From Bruneau, Idaho, to a Future in Technology
Carlos Escobedo, a senior at Rimrock Jr./Sr. High School in Bruneau, Idaho, has built an impressive foundation for his future in technology and leadership. As the first in his family to attend college, Carlos has already completed his cybersecurity certification through the College of Southern Idaho, before even graduating from high school.
A student with many talents, Carlos enjoys sports, music, and spending time with friends at school events. He plays multiple instruments, including guitar, piano, and bass, and finds joy in staying active and involved in his school community and student body government.
Carlos’s IDLA journey began when he decided to take his first online course to get ahead in his studies. “I decided to enroll in my first IDLA class to get my health class credit out of the way a year early,” he said. “I had a good online learning experience, as compared to an in-person class. I felt like IDLA taught me the criteria in a more organized and quick manner.”
That early experience sparked a deeper interest in online learning and paved the way for a more significant opportunity: the Dual Credit Cybersecurity Tech Certification program through IDLA. Taking on a college-level program while still in high school required focus and determination, and Carlos says the encouragement from his teachers and principal made all the difference. “They all checked up on me and kept me going,” he said. “IDLA helped me with the goal of giving me the opportunity of being able to work through CSI so easily.”
Through this experience, Carlos developed skills that have prepared him for college and beyond. “I’ve taken courses, like Dual Credit: Introduction to Programming, which helped build my critical thinking skills and good problem-solving techniques that I will need in my future career,” he said.
Balancing sports, leadership, and academics is no small feat, but Carlos credits IDLA with helping him make it all work. “IDLA definitely gave me the flexibility of doing assignments on different schedules that don’t intervene with my day-to-day activities like sports and work,” he explained. “The courses were college content which gave me the confidence to know that I can tackle the obstacle of attending, and, hopefully, graduating college.”
When he’s not coding or leading in the classroom, Carlos loves exploring new types of music. His favorite IDLA course so far has been Music Appreciation. “It was really fun to learn other types of music, where music came from, how it evolved, and most importantly, how it worked,” he said. “To this day, it is still my favorite course I have ever taken.”
Looking ahead, Carlos plans to continue studying technology and coding at the College of Southern Idaho. He credits his IDLA experience with preparing him for both academic and social success. What advice would he offer to other students considering an IDLA course? “Take classes that will actually benefit you in the long run and help you build better personal and academic skills, rather than just trying to get an easy class.”
