June 2026 Certification List Update Halfway Mark

June has been a very busy month for me. 

 

·         6/2/2026 – Completed the DataCamp 2000XP

·         6/5/2026 – Sat for the SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate beta exam

·         6/17/2026 – Received my Microsoft AI Skills Fest

·         6/18/2026 – Passed My AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals

·         6/20/2026 – Received ExamPro Community Access Grant to Enroll in Claude Code Camp

·         6/25/2026 – Received an email saying the SC-730 Cybersecurity Business Professional beta exam was cancelled.

·         6/27/2026 – Renewed my SC-100 Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification

·         6/28/2026 – Passed my Oracle Cloud Agentic AI Foundations Associate Exam

 

Completed the DataCamp 2000XP

Right on the heels of a brand-new month, I delved straight into completing my Women in Big Data monthly 2000XP. I will admit that it is getting trickier to find organic DataCamp with the platform increasing its software company partnerships. DataCamp has added Claude, Google Cloud and Snowflake in the company’s original interface. That makes it is harder to navigate. Having used and been GCP certified, I know how to use Google Cloud interface to keep track of my lessons. Many DataCamp users may not know this.

Sat for the SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate beta exam

OMG! This is the absolute HARDEST Microsoft associate certification exam that I ever took. It supplanted AZ-700 Azure Network Engineer Associate beta exam that I took in 2021.This was the first time I used Microsoft Learn for a test.  I wrote all about it here. I did think that I passed because I saved enough time to review all of the questions. I later learned through another Microsoft Skilling Hub blog post that SC-500 would be coming out of beta in mid-July 2026. Quite convenient with that SC-730 debacle on their hands (more on that later in this blog post).

Received my Microsoft AI Skills Fest Badge and Voucher

Amidst Microsoft changing the policy and reducing the number of exam vouchers, I received both my Credly badge and exam voucher. I only learned about the Credly badge through AzureCertification subreddit. However, it is mine and you can see it here.

Passed My AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals

Yay! Finally! AI-901 came out of beta and I passed. Now I didn’t publish an article because I still did not receive my formal certification and it is June 30, 2026, a full 12 days after receiving the congratulatory email. This is was ridiculous since I been getting Microsoft certifications since 2020, a full 6 years!

Received ExamPro Community Access Grant to Enroll in Claude Code Camp

I would like to thank ExamPro for granting me the community access grant. This allowed me to enroll in the July 2026 Claude Code Camp at a discounted rate.

I debated whether or not to learn Claude since I was already doing Copilot, Gemini, ChatGPT and Cohere. However, I wanted to have a functional knowledge of Claude just in case I need to use it in the future.  

Received an email saying the SC-730 Cybersecurity Business Professional beta exam was cancelled.

There is a first time for everything. I have taken numerous Microsoft and AWS beta exams. This is the FIRST time that I have received an email from Microsoft saying that they’re cancelling an exam.

I admit initially I was shocked but the free exam voucher helped mitigate it. However, I still felt like it was my responsibility to writemy Medium article because not too many people outside of Reddit and Discord were talking about SC-730 being cancelled. Remember, I am always here on Medium to save you money.

Renewed my SC-100 Cybersecurity Architect Expert certification

Up against I time crunch, I managed to renew my certification scoring 88% (22/25). I will say that sitting for the SC-500 earlier this month helped me a whole lot with the renewal process; because I had a lot of the new Microsoft Security concepts.

Passed my Oracle Cloud Agentic AI Foundations Associate Exam

This free training and certification debuted Monday, June 22, 2026. Immediately, I enrolled (or tried to enroll. Initially I received this ‘subscriber’ error but it went away). I wanted to learn more about agentic AI; and Oracle Cloud provided me with an opportunity to learn and get certified!

What’s Next?

