Made to Defend: Araceli Deleon is guarding the digital world and balancing full-time work with a flexible online degree

Araceli Deleon is mastering the art of cybersecurity while strategically building her resume, all on her terms through the flexibility of AlamoONLINE at Palo Alto College. 

Her journey began shortly after high school when she attended trade school, earning industry certifications that launched her career in technology. She secured a role at a home health agency, managing the IT help desk. But after several years, she felt the need to grow.

"I remember looking at my resume one day and thinking, ‘I need to make this more appealing if I want to advance,’” Araceli recalls.

Combined with her passion for technology and industry’s  need for cyber security professionals, Araceli chose to earn her associate degree in Cyber Defense & Operations from Palo Alto College, fully online.

"I wanted to continue my current IT job to keep that experience on my resume but also wanted to grow through education and certifications. I needed more to advance, and that’s why I chose AlamoONLINE. "

“I wanted to continue my current IT job...but also, grow through education and certifications. That’s why I chose AlamoONLINE."

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Now, as a cybersecurity student at Palo Alto College, she’s earning the skills and credentials that will set her apart in the job market. These include preventing cyber-attacks and ethical hacking to find vulnerabilities.

"I'm going into cyber defense because with cloud, AI, and all this new technology, we’re opening the door to criminal activity,” Araceli stated. “We need to find those vulnerabilities, and I want to be the person who defends against them.”

With her AlamoONLINE classroom set up at home, Araceli’s space is equipped with dual monitors and a switch device to learn and manage multiple networks. Her vision board and goal checklist serve as daily motivators to stay on track.

She says her advice to other students would be to set yourself up for success and stay consistent.

“Check your emails daily, create a study schedule, and talk to others about what you’ve learned. It helps you retain the knowledge," added Araceli.

Araceli continues to meet her goals of growing her resume. She's earned seven in-demand certifications, including the CompTIA PenTest+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications, while at Palo Alto College. She also landed a competitive internship with a local electric company.

Araceli is also considering pursuing the college’s newest Bachelor of Applied Technology in Operations Management, offered through AlamoU.

"I feel like I can always grow. You can’t say, ‘I did it, that’s it.’ No, I need to keep going. I want to continue my education."

Defend your future like Araceli! Take the first step towards earning a degree by chatting with an enrollment coach today.