Skip to main content
Alamo Colleges District homeACD News home
Story
3 of 10

Student Shifts to NVC’s Bachelor’s Degree in Cloud Computing Program

Northwest Vista College student Cybill Stephenson has always believed that a career in information technology (IT) was the right choice because of her love of computers and problem solving. Stephenson, who is a first-generation college student, began taking classes at NVC in the Fall Semester of 2023. When NVC launched the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program in the Fall 2024 semester, Stephenson became one of its first students. “Cloud computing is a booming industry right now, especially in Texas. This program at NVC is a cutting-edge approach for receiving a formal cloud education,” Stephenson added. “NVC has an amazing partnership with Amazon Web Services that allows students to receive micro credentials and access to bootcamps for accredited certifications while pursuing their degree. There really is not any other program like it in the area, and I have been continuously impressed with the amazing professors, courses, and support I have experienced so far while in this program.” The Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing is the first bachelor’s degree program in NVC’s 30-year history. Recently, Stephenson shared her thoughts on the program and her future career plans in the field. Q: What led to your decision to enroll at NVC? A: I was born and raised in San Antonio and have always wanted to stay close to my family while pursuing my education. NVC’s affordable tuition was the obvious choice for me when I was looking for IT-oriented degree programs. When I first enrolled and set foot on campus, I immediately felt welcomed and received an abundance of support from my advisors and professors. I was initially a transfer student from a larger university, and the close-knit community at NVC was extremely refreshing for me. Q: Why did you choose to enroll in NVC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program? A: Cybersecurity has always been an attractive career choice for me because I want to make a real difference within the IT profession. I love computers and I love problem solving, being able to use that passion to help the world and my local community be safer online was a no brainer for me when choosing a major. When I learned about the cloud program offered at NVC, I was instantly intrigued to learn more. The growing presence of cloud services within our day-to-day lives is something I have always found interesting. This field is experiencing significant growth driven by the worldwide demand for companies to shift from on-premises networking and data storage to the cloud. Cloud computing focuses on designing, building, and managing cloud-based services and infrastructure. This meant that I could now incorporate my desire to problem solve with the ability to be creative in IT as well. This opened the door to a vast amount of job opportunities that would offer me a more rewarding and impactful career. Q: How did you hear about NVC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing? A: I learned about the new cloud computing bachelor’s degree while attending a meeting for the cybersecurity club. I learned about the growing presence of data centers and cloud providers in Texas and immediately wanted to know more about cloud and what a job in that field might look like for me. Q: What did you know about this subject before starting the program? A: I knew very little about the intricacies of cloud computing before starting the program. I have always been interested in IT, but originally set out to pursue a career in cybersecurity. Q: Since enrolling, have you learned anything that surprised you about this field? A: Since pursuing cloud computing at NVC, I have learned so much about this field and its importance in our day-to-day lives. So many of us use cloud-based services without ever even realizing it. As technology is constantly advancing, being able to keep up and maintain scalability and efficiency is extremely important to businesses today. This ensures job security within the cloud sector and a vast amount of job opportunities across so many different fields and professions. Q: What would be your ideal job in this field after you graduate? A: My ideal job in this field would be either a Cloud Computing Infrastructure Architect or a Cloud Network Engineer. These positions interest me due to how many different fields offer these types of positions. Having a baseline knowledge of AWS and cloud services opens so many doors within the IT field. For more information about the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program, click here: https://www.alamo.edu/nvc/cloudbat/.

Northwest Vista College student Cybill Stephenson has always believed that a career in information technology (IT) was the right choice because of her love of computers and problem solving.

Stephenson, who is a first-generation college student, began taking classes at NVC in the Fall Semester of 2023. When NVC launched the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program in the Fall 2024 semester, Stephenson became one of its first students.

“Cloud computing is a booming industry right now, especially in Texas. This program at NVC is a cutting-edge approach for receiving a formal cloud education,” Stephenson added. “NVC has an amazing partnership with Amazon Web Services that allows students to receive micro credentials and access to bootcamps for accredited certifications while pursuing their degree. There really is not any other program like it in the area, and I have been continuously impressed with the amazing professors, courses, and support I have experienced so far while in this program.”

The Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing is the first bachelor’s degree program in NVC’s 30-year history.

Recently, Stephenson shared her thoughts on the program and her future career plans in the field.

Q: What led to your decision to enroll at NVC?

A: I was born and raised in San Antonio and have always wanted to stay close to my family while pursuing my education. NVC’s affordable tuition was the obvious choice for me when I was looking for IT-oriented degree programs. When I first enrolled and set foot on campus, I immediately felt welcomed and received an abundance of support from my advisors and professors. I was initially a transfer student from a larger university, and the close-knit community at NVC was extremely refreshing for me.

Q: Why did you choose to enroll in NVC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program?

A: Cybersecurity has always been an attractive career choice for me because I want to make a real difference within the IT profession. I love computers and I love problem solving, being able to use that passion to help the world and my local community be safer online was a no brainer for me when choosing a major. When I learned about the cloud program offered at NVC, I was instantly intrigued to learn more. The growing presence of cloud services within our day-to-day lives is something I have always found interesting. This field is experiencing significant growth driven by the worldwide demand for companies to shift from on-premises networking and data storage to the cloud. Cloud computing focuses on designing, building, and managing cloud-based services and infrastructure. This meant that I could now incorporate my desire to problem solve with the ability to be creative in IT as well. This opened the door to a vast amount of job opportunities that would offer me a more rewarding and impactful career.

Q: How did you hear about NVC’s Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing?

A: I learned about the new cloud computing bachelor’s degree while attending a meeting for the cybersecurity club. I learned about the growing presence of data centers and cloud providers in Texas and immediately wanted to know more about cloud and what a job in that field might look like for me.

Q: What did you know about this subject before starting the program?

A: I knew very little about the intricacies of cloud computing before starting the program. I have always been interested in IT, but originally set out to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

Q: Since enrolling, have you learned anything that surprised you about this field?

A: Since pursuing cloud computing at NVC, I have learned so much about this field and its importance in our day-to-day lives. So many of us use cloud-based services without ever even realizing it. As technology is constantly advancing, being able to keep up and maintain scalability and efficiency is extremely important to businesses today. This ensures job security within the cloud sector and a vast amount of job opportunities across so many different fields and professions.

Q: What would be your ideal job in this field after you graduate?

A: My ideal job in this field would be either a Cloud Computing Infrastructure Architect or a Cloud Network Engineer. These positions interest me due to how many different fields offer these types of positions. Having a baseline knowledge of AWS and cloud services opens so many doors within the IT field.

For more information about the Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cloud Computing program, click here: https://www.alamo.edu/nvc/cloudbat/.

Latest ACD News