Southern University, DXC Technology host first virtual computing camp for students

The DXC Technology/Southern University Project Team wrapped its first Virtual Cloud Computing Camp in early June. The camp, previously held as a residential program on the Baton Rouge and New Orleans campuses, offered students three experiences that DXC Technology and other companies believe are crucial for new hires to have. This year’s one-week virtual experience, which enrolled 27 students, continued that mission to help students become more marketable in future professions in technology.

“Our most recent class with Southern University provided a virtual avenue for content delivery; students learned at the same capacity of face-to-face camps by integrating topical review with hands-on exercises, enhancing student engagement to maintain interest, attention, and clarity of the outcome of each subject using a practical real-world application,” said Keff Johnson, camp instructor and chief executive officer of Pericula Solutions, a technical solutions and digital transformation firm. “A critical factor of the camp’s execution success was the diverse team of candidates with unique strengths across technical and functional areas.”

Joe Wilson, chief technical officer of Workday Corporation, emphasized to students the importance of technology in every industry and he encouraged students to follow their passions in choosing career options. He reinforced how the information being taught in the camp could be used in any profession after graduation and he commended the students on their participation and engagement during this virtual opportunity despite Coronavirus restrictions.

The camp was one of a number of learning initiatives that included students across the Southern University System working together. Students were able to meet other students from a different campus and were also able to work with a cross-section of majors and career interests. Disciplines ranged from computer science, engineering, educational psychology, forensic science, business and information systems. The next step for these students is to continue skill-building through certification programs, other technical courses, and more case competitions away from campus.

“It has always been the goal to prepare students to apply the knowledge gained throughout their matriculation at Southern University to real-world applications,” said Lynette Jackson, a computer science professor at Southern University Baton Rouge. “The Case Competition allowed students to accomplish this goal. Students, through their presentations, were able to showcase their ability to quickly assess a company’s needs and develop a solution using Azure Cloud Computing Technology. I am extremely proud of the fact that all of the teams were able to articulate their viable solutions after only being together for a week virtually.”

This year’s camp was coordinated by Brian K. Phillips and Constance Woods. The camp was made possible by part of DXC’s gift to Southern University of $5 million over five years to build technical skills amongst students, faculty, and alumni through curriculum development, immersion activities, and faculty skill development.