Cyber and Network Security Faculty: David Breeding

Cyber and Network Security Faculty, Northern Virginia Campus

With nearly four decades of experience in IT, David Breeding has no trouble coming up with real-life scenarios for his classroom lectures and labs. He’s pretty much seen it all. He began his career with Xerox Corporation and then moved to Verizon where he has worked as a computer and mainframe operator, systems administrator/supervisor, billing and provisioning process developer, and area manager.

Why do you enjoy teaching?

“I enjoy the challenge. Every day is a new experience with challenges to meet and experiences to have. I enjoy the students and watching them learn. It is gratifying when a student, who has been struggling, finally ‘gets it’ and can continue in their studies with the knowledge you imparted to them.”

[Tweet “Every day is a new experience with challenges to meet and experiences to have.”]

Please share an experience you had as a teacher that was especially memorable.

“I had a student that came to our school who was the first in his family to go to college.  Unfortunately, he could barely read and write, much less do the math required, and he barely scraped through his entrance exam. When he started classes, it was clear that he was far behind the other students and would need to work very hard to catch up, but he was very committed to his goal.

“Every day, we would sit down for some one-on-one tutoring and we would work through what he needed for his classes. Soon, he began to need less and less help and was giving me information back that I did not know. The student had become the teacher and his grades improved the further into his program he progressed. When he graduated with honors, his entire family came to the graduation ceremony. When he walked across the stage, his entire family stood up and cheered.

[Tweet “The student had become the teacher and his grades improved the further into his program he progressed.”]

“After the ceremony, he introduced me to his family as the reason he was now a college graduate. His mother hugged and thanked me for helping her son become a success and for the bright future he now has. He has been back to our school many times to talk about his experience and has helped others that are struggling as he did through school. He always says, ‘If I can do it, you can do it,’ and the students always appreciate that he has walked the walk and can talk the talk.”