Texas State ITSA tallies wins at USITCC National Conference

ITSA recognized as Premier IT Student Organization

SAN MARCOS, Texas — Students from Texas State University's McCoy College of Business won awards in six competition events at the U.S. Information Technology Collegiate Conference (USITCC), held March 27-29.

In the Hackathon category, Texas State's Aeslyn Broughton, Johnathan Munoz, and Shalim Castro secured second place, most creative. Nicholas Robertson and Joe Najera won third place in the Business Analytics category. Jenna Nguyen and Lacey True received honorable mention in Microsoft Office; True and Robertson received honorable mention in Database Design; and Caleb Knause received honorable mention in both PC Troubleshooting and Security.

In addition, the Foundation for Information Technology Education awarded the Texas State Information Technology Students of America (ITSA) student organization the distinction of 2024 Premier IT Student Organization, highlighting their commitment to fostering a strong IT student community on campus.

Kevin Jetton, ITSA faculty advisor and professor of instruction in McCoy College's Department of Information Systems and Analytics (ISA), said students’ involvement in events like the USITCC provides students with valuable networking opportunities and practical experience that can give them a competitive edge in the job market.

“Our students all took the trip and the competition seriously,” Jetton said. “I'm proud of them. They strived for excellence. They competed."

The three-day conference, held in Springfield, Missouri, brought together 170 students, faculty, and industry professionals from 15 different universities for IT competitions and learning experiences. Twenty-three Texas State students majoring in Information Systems and Analytics competed in the events.

“They [students] really bonded and became more cohesive as a whole [team],” Jetton said. “It's really refreshing.”

Jetton served as the USITCC conference event planner and a judge for the Microsoft Office contest. Additional Texas State ISA faculty and staff who assisted with the conference included Bradley Hamman, who served as USITCC Office coordinator, onsite judge, and volunteer; Trevi Kelley, who was USITCC Office contest problem statement reviewer and oversaw the prep session; and Dr. Jaymeen Shah, who oversaw the Database prep sessions. ✯