"Student of the Week

Culver City resident and West Los Angeles College (West) student Henrique Sertao was selected to be among the first students in the newly launched Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Student Spotlight of the Week program. He was selected from over 200,000 students in the nine-campus district which includes West, located in Culver City.

"Mr. Sertao stands out as an exceptional student, consistently achieving top exam scores and demonstrating a remarkable ability to learn, understand, and master complex material. His dedication and hard work have resulted in straight "A" grades across all computer network and security management-related courses, making him a role model for his peers and a testament to perseverance and academic excellence," said Professor Anna Chiang, Chair of the Computer Science program.

Despite having worked in Information Technology in Brazil for over 10 years, Sertao found it challenging to be a competitive candidate for hire in Los Angeles in his field. After being laid-off from a help desk position, he decided to enroll at West to earn multiple IT and Cyber Security certifications. In addition to the training, Sertao was also pleased to learn that the program provides vouchers for him to take the certification exams. These exams can be $400 per test or more which is a challenge for the husband and father of two children, one at El Rincon and the other at Culver City High. The program even provided him with a loaner laptop and he can access free WiFi through the college library.

Despite current challenges, Sertao, who ultimately aspires to earn a Master's degree in cyber security, is confident that many opportunities await him after his certifications are completed and that the family's American Dream is still well in sight.

West has long catered to non-traditional age students seeking to "level-up" in their current career or who want to change career paths. The Information Technology, Business, Paralegal and Film / TV Production programs are particularly popular for these students. Accelerated eight-week and online classes are designed to fit the needs of busy adults and, financial aid which can bring tuition down to as low as $0, is available to students of all ages.