St. Joseph High School Opens First Information Technology Academy On St. Croix

ST. CROIX — What began as a partnership with Innovative Communications Corporation to create an information technology academy at the St. Joseph Catholic High School, has grown into a fully fledged operation with multiple sponsors — Waste Management, Broadband VI, the Virgin islands Next Generation Network — where, for the first time in the territory, high school students will be given the opportunity to enroll in an I.T. academy that boasts top learning tools — Cisco’s networking academy curriculum.

On hand at the event were officials of the aforementioned sponsors: Tonjia Coverdale, CEO of viNGN, Broadband VI Founder Michael Meluskey, Waste Management’s Executive Director May Adams Cornwall along with Tresa Civil also of WMA, and Innovative Communications Corporation’s Jennifer Matarangas-King, V.P. of government operations at the company.

Coverdale, an IT major herself, said viNGN remains a proud sponsor of the academy, paying all certifications for the first class.

“For the three years that they will be studying, they’re all going to be sponsored by viNGN,” Coverdale said. “The company will pay for their certifications, they will receive internships every summer and winter breaks. They will receive seminars that are taught by viNGN engineers and myself. And upon graduation, we have 3-5 positions available for the top students, so just by doing well, they’ll have jobs.”

viNGN is also offering a grades program for students who want to pursue higher education at UVI’s information technology program. And credits earned at the high school level can be redeemed as credits at UVI.

Coverdale was also the event’s keynote speaker, talking passionately about the importance of IT and the benefits not only to students, but the territory as a whole — which she believes will be ushered to new levels of success because of the curriculum.

While WMA is a company that overseas the territory’s waste, both Cornwall and Civil spoke of how fully integrated with technology the government agency is. Cornwall said WMA will offer students opportunities to come into the Authority’s offices and “learn how we use IT.” She added that Civil will be instrumental in assuring that students learn how IT permeates WMA’s entire operation.

Technology is the backbone of Waste Management,” Civil said. “Without it, we would not be able to do half the things that we do on a day-to-day basis.” Civil revealed that the Authority’s network is interconnected between this island and St. Thomas, and they’re currently working towards full integration between islands.

And Cornwall, who said part of the training interns will receive from WMA includes proper customer service, added that students haven’t fully realized the opportunity they’ve been given.

“They haven’t even begun to understand how privileged and empowered we have just become. They are going to be a new and rich generation that the following generations will easily roll right in because they’re going to show them what they know,” Cornwall said.

As for Broadband VI, Meluskey told The Consortium that the firm has been helping many smaller schools — including St. Joseph and others — with internet access for the last 8-10 years. The IT Academy will receive 100 megabits of speed down and up from the company through viNGN’s network. Meluskey also sees the program as a stepping stone for the students, whether they choose to work in the IT field or elsewhere.

“It’s going to be great for them to learn today and it will help broaden their understanding of how the world works,” Meluskey said. “And even if they go into different careers, having that understanding of how computing, networking and internet works is invaluable.”

The school’s fledgling IT program encompasses 9th-12th grade. It launches with freshman and sophomore classes, and boasts a myriad of career paths, including network administrator, network technician, network installer, help desk technician, I.T. cable installer, cyber security engineer, cyber security consultant, I.A. technician and I.A. manager.

Upon completion of the program, the students will leave with seven industry IT and technical certifications, according to information provided by St. Joseph High School.

For more information about Catholic schools in the territory, go here. To learn more about the CISCO courses click here, and to learn more about Innovative go here.

Feature Image: St. Joseph IT Academy Students with (from right to left): Coverdale, Cornwall, Meluskey and Matarangas-King.

Image Credit: VIC.