Baker College’s Cyber Defense Club wins again, helps Flint-area residents with computer access

The student Cyber Defense Club at Baker College’s Flint campus can add another victory to its growing list, thanks to the great turnout for its first Computer Fix-IT.

Through the two-day event, Dec. 29-30, about 25 students and faculty members serviced more than 250 computers at no cost for approximately 150 community members. There was a line of customers before opening each day, and the students worked after hours – well beyond midnight and over the weekend – to complete servicing all the computers.

“The community challenged our students, and they excelled,” said Doug Witten, program director, cyber defense, computer science and computer information systems at Baker College of Flint. “We were able to help many who said they couldn’t afford to pay for computer services. For a handful of customers, we confirmed that their computers were no longer operational and offered to dispose of them ecologically.”

Student gained experience that will help the club retain its state cyber defense championship title this spring. They were able to work with different computers to solve a variety of problems, from installing software and hardware to ridding the machines of viruses.

In the process, they received more than $1,000 in donations that will help pay for food and snacks as the students practice a minimum of 20 hours a week for the next several months.

For more information about Baker College, contact Kevin Pnacek in the admissions office at 810.766.4000 or kevin.pnacek@baker.edu or visit www.baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1911, Baker College grants doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificates in diverse academic fields including business, health science, engineering, information technology, education and human service. Baker College has on-ground campuses in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and offers online programs that can be completed 100 percent online without ever visiting a campus. In 2016, the Online Learning Consortium recognized Baker College Online with the OLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement, the highest ranking for online higher education programs. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

# # #

Photo caption

More than 150 people turned to students in Baker College’s student Cyber Defense Club to fix or upgrade their computers at the club’s recent fundraiser, the Computer Fix-IT event.