(ROSENBERG, Texas) – What began as a 13-year-old’s curiosity for fixing his siblings’ smart devices recently culminated in an associate degree in Cybersecurity.
Chinonso Ojimba, who moved to Richmond from Houston during his senior year of high school, recalled spending his early teenage years watching tutorials on how to troubleshoot technology.
“I enjoy finding a solution to solve a problem,” said the 2026 Texas State Technical College graduate.
Encouraged by a former high school advisor, Ojimba spent two summers as an intern for the Southwest Public Schools’ Information Technology department.
“I dissected computers, configured smart televisions and worked on other technology,” he said. “They taught me the value of independent research if I did not know the answer. My passion skyrocketed from there.”
Based on a suggestion from his mentors, Objima enrolled in the Cybersecurity program at TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus to expand his knowledge. During his first semester, the Network-Plus course presented a steep learning curve. He eventually mastered the material by asking his instructors strong questions to gain a deeper understanding.
“I had to learn everything about networking since I was never introduced to it,” he said.
Jonathan Mankey was one of his instructors.
“Chinonso is an aggressive learner who thoroughly researches before requesting help, which is a major strength in the Cybersecurity field,” he said.
Having graduated from TSTC, Ojimba now plans to pursue additional certifications to launch his career.
“These certifications will help me secure an information technology help desk job before I can transition into a cybersecurity analyst role,” he said.
In addition to TSTC’s Fort Bend County campus, Cybersecurity is available online and at the college’s Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters is now underway at TSTC. For more information, visit TSTC.edu.