As a part of the inaugural class at the University of Oklahoma’s Polytechnic Institute, Shelbie Raney has her sights on what the future of cybersecurity will look like for Oklahoma. Raney believes that OUPI will open many doors for Oklahomans to allow students to give back to their communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive. Read below why Shelbie decided to complete her degree in Cybersecurity at OUPI on the OU-Tulsa campus.
With OU, I feel a sense of community that I have not felt with other institutions. You know you have someone on your side who is willing to help, no matter how trivial the issue may seem. As someone who wants to give back to her rural community, OU is a part of something I wholeheartedly support and want to be a part of.
It was a multifactor decision. With OUPI working so closely with TCC, it was easy to transfer, and the process was more effective. They help students ensure they are on the correct academic path. They also make sure students are taking the right courses that will apply to OUPI’s Cybersecurity program instead of filler courses. I’ve already spoken and met with some of the faculty and I’m confident I will be able to reach my full potential through the knowledge provided by OUPI. I also appreciate the fact that the course schedule is flexible and will work with my other responsibilities.
Yes, while on my campus tour, I got the feeling OUPI encourages students to learn. The campus has amazing study areas. My favorite place I’ve seen so far is the area with the fireplaces. I love the fireplaces and the couches. The couches are extremely comfortable. I know where I will be studying while I’m on campus. I’m excited to attend classes on the OU-Tulsa campus.
I originally majored in Cell and Molecular Biology to become a physician-scientist to study infectious diseases and research fungal pathogens. However, I realized I was not interested in the repetition of performing the same experiments every day and only changing one or two variables. My cousin pointed me to the Cybersecurity Bootcamp where I felt challenged and a new growing excitement for cybersecurity.
I graduated from Tulsa Community College and Cyber Skills Center’s Cybersecurity Bootcamp in January and wanted to further my education. I turned to TCC to see what degrees would effectively transfer to a four-year university cybersecurity program. I learned about the TCC2OU pathway with OUPI.
