STC Cybersecurity Clinic looks to the next cohort after groundbreaking inaugural semester
STC Cybersecurity Clinic looks to the next cohort after groundbreaking inaugural semester
Publish Date: 2026-05-23 11:06:00
Source Domain: news.southtexascollege.edu
Through the Cybersecurity Clinic, students participated in client visits with two retail stores, two health clinics and one electrical contractor. They conducted five risk assessments and one vulnerability scan.
They also participated in numerous awareness trainings and workshops in the community including support services at Lark Community Center, Las Palmas Community Center, Palmview Community Center and a professional presentation at Rio Grande Valley Health Information Management Association (RGVHIMA), a nonprofit handling the management of health information for patients.
Salinas said one of the biggest takeaways from the clinic’s first semester was seeing students transition from classroom theory into real-world cybersecurity environments.
“In the classroom, it’s controlled,” Salinas said. “But when students go into a real network and work with actual organizations, it’s a totally different experience. Technology is always evolving and so are we.”
Nicholas Hinojosa, assistant professor of Computer Science and co-principal investigator for the project, said the clinic has also helped students develop communication and leadership skills in addition to technical expertise.
“The students not only gained technical skills, but the biggest thing they gained was soft skills,” Hinojosa said. “They learned how to present in front of large audiences, communicate technical information in ways people can understand and interact with organizations in the community.”
Hinojosa said those experiences are helping students become more employable while also supporting the region’s growing need for cybersecurity professionals.
The next step, according to the STC faculty is planning improvements for the next cohort, including expanding hands-on training, tabletop cybersecurity exercises and additional penetration testing opportunities.
Joseph Garcia, a student in the inaugural cohort, said the clinic allowed him to apply what he learned in…
