MESA, Arizona – April 14, 2014 – Student teams from Mesa Community College swept three of eight categories at the 10th annual Avnet Tech Games Onsite Competition held Saturday, April 11 at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona. Against more than 200 students in 70 teams from universities and community colleges, MCC won the Solar Scrimmage, Robot Race Obstacle Course and Cisco Network Expert Security Battle competitions.
A panel of judges, including technology executives, engineers and other business leaders, selected the winners based on the students’ ability to meet the technical requirements of a task, apply innovative approaches to the solution and demonstrate professional skills.
“The Avnet Tech Games are a great opportunity for students to compete against other students in a real-world environment,” said MCC Networking and Security Program Director Bob Samson. “The skills are invaluable when it comes to job interviews and resumes. The students also get a chance to interact with corporate executives one-on-one, including Rick Hamada, CEO of Avnet."
MCC student Nathan Pan, a Networking System Administration major from Chandler, said he valued the opportunity to apply what he learned in his classes to a real-life situation while meeting meet some of the best Cisco engineers in the industry.
“This experience has allowed me to understand the skills that are needed in the IT industry,” Pan said. “Furthermore, this experience has given me a great opportunity to understand what future day-to-day tasks I might have as a system administrator or network engineer.”
Eight MCC students collected $1,000 scholarships. Each winning team faculty advisor received $2,700 in honorariums for leading the teams to victory. Pan and his teammates in the Cisco Network Expert Security Battle also won a remote-controlled drone quadcopter.
“Winning the quadcopter was a nice bonus,” said Pan, who plans to earn a bachelor's degree in Technology Management from Northern Arizona University and complete additional IT industry certifications after his graduation from MCC in May.
MaryAnn Miller, senior vice president, Chief Human Resources Officer and Corporate Communications, Avnet, Inc., said the 10th year of the Avnet Tech Games has most certainly been their best.
“It’s through competitions like this that a spotlight shines on the science, technology, engineering and mathematic expertise of Arizona’s students. As a long-time proponent of STEM education, Avnet believes that there is intrinsic value in helping to facilitate development and networking opportunities like this between today’s technology leaders and our future workforce to help them achieve their long-term career goals,” Miller said.
A list of MCC winners and descriptions of the events from Saturday's competition follows:
Solar Scrimmage: Design, Test and present the best overall solar-powered “Green Energy” water pumping system.
Students: Brandon Traylor, Daniel Bailey, Nguyen Dao
Faculty: Bruce Carlton, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, who was recognized as one of three faculty members who have been involved in the games for 10 years.
Robot Race Obstacle Course: Build and program a robot to maneuver and tow objects through different courses.
Students: Lloyd Allen, Matthew Otte
Faculty: Bruce Carlton, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Cisco Network Expert Security Battle: Configure a complete branch level network system including routing, firewalls, management and security.
Students: Jason Gates, Nathan Pan, Dana Gallagher
Faculty: Robert Samson, MCC Network Academy
Photos and additional information: www.avnettechgames.com
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Contact: Dawn Zimmer, 480-461-7892, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu
About Avnet Tech Games
The Avnet Tech Games started in 2006 as a partnership between Avnet, Inc. and Arizona's Maricopa County Community College District. The competition was created to help bridge the gap between college curriculum and high tech industry standards. Subsequently, the Avnet Tech Games was opened to all Arizona college students and then to college students nationwide through a virtual game competition.
By providing students with an opportunity to apply what they learn in school to real-world scenarios, while giving them a chance to earn scholarships, the annual ATG competition encourages their dreams, and also connects them with professionals who can help make their dreams a reality. Today, the competition is open to Arizona college students, as well as to students nationwide through our virtual games. Competitive events are developed to challenge students in computer science, engineering, IT, business and environmental science disciplines.
Since its inception, more than 2,600 students and 100 faculty members from 85 colleges have participated in the Avnet Tech Games. Nearly $300,000 has been awarded in student scholarships and faculty honorariums. For more information about the organization and the award, visit http://www.avnettechgames.com/.
About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for its high-quality educational programs, which include university transfer, career and technical, workforce development, and life-long learning. Host to 40,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 200 degrees and certificates at its two campuses and additional locations. Our diverse student body hails predominantly from the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, and international students from 50 countries enrich the learning experience. Award-winning faculty dedicated to student success provide the education and training that empower MCC students to compete locally and globally. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, MCC is one of 11 colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information, visit mesacc.edu.
The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.