On Monday January 13, 19 Cisco Networking Academy students from around the world will arrive at Cisco headquarters, where they will spend a week learning about the IT industry and making connections that could launch their careers.

As the top scorers in 2013 Cisco Networking Academy NetRiders International Skills Competitions, the students won a grand-prize, all-expenses paid trip to Cisco headquarters. They will meet with Cisco President Rob Lloyd, tour Cisco offices, visit the Stanford University campus, and experience local attractions in San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

The 19 winners hail from 15 countries and range in age from 19 to 32 years old. They represent the best of more than 10,000 students from 97 countries who competed in

NetRiders competitions held throughout 2013 in Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia Pacific. NetRiders competitions allow Cisco Networking Academy students to showcase their IT and networking skills and gain hands-on experience in a competitive environment.

Some champions view the grand-prize trip to San Jose as an important step on their career paths. "After I won this competition, I started to receive various job offers," says Martin Moran from the Dominican Republic. "NetRiders opened a lot of doors." This will be his first trip outside his home country.

Michael Anggaputra of Australia agrees: "In terms of career benefits, definitely, it greatly improves future job prospects and my employability in the industry."

Other champions say the competition built their confidence to pursue their goals and dreams. "Winning the study trip prize gave me increased confidence in my ability to succeed in the field of networking," says Tatyana Krylosova of Finland. "It motivates me to learn and practice more, to set new goals and move forward."

Justin Duncan-York of Canada participated in NetRiders as a personal challenge to see how far he could go. Winning the grand prize is "an affirmation that I do have what it takes to be a great network administrator."

And many of the winning students, including Wellington Souza of Brazil, are thrilled to have the opportunity to visit another country, and Silicon Valley in particular.

"A visit to the Silicon Valley is special to everybody who works with information technology, including me," he says. "This place breathes science and innovation, and it will be amazing to be there."

We will post more about the NetRiders champions during their visit next week. Stay tuned!