b'Networking is about technology, relationships and preparing for professional success in Dr. Gruichs classroomComputernetworksallowtwoormorecomputersaround the clock, and this is made possible in part by the orelectronicdevicestocommunicateandexchangelab he helped design at the Harrison County Campus. The information.Dr.JamieGruich,GulfCoastalumnusandComputer Networking Technology lab is the largest lab in Computer Networking Technology instructor at the Harrisonthe state of Mississippi and one of the largest in the Gulf County Campus, takes the networking portion to the nextSouth. It combines the lecture hall, lab, and Dr. Gruichs level.office in one space, making it convenient for him to interact Gruich has worked for Gulf Coast for the past four years,with his students. but he first worked at the college in the 1990s for four yearsIn2021,Gruichandhisstudentswonsecondplacein and was part of the team that implemented the collegestheCiscoNetworkingAcademysLearn-A-Thon,which Bannersoftware.Helefttopursueacareerinbanking,prepares students for a successful and lucrative career in where he spent 15 years at The Peoples Bank serving astechnology, from Cybersecurity to Internet of Things (IoT). vice president of cybersecurity and then head of operations.Students who participated in the Learn-A-Thon and passed His time in banking granted him insight into the needs ofthe course exam with a 70 percent or higher on their first interviewees in higher education. attempt were awarded a Cisco Intro to Cybersecurity digital badge that they can use to enhance their resum and make Utilizinghisyearsofreal-worldworkexperienceandthem more desirable to job prospects. network of business contacts, Dr. Gruich returned to Gulf Coast where he could connect his existing relationships inDr. Jamie Gruich guides his students toward the business world with students. professional and personal success.Equipped Dr. G, as he is lovingly referred to by his students, is morewith a strong rsum, solid work ethic and in-thananinstructortohisstudents.Heviewshisjobasdemand skills, each student leaves Gulf Coast morethanthetypicalinstructor-studentrelationship.He sees every student as an opportunity to develop a lifelongprepared for real-world experiences through relationship built on mentorship, guidance, and trust. Hewhich they, too, will take networking to the achieves this by making himself available to his studentsnext level.'