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Michelle Miller from Alexandria, Minn., and Felicia Anderson from Jackson, Mich., were two of only ten networking students and alumnus from across Canada and the United States selected to be on the team. The Cisco Dream Team project offers students and recent graduates a hands-on learning opportunity to build a networking infrastructure for a large-scale event while learning from industry professionals.

Miller and Anderson worked with on a team of industry experts in a job-shadowing setting to build the network for the Cisco Live event at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“The first few days, we were setting up the convention center,” Miller said. “The showroom alone was 500,000 square feet, and we had four floors.”

The team started with an empty convention center and were responsible for setting up the technology needed for the event. Miller and Anderson worked with the Cisco engineering team to run cables, set up computers, and connect thousands of attendees.

“It was great to see an empty place fill up and make the Cisco Live event happen,” Miller said. “Felicia and I even hooked up 400 computers in one day which was a feat we will never forget.”

The Cisco Dream Team teaches team members the crucial aspects and develops an understanding of the fundamentals behind networking at scale. It educates the team members how a full-scale network that supports thousands of people is built.

Once everything was set up, Miller and Anderson explored the event. Cisco Live is an event that brings leaders in the worlds of computers, programing, cybersecurity, and networking together.

“Cisco Live hosts keynote speakers, promotes innovative discussions, educates, and aims to inspire technological innovators worldwide,” Miller said. “It is the place to be if you want to learn the latest in technology.”

Being on the dream team and going to the event allowed Miller and Anderson to meet Cisco executives: Chuck Robbins, Jonathan Davidson, Guy Diedrich, and Oliver Tuszik, Miller said. Cisco Live is one of the biggest gatherings in the IT world. The event aims at educating IT professionals and pioneers all while building a community.

“This trip would not have been possible if we had not had the best instructors in the field at Alexandria Technical & Community College,” Miller said. “Our instructors gave us the tools, abilities and knowledge that prepared us for the IT world. Without them, we would not have been chosen as some of the top networking students in North America. We are truly grateful for the new connections we have made and the opportunities that will be coming ahead because of this amazing trip.”