South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) congratulates students in its Mad Hatters club for their outstanding performance in the National Cyber League (NCL) Fall 2023 Competition Season. Their collaborative effort and dedication earned SPSCC a remarkable ranking of 43 out of the 510 colleges and universities competing.
Under the guidance of Professor Andy Leiren, the Mad Hatters competed in individual and team-based events that mirrored real-world tasks performed daily by professionals. The Mad Hatters earned recognition for their individual skills, collaborative performance, and desire to learn as cybersecurity professionals. Additionally, students Tanner Harkin and Wolf Mithrandir were recognized by the NCL for ranking in the Top 500 out of nearly 8,000 participants nationwide.
The Mad Hatters club is made up of students from a variety of programs including Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Network Administration, and Software Development. SPSCC congratulates all of the students who participated on the competitive team:
- Richard Beckman
- Jesse Carroll
- Joshua Caulder
- Kareis Clarke
- Valdemar Doering
- Kai Hamilton
- Tanner Harkin
- Austin Hooker
- Glen Jemes
- Artemis Kaur
- Josh Miller
- Wolf Mithrandir
- Jasmine Pierre
- Joshua Schwenning
"I am incredibly proud of our students. This was an opportunity for them to develop their leadership skills and they went for it,” said Leiren, Professor of Cybersecurity and Network Administration and Mad Hatters’ Advisor. “We were not sure what to expect since it was our first time competing, but now we have the experience. We plan on using this knowledge to take on challenges more efficiently in the future, and I have high hopes for the Spring Season as well as for future academic years!"
The Mad Hatters plan to compete in future NCL seasons and other upcoming competitions including the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, the National Centers of Academic Excellence Cyber Games, and more.
