This month began with good news. My Web Design diploma from Art Institute Online arrived, so I am officially a web-designer. Visit my web-design site, KATABOLIC DESIGNS, to see my portfolio and services for web design, illustration and animations.
ABOUT MY CAREER
I just enrolled with the Western Governors University to complete a BS in Information Technology Security (I begin in April 1st). Many will ask a simply shocking why, as I already have a BSBA in Computerized Information Systems... Well, let's be completely realistic about it. I earned my BSBA in 1996... Yes, many years have passed (14 to be precise). I have 12 years of experience within Information technology, but my certifications are completely expired by now, and my areas of expertise and experience need an overhaul if I want to compete for a senior IT related position. So... This is where everything makes sense. The WGU offers the programs at accelerated pace, and in the end you get a degree plus certifications. When I finish this, I will have gathered these certifications:
* Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®)
* Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®) Security Certification
* CIW Professional
* CIW Associates
* CIW Database Design Specialist
* CompTIA A+ (2009 Objectives)
* CompTIA Project+ (2009 Objectives)
* CompTIA Security+ (2008 Objectives)
* Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) – Windows 7, Configuration 70-680
This will definitively make me a better candidate when doing job searches. Since right now I am 6 months pregnant, I cannot get an official job anyway... so getting the certifications, honing my IT skills to make them actual, is a definitively assertive decision. I didn't take it lightly, I wanted to go with being creative all the way... but when you look at my resume it makes more sense to get into security and then add the emerging media as compliment to make a whole competitive monster out of me. I expect to be able to complete this within two years. It will all depend on how my transcripts and experience gets translated into the classes in the program.
When I finish this, I'll go on for the Master in Information Security and Assurance, in which I'll get these certifications:
* CompTIA Network+ (2009 Objectives)
* PW0-200 Wireless LAN Security Exam
* EC-Council Disaster Recovery Professional Exam (312-76)
* EC-Council Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures (EC0-350)
* EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (EC0-349)
* GIAC G7799 (Standards and Policies)
And the last step in my master plan, is to then enroll in the Colorado Technical University to get a Doctor of Computer Science in Emerging Media, which will definitively benefit from all the certifications and the Web Design diploma. Let's see how this mega-plan unfolds... (Fingers crossed).
ABOUT MY GROWING FAMILY
Yup, I mentioned it before... I'm 6 months pregnant. I still don't know if it's a boy or a girl, I just know the baby is SMA free! So we are all very happy! You may follow the newest addition's whereabouts in its blog, A NEW MAGE IN THE FAMILY.
My big girl has been healthy (thank God for that) and so we are making preparations for her 3rd birthday. This means we began Special Education reunions for her transition from Early Intervention to the Pre-K next Fall. It's all VERY exciting, as we see technology opening options for her. We are also adding PT in the pool and Beckman's oral therapy to her normal PT, OT, ST and Developmental sessions. Yup, this girl is amazing, and we are helping her to show it to the world! I'm overhauling her website, so I hope that by the end of March it has more details, pictures and videos. I know I need to finish it before April 1st arrives, don't want to drive myself insane with the new school work.
Hubby & me celebrated our 3rd Anniversary in February, and it's all been just fine. We are just very scared of how time is flying and how everything seems as if it happened only yesterday... Wow! Talk about time ans space traveling!
So... the growing experiences continue... Pray for us, so we get to a sound happy place after all this long journey!
~V~
