development program at Ivy Tech Kokomo, provided a short list of potential candidates. Adjunct professor Christina Williams got the job, but another candidate showed so much potential that he was offered an internship.
Through the internship, Rude said, Viera had the opportunity to work with Williams on a number of IT projects, and “when Christina decided to move out of state, it was clear from our experiences with Antonio that he had the ability to step into the role of IT manager.”
Viera was chosen as the one to step in, even if he still had four courses to finish to earn his associate degree. It was a dream position for him, tying together his love of serving people in the healthcare realm with his love of connecting people through technology. He sees it as an ever-changing field where no two days are the same, challenging enough for a life-long career.
Rude says Viera has done very well at Guardian Angel Hospice and, as a member of the leadership team, has responsibilities beyond IT, working to enhance the company’s emergency preparedness program, training, and safety.
“Finding a local candidate with Antonio’s skillset and work ethic was very beneficial to Guardian Angel Hospice staff and patients,” Rude said. “As a locally owned and operated Health Care Agency, we rely on high quality talent and are very grateful we have Ivy Tech Community College here as a resource to fit that need.”
Viera became another example of students meeting one of Schmidt’s ambitious goals for her intern Program: to “be so good that they don’t want you to go.”
Tuesday@theTech focuses on IT education, Aug. 30
Information Technology fields will be in focus at the next Tuesday@theTech open house at Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Aug. 30, and IT Professor Robyn Schmidt says that means an opportunity to look at the quality of jobs available in the IT industry, not just the money to be earned.
Drawing from her experiences as an instructor, adviser and mentor, Schmidt said, “For many people today, work-life balance is as important a consideration as pay. Ivy Tech’s IT degrees provide many opportunities to find a path in a career the student would like both personally and professionally.” She noted the field is one that is ever-changing, regularly offering new challenges to keep inquisitive people engaged and motivated.
The event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. and will begin in Hingst Hall in Ivy Tech Kokomo’s Health Professions Center on the east side of the campus at 1815 E. Morgan St. Information will be available on how to get ready to begin the classes offered during the next eight-week session that begins Oct. 24.
Schmidt, who serves as department chair for the School of Information Technology for Ivy Tech Kokomo, and Julie Byrd, chair of the Software Development program, will be on hand to discuss the three programs offered on the Kokomo Campus – Cyber Security, Software Development, and IT Support -- as well as online offerings in Cloud Computing, Informatics, Computer Science, and Data Analytics. The evening will include a look at Ivy Tech Kokomo’s full CISCO data center where students learn and practice skills on equipment just like they’ll find in the workplace.
For more information, go to ivytech.edu/kokomo, email kokomo-enrollment@ivytech.edu or call 765-459-0561.