Nick Soultanian was hooked the moment his father took him to a tech exposition when Soultanian was a middle schooler. Today, the education he’s receiving at MiraCosta College is preparing the 19-year-old Carlsbad resident for a future career in the booming computer science industry.
“I feel like I’m learning a lot,” said Soultanian, who spent the summer following his freshman year interning with the MiraCosta College AIS department. “The environment here is excellent, I feel like I’m able to talk to people, and I have yet to find a bad instructor.”
Soultanian said his decision to attend MiraCosta College was simple enough. The Oceanside Campus was just a few miles from home, he didn’t want the burden of student loans needed to put him through four years at a university, and the Computer Science program had an excellent reputation.
MiraCosta College’s Computer Science and Computer Studies & Information Technology programs are at the forefront in providing a wide array of career education opportunities in the region. The Computer Science program offers detailed instruction in basic and advanced programming, problem solving, data structures and computer architecture. Students can earn an associate degree or certificate and find employment ranging from a software engineer to a quality assurance analyst, or transfer to a four-year college or university for a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.
MiraCosta College students earning a degree in computer science have transferred to Cal State San Marcos, UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, among others.
Soultanian came to MiraCosta from the Classical Academy High School in downtown Escondido. By the ninth grade, Soultanian was building his own personal computer. By his senior year in high school, he was adept in writing code.
Professors are impressed with his abilities.
“Nick has demonstrated skills in problem solving, analysis, design and programming,” said Chris Merrill, an instructor in the Computer Science department. “In addition to his strong technical skills, Nick has a positive attitude and works well on teams. He genuinely enjoys being with others.”
Soultanian says his future includes plans to transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a bachelor’s degree in computer science, then looking to work for a Silicon Valley tech firm before perhaps returning to school for a master’s degree.
“I would definitely recommend MiraCosta for anyone who is interested in getting into this field,” he said. “It’s a great place to start, and the instruction is first rate.”