MCC Instructor One of Top 20 Cisco Trainers in U.S.

The Cisco Networking Academy recently notified Mesa Community College instructor Bob Samson that he is one of their top 20 train-the-trainers in North America. 

Photo of Bob SamsonSamson is in his 10th year as an instructor in Cisco Networking Academy classes at MCC.  Along with teaching traditional student classes, he is also a train-the-trainer for instructors in the Cisco Networking Academy Program, which has approximately 5,000 academies and 1,000,000 students worldwide.

“In addition to supporting other instructors nationwide, this allows me to be a better instructor to MCC students by previewing new curriculum, interacting with other very talented instructors, and anticipating certification changes,” Samson said.

Cisco recently revamped its instructor-trainer model and went to an invitation-only based program which required the candidate to pass a difficult online test, and then travel out of state for a 10-hour, in-person test. This process involved tough technical questions, live troubleshooting labs, pop-quiz type questions, creating micro-teach scenarios, and live teaching demonstrations.

Only about one-third of train-the-trainer candidates are successful, resulting in approximately 80 train-the-trainers in North America.

In addition to this recognition, Samson also placed 3rd out of 120 entries in an international contest amongst Cisco Instructor-trainers.

“I look forward to continuing to bring top-notch instruction and support to our students and other faculty members, and to maintain MCC’s reputation as a world-class educational institution,” Samson said.

To learn more about MCC’s Cisco and other Network and Security programs, visit mesacc.edu/programs/networking-security.