Ricardo comes from
a small family that resides in Queens, New York. His parents
provide a modest living for the family and are unable to afford
a computer for Ricardo. Ricardo realized his intellectual potential
early on and understood that his parents could not provide for
a college education, which he knew, was a necessity to be successful
in the Internet Economy. It was a hard realization that he would
never be able to attend college.
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| Vice President Al Gore with Ricardo Wilson |
In September 1996 Ricardo arrived at Thomas A. Edison Polytechnic
High School and felt frustrated because the only subjects
offered were basic curricula. In September 1997, a Cisco Networking
Academy was opened at Thomas A. Edison Polytechnic High School.
Ricardo observed the students taking the new and interesting
class and asked questions about the curriculum. It was a wonderful
moment for Ricardo as he listened to a fellow student giving
him a quick synopsis of the program. He was immediately hooked
on Cisco.
As a junior in high school in 1998, Ricardo registered for
the course and had a great deal of success. The Academy, along
with his professors, has motivated Ricardo to continue his
education and to reach his career goal of being a network
engineer.
Ricardo says the Academy program is exciting and diverse--
exactly what he was looking for. He excelled in the Academy
program and for the first time had a concrete plan of action
for college and his future. He knew he could work part-time
while he attended college. Ricardo's determination to overcome
economic and social obstacles, coupled with his continuing
education, will assure his future success. In November 1999,
Ricardo was invited to be a student representative for the
Cisco Networking Academy Program at the 21st Century Skills
Committee meeting at the White House, where he sat in between
Vice President Al Gore and Cisco Chairman, John Morgridge.
Today Ricardo is enrolled at Borough of Manhattan Community
College in Manhattan, working towards his A.S. Computer Science
degree. In December 2000, Ricardo will test for his Cisco
Certified Network Associate certification and hopes to find
a part-time job in the networking field to help pay the cost
of his college education. After community college, he plans
to go to a private university to continue his high-tech education.
Ricardo is very confident and feels very much in control of
his future now. "Real power comes from knowing you can
control your own destiny," he says.
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