STC Cybersecurity Clinic looks to the next cohort after groundbreaking inaugural semester
STC Cybersecurity Clinic looks to the next cohort after groundbreaking inaugural semester
Publish Date: 2026-05-23 11:06:00
Source Domain: news.southtexascollege.edu
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
Through the Cybersecurity Clinic, students participated in client visits with two retail stores, two health clinics and one electrical contractor. They conducted five risk assessments and one vulnerability scan.They also participated in numerous awareness trainings and workshops in the community including support services at Lark Community Center, Las Palmas Community Center, Palmview Community Center and a professional presentation at Rio Grande Valley Health Information Management Association (RGVHIMA), a nonprofit handling the management of health information for patients. Salinas said one of the biggest takeaways from the clinic’s first semester was seeing students transition from classroom theory into real-world cybersecurity environments.“In the classroom, it’s controlled,” Salinas said. “But when students go into a real network and work with actual organizations, it’s a totally different experience. Technology is always evolving and so are we.”Nicholas Hinojosa, assistant professor of Computer Science and co-principal investigator for the project, said the clinic has also helped students develop communication and leadership skills in addition to technical expertise.“The students not only gained technical skills, but the biggest thing they gained was soft skills,” Hinojosa said. “They learned how to present in front of large audiences, communicate technical information in ways people can understand and interact with organizations in the community.”Hinojosa said those experiences are helping students become more employable while also supporting the region’s growing need for cybersecurity professionals.The next step, according to the STC faculty is planning improvements for the next cohort, including expanding hands-on training, tabletop cybersecurity exercises and additional penetration testing opportunities.Joseph Garcia, a student in the inaugural cohort, said the clinic allowed him to apply what he learned in class in real-world settings while helping organizations strengthen their security posture.“I really enjoyed being able to connect with nonprofits, small businesses and other groups in the community,” Garcia said. “It has been exciting to learn the tools, experiment and really get my hands dirty, so to speak, with cybersecurity.”Another student in the cohort, Marc Cardenas, said the experience became a defining part of his education at STC.One of his favorite aspects, he said, was working directly with community members and organizations while conducting cybersecurity research with his team.“I would tell future students interested in this clinic to take every chance they get while they are here,” said Cardenas, who recently earned his bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Technologies. “This program is really great and it is mentored by amazing faculty. It can seem scary at first, but you never know until you try.”For more information about STC’s Cybersecurity Clinic including registration for future students or potential businesses, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/cybersecurity/clinic.html.
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