May 20, 2021
By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer
Aron Sizemore, a Roane State student from Maryville, said the financial help he received last year to pay for costly certification tests could not have come at a better time.
A grant to the Roane State Foundation from the CNS Y-12 Community Investment Fund paid for the two tests; one to measure his computer networking expertise and the other to gauge his skills in cybersecurity.
He passed both exams with “flying colors,” said Dr. George Meghabghab, director of the community college’s rapidly growing Computer Information Technology program.
The nonprofit Foundation, which provides financial support for students and programs, received $6,000 from the Community Investment Fund, created by the contractor that operates the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
Sizemore said his two tests cost nearly $700. “It was very helpful to get funding through the college to pay for these exams,” Sizemore said. “They are pretty hard exams,” he added.
“These certifications are important tools for graduates to pair with their college degree to demonstrate to employers they have the skills and certifications needed to be successful in the workplace,” according to a statement from the Roane State Foundation.
Sizemore’s exam performances have already paid dividends. Last year, he landed a part-time contracting job as an IT field technician. “The IT field is pretty hard to break into without field experience… I’m definitely ready to get my foot in the door,” he said at the time of his interview.
The Roane State Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) corporation governed by an independent board of directors and established to provide financial support for Roane State students and programs. The Foundation seeks to enhance community awareness of the college, to secure private contributions and bequests and to manage monies or properties given to the Foundation. For more information, visit roanestate.edu/foundation or email Foundationdept@roanestate.edu.
Roane State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulation and by Tennessee board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. View full non-discrimination policy.
