Willie Bell

Network Engineer III, Sprint

Following a brief career in the telecommunications industry, Willie Bell found the transition to the information technology field “a natural fit.”

A United States Air Force veteran and lifetime technology enthusiast, he was referred to Seminole State by his co-workers.

“One day I stopped by the Sanford/Lake Mary campus to speak with a counselor,” Willie says. “The atmosphere was very comfortable and I didn’t feel intimidated since I had been away from a school setting for a number of years. After the visit, I decided to give Seminole a try.”

Willie says his educational experience at Seminole State impacted his life on a personal and professional level.

“There’s no way to put a value on improved self-esteem and self confidence; the personal benefits of obtaining a higher education are priceless. The job opportunities presented to me since attending Seminole are much better than those I qualified for prior to attending college,” he says.

And today, Willie, who holds the prestigious Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certificate, is passing along the life lessons he learned at the College as a Seminole State IT adjunct instructor.

“I thoroughly enjoy working with the students and my goal is to give them as close to a real world experience as I can. There is no better feeling in the world than receiving an e-mail from a former student stating that what he learned as a student in my class landed him an IT job and improved his quality of life.”