OPSU Future Technology Professionals Compete at Nationals

Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Future Technology Professionals (FTP) Club competed nationally at the United States Information Technology Collegiate Conference (USITCC) in Plano, Texas. The conference hosted over 20 colleges and universities from across the United States, including Ball State University, the University of Iowa, Texas State University, and Missouri State University, among others. With over 200 attendees, the conference offered eight IT competitions over two days, including Microsoft Office Solutions, Systems Analysis, Database, Network Design, Application Development, PC Troubleshooting, Network Security, and Business Analytics.

Representing OPSU, eight students took part in the competitions: Hunter Harris, Jayden Valdez, Avery Evans, Julie Johnson, Nora Castillo, Alan Anchando, Ryan Sinclair, and Daniel Byers. The PC Troubleshooting contest was particularly competitive, with over 80 participants. The competition started with a qualifying exam, after which the top 10 students proceeded to the hands-on troubleshooting final. Hunter Harris put up a brilliant performance to secure the third-place honor.

OPSU had three students move on to the final round of the network security competition, which also had over 80 competitors. Julie Johnson, Jayden Valdez, and Hunter Harris demonstrated their expertise in the qualifying exam and advanced to the 2-hour capture the flag security challenge. Senior Jayden Valdez was awarded an honorable mention, finishing 4th, Hunter Harris finished 11th, and Julie Johnson finished 16th, showcasing their excellent skills in network security.

“We are incredibly proud of our students,” said Vicki Pasque, Assistant Professor of CIS. “They can go toe-to-toe with students from any university. The Future Technology Professionals Club at OPSU allows students to develop their IT skills and compete with other students from across the country. The OPSU community congratulates the FTP Club and its members for their outstanding performance at the USITCC, and we look forward to seeing more great things from them in the future.”