UAF CTC student joins elite Cisco networking group

July 8, 2016

Stephanie Harvey shows off her Cisco Live 2016 Event Staff badge in Las Vegas. Harvey is a member of the Cisco Networking Academy Dream Team. She is also a mother of two and a student at UAF Community and Technical College.

University of Alaska Fairbanks student Stephanie Harvey has been named to the Cisco Networking Academy Dream Team and will travel to Las Vegas for Cisco Live.

Harvey is one of 10 students selected for the team from applicants across the U.S. and Canada.

From July 10–14, the team will build, maintain and dismantle the Network Operations Center for the annual Cisco Live summer event. Cisco, the information technology firm and event sponsor, bills it as "five days of education, networking and fun."

The Dream Team will set up hundreds of wireless access points for the 25,000-plus attendees, provide them with support and maintain a help center throughout the event. In recent years, a Dream Team has also handled network operations at the annual NBA All-Star Game.

Rick McDonald, associate professor with UAF Community and Technical College's computer and information technology specialist program, nominated Harvey.

“Beyond her work habits and preparation, she has that certain knack that helps her see the entire problem at hand," McDonald said.

Harvey, a mother of two, lives in Juneau and takes online courses from CTC.

“Distance learning has allowed me to pursue my dreams of a career and college degree in IT," she said. "I am able to communicate with my professors and classmates via text, microphone and video. This provides ways for the class to come together, learn and give various ideas and opinions.”

Harvey's dedication and composure impressed McDonald.

“She did everything and more the others were doing, but with two toddlers on her lap and dinner on the stove," he said.

Being a part of the Cisco Networking Academy Dream Team can open doors to employment in the industry.

"Participating in this event will help me in my goal to make Alaska better by giving me an experience that provides a wealth of information and learning that I can take with me into my career and ultimately help me to be engaged in technology within Alaska,” Harvey said in a Dream Team introductory video.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Rick McDonald, ramcdonald@alaska.edu

ON THE WEB: Official team list with videos