Networking Academy

Networking Academy Program

Set Your Eyes on a Goal . . .You Can Do It!

Jenny Guay noticed her school was offering the Cisco Networking Academy Program and thought, "Hey, I can do that!" Now, she wants to show other girls they can do it, too.

"It gave me a lot of confidence. I was ecstatic. I was smiling for weeks, I felt so good." - Jenny Guay, Cisco Certified Network Associate

Jenny Guay

When she was choosing courses for Grade 11, at Denis Morris High School in St. Catharines, Ontario, she did not even know for sure what networking was until she went to the Cisco web site. Instantly, she decided to take the program, which delivers web-based content, online assessments, and hands-on labs. Of the program, Jenny said, "I just loved it so much. I knew I could do it!" At 16, she did, successfully completing her Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). "It made me feel so good that I wasn't afraid to do it. It gave me a lot of confidence. I was ecstatic. I was smiling for weeks, I felt so good." After she got her CCNA Jenny felt so empowered, she thought maybe she could go around to elementary schools to talk to girls, just like the woman from Cisco who had visited hers.

The next year, Jenny returned to her Grade 11 Cisco class, and with her teacher's permission, helped other students taking CCNA. Now at Brock University, in Ontario, her first year of computer science, she is certain that completing her CCNA in high school helped her to win the significant scholarship she was awarded to attend Brock. She does not know how far she will go beyond her honours degree but she is very clear about one thing. "I want to continue my Cisco certification. I want to get my CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) and my ultimate goal is CCIE (Cisco Certified Internet Expert). That would be really amazing as I want to have my own networking company."

In her class at Brock she says not even 10 per cent of the students are women. "It amazes me how few are involved. I don't understand what's stopping women from looking at things that look hard. It's all about equality." Jenny credits her parents; for teaching her that with focus, she could achieve anything. "Set your eyes on a goal. If it's hard, that's not a big deal. You can get through it."

At 17, when looking for summer work, Jenny routinely put the CCNA logo on her resume. However, although it was an impressive door opener prospective employers were unable to hire her due to her young age. Now, at 18, with excellent credentials, we have no doubt Jenny will have her pick of firms for summer employment this year.

Ultimately, however, Jenny's goal remains the same. "I just want to be a role model for women, just so there is somebody who says 'Yes, look what she did. I could do that.'"

May 2004