Lobna Abdelaziz
.NET Application Development Certificate
"I'm so grateful for this program," says Lobna Abdelaziz, a recent graduate of the .NET Application Development Certificate program. "I have gained knowledge, a certificate to add to my resume, and a sense of belonging to the University of Calgary. It all brings me so much pride."
Lobna already had a Bachelor of Sciences degree in computer engineering from Egypt, when she turned to Continuing Education to gain Canadian context in her field, update her skills, and hopefully boost her career.
"The field of technology changes very quickly and dramatically," she says. "I need to keep my skills up to date."
The .NET Application Development program met her needs. The program allows students to gain in-depth knowledge needed to build web applications through courses such as HTML, JavaScript, Relational Databases, and C#.
"You never know when what you have learned will open a door for you," she says. "This program really helped me at work. It gave me well-rounded experience in different areas."
Like many companies in the energy sector, Lobna's employer was forced to lay off staff when oil prices plunged. Lobna held on to her position. Not only was she able to continue effectively in her role, but she also had up-to-date knowledge and skills that gave her the flexibility to take on additional work in related areas.
"I cannot tell you how much this experience changed my life within my family and at work," she says. "It was hard to work full-time and do school work, but I always kept going. I thought to myself, 'I can't quit. What message would I be sending my kids if I did?'"
When tasked with developing a website for her HTML course, Lobna turned to her three children for ideas. Together they brainstormed what the site would look like, and together they learned to code the website and see it come to life.
Lobna took classes online and in the classroom, and says she found the experience and the instruction to be excellent in both environments. She says she especially appreciated how the instructors were always open to feedback and questions, and able to accommodate the varying levels of expertise among the students.