Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - July 2009 - Index

sities in Toronto.
He settled on Centennial when
he met with professor Mohammad
Iqbal Khan (profiled in
Desi News in 2007) who explained
to Kaadan the value of
an applied degree and where his
graduates were successfully
employed.
Centennial is the only college
or university in Ontario to offer
a bachelor’s degree in computer
and communication networks.
Using the college’s advanced
labs, students learn to configure
and analyze VoIP, WiFi, advanced
routing and switching,
cellular and WiMax technology.
Graduates go on to work as
network analysts and administrators,
IT project managers and
network support specialists,
among other roles.
Students are required to
complete at least one summer
internship with an employer,
doing work in the field. Having
completed two years of the
program to-date, Kaadan was
eligible to do so, and found a
job as a technical support person
at Tyco Safety Products, a
manufacturer of fire and security
systems.
“I provide technical support
for the company’s computer
networks and active directories.
I look after 300 employees and
their printers,” he says. “I’m
happy with the responsibility
they gave me. There’s a new
problem to solve every day and
I’m always learning something.”
The internship, which pays
a wage, allows Kaadan to put
into practice many of the things
he learned at Centennial, as well
as sample the working life. By
the time he graduates, he will
have no doubts about what to
expect in his new career – and
he is also confident that he’ll
enjoy the work.
“It’s been one of the best
experiences of my life,” says the
enthusiastic 22-year-old.
Kaadan was recently voted
president of Centennial’s Coun-
cil of Applied Degree Programs,
a post he takes seriously. Because
the programs are fairly new
to the college, he wants applieddegree
students to be aware of
opportunities uniquely available
to them.
“We need some change in
the organization,” he says. Most
of all, he aims to raise the
profile of the programs and let
the outside world know that
four-year degrees are not the
exclusive domain of university.
As for his own aspirations,
Kaadan will likely end up in
university just the same. He
would like to pursue a Master’s
degree in information technology
management to augment his
Centennial degree. And he may
do it outside of Canada, perhaps
in England or Australia.
“Everyone seems to have an
undergraduate degree these
days. A Master’s is harder to
achieve and should get me a
better job,” he suggests.
Kaadan is confident in the
knowledge that the path he has
chosen is straight and true. He’s
particularly happy he did it his
way – by choosing a new kind
of applied degree at college –
rather than follow a more
traditional route.
– MARK T OLJAGIC
Ask us!
For more information
about Centennial College’s
bachelor degree programs,
visit www.centennial
college.ca/degrees/bachelor.