In May 2009, the CISCO Networking Academy held a national NetRiders competition.  Two students from the CISCO ICT Academy based in the City Of Cape Town building at 44 Wale Street, won the national competition.  Rameez Cruywagen won first place and James Mathlay won second place.  They will both compete in the international finals of the CISCO NetRiders competition on 1 July.  The winner gets a 5-day trip to San Jose' in the USA!  Congratulations to them both, and the best of luck for the finals!

Some information about the winners

1.    Rameez Cruywagen
Rameez is the second in a family of eight children.  Rameez had dropped out of university and was feeling very low about himself when he found out about the CISCO ICT Academy.  He registered for the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) but could not pay the registration fees until a family friend paid half and loaned him the other half.  With this helping hand, he was able to set himself on the path to what will surely be a bright future.  When asked about winning the NetRiders competition, Rameez said "To me, it means I am where I am suppose to be, that I made the right choice in choosing networking as a career path, that not only do I love what I'm doing, but I'm good at it too; and most importantly that all those sleepless nights (making notes) was worth it":  

Rameez's message to other aspiring students is:
"I would say that they are about to enter a new and exciting world and with a lot of hard work and sacrifice, anything is possible. When I first started, I didn't have the internet, I didn't even have a computer I wasn't even sure how I would get to class everyday, but I couldn't let that hold me back, instead I had to use it as motivation and saw it as yet another reason to work so hard. To this day I still don't have the internet, nor a computer of my own, but what I do have is a goal in mind, and in order to reach that goal a lot of hard work will be required as with everything in life".

2.    James Mathlay
James has a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering.  He wanted to become involved in more technical work, and discovered an interest in networking, so he enrolled in the CISCO ICT Academy.  James had this to say about his new career in networking:
"I'm motivated when I enjoy what I'm doing, I am not ashamed to say that I love networking, and I think I'm gonna be a brilliant network engineer, note I say gonna because no matter how much I learn about networking I still feel like I'm just touching the tip of the iceberg. I'm probably going to study until I'm 60, ok maybe 50, but to me this isn't work, its fun, its stimulating, there is still stress but its healthy stress, and IT people are just nicer to be around (not all of them, but most of them). To me there's no going back to where I used to be, there's only going forward, to infinity and beyond".

James gives credit to the CISCO ICT Academy for changing his life; "Before I really just had a 9 to 5 job, and now I actually feel like I have a career path. I know where I want to be, getting there is the fun part".

About NetRiders

NetRiders is an annual competition held by the Cisco® Networking Academy® program, a comprehensive e-learning program that enables students to develop valuable information and communications technology (ICT) skills for increased access to opportunities in the global economy.  The students featured in this article are based at 44 Wale Street, a satellite campus of the CISCO ICT Academy run by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.  It is a programme being run by CISCO in partnership with the City Of Cape Town's IS & T Department.  

About the CISCO Networking Academy

"Cisco Networking Academy reaches students from different ethnic, economic, and educational backgrounds in developed and developing nations through partnerships with secondary schools, colleges, universities, and community organizations such as vocational training centers and correctional facilities.
In support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Cisco Networking Academy aims to help bridge the digital divide by extending learning opportunities to students in developing countries and those with disabilities. This is accomplished through strategic initiatives and partnerships with nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, and international NGOs. Networking Academy also empowers women by supporting their professional development and encouraging gender equality within the ICT industry."  Source: CISCO