“Admittedly, my original reason to start teaching may be as mundane as they come. I wanted to sharpen my network skills while also getting paid. However, as time progressed, I saw myself reflected in the faces of the many students that enrolled in my class. Just like them, I had great anxiety for my future during that formative time in my life. I was once a student. I had to spend time in class and money on books; I had to sweat running to class and cry tears of joy or sadness when I passed or failed a course; I studied when others danced; I saved when others spent; I cried when others laughed. But as time went by, I learned that all the sacrifices were seeds sown in the future.
By the grace of God, my career has allowed me to become financially independent. I have no debt; I enjoy my life and provide for my family. I hope all students in the program can achieve that level of financial freedom and satisfaction. With this in mind, I tailor my classes to make sure that students acquire skills and knowledge, not just spend time preparing for a test.
To be honest, I didn’t expect teaching to be this fulfilling. Being able to teach has helped me to become a better public speaker, a better communicator and overall, a better person. To keep students engaged I had to become a motivational speaker, a comedian, and a counselor. Teaching is easy, inspiring is hard.
As an IT professional specializing in Networking, Wireless, Cybersecurity and Industrial Network Design. I’ve done some incredible work in the last twenty years. I use my life as an example to follow in the professional field. I share a lot of my experiences with the students. Honestly, I think they enjoy that more than the actual technical class. Reflecting back, sharing my professional experiences with the students has been the major differentiator between being an instructor and a teacher.
I’ve been in some of the most unbelievable places thanks to God and my career: the Artic Circle, Las Vegas, West Coast, East Coast, most of the Caribbean, worked for federal, state and local governments, been inside the White House, design networks for world-renowned amusement parks, worked with military personnel, worked inside hospitals, automobile factories, electrical, water and gas utilities and this is only the beginning.
Shortly, I’ll be traveling through Europe, the Far East, Africa, even Antarctica. I’ll continue to bring enterprise IT solutions to the world and I strive to reach new heights in the education field. I would like to work together with my colleagues to enhance the IT program at Santa Fe College and extend the cybersecurity program to create new opportunities for present and future IT professionals. “
– Cesar Julian Ariza , SF Adjunct Professor in Information Technology Education
Professor Ariza identifies as a first-generation graduate