Starting Off the Third Quarter and Second Half of 2026 Right

As soon as July 1^st hit, I am going hard. I feel like I have not wasted any time in 2026. Every month I have done something productive. I will continue to do the same

Sit for the AI-500 Multi-Agent AI Architect Expert Beta Exam

I have come across this in last week’s Microsoft Skilling Hub blog post. I have heard about the AI-500 in passing but until I have read the article, I didn’t take it seriously. However, after sitting for the SI-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate beta exam and the Oracle Cloud Agentic AI Foundations Associate, I want to see how much AI there is on AI-500.

Personally, here is the Microsoft AI certification pathway: AI-901 – AI-103 – AI-500

When I sit for this exam, I will report back to you.

Land a Full-Time Opportunity

Things have been moving with me. I will say that I am landing more tech interviews and getting referrals. Future proofing myself with projects and work help a lot. Finally, it is essential to learn in public. You never know who’s watching.

Take the ExamPro Claude Code Bootcamp

I will attend the Claude Code Bootcamp on July 11, 2026. I am opening to being knowledgeable about another generative AI software.

Q1 2026: A Quarter of Growth, Certification, and Strategic Alignment

 As I look back on the first three months of 2026, I am incredibly proud of the progress I’ve made. This quarter has been dedicated to sharpening my technical skills and ensuring that my professional contributions are in full alignment with industry and organizational standards.

Professional Certifications & Continuous Learning

My primary focus this quarter was staying at the forefront of emerging technologies. I am thrilled to share that I successfully passed several key exams:

• AB-900: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals: I participated in the beta exam on January 2nd and officially passed on January 29th.

• AB-731: AI Transformation Leader: I achieved this certification on February 13th, further solidifying my leadership capabilities in AI-driven environments.

• ITIL 5 Foundation Bridge: On March 5th, I completed this bridge exam, ensuring my service management expertise remains current with the latest ITIL principles.

• PMP Renewal: I also successfully renewed my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification on February 11th, which is now valid through 2031.

Strategic Administrative Leadership

Beyond certifications, I have been deeply involved in high-level administrative oversight. A major highlight was conducting a comprehensive Q1 Administrative Review & Performance Management Alignment for the CPP Engineering team. This initiative was crucial for:

• Ensuring full compliance with City of Cleveland HR standards.

• Aligning payroll authority with performance oversight to position the team for success in the coming quarters.

Career Trajectory & Future Goals

This quarter also involved active engagement in the federal application process, where I’ve been applying my specialized experience in IT and statistics to pursue GS-14 level opportunities in Washington, D.C.. My commitment to public service remains a driving force, and I am eager to use my skills in project management and AI to improve government efficiency.

Looking Ahead to Q2

With a solid foundation laid in Q1, I am ready to tackle the challenges of the second quarter. My goal is to continue bridging the gap between advanced technology and effective project management.

My McDonalds Grinch Happy Meal Review

 

Okay so Mommy and I have gotten the McDonald's Grinch happy meal just to see what it is all about. I have a Big Mac, green soacks (so on brand!) and Grinch salt. 

I am particularly intrigued about Grinch salt which is dill pickle flavored salt with a bag to shake the salt and fries together. 

Verdict

I am happy to have received two Grinch salt packets. I use them both. I like the Grinch salt. The combo has a nice twang which doesn't overpower or taste extremely bitter. 

Future Product Recommendation: Keep The Fries Bag

Personally, I think that McDonalds should keep the shake bag for its regular fries when customers ask for salt and pepper. That is customer service. 

Fall Foliage And More

 

Hey everyone! I know that it has been a while since posting but I am back with brand new fall foliage photos. The leaves have been changing and I have the picture proof.

 

There is also another wild turkey sighting. Right before Thanksgiving so I guess he has made the cut ahead of the holidays.

Urban Wildlife: 3 Deer At The Stop Light

 Hey we’re back with another installment of urban wildlife. This time we have 3 deer sighted at the same Miles Road intersection as the wild turkey a couple of weeks ago. The 3 deer were at least at 7am versus 8:45am.

Now Miles Road is right on the Cleveland Metroparks so it is not unusual to see them; however, since the arrival of the wild turkeys, I have not seen as much of them lately. I am glad that they’ve reappeared.

Urban Wildlife: Wild Turkey On The Morning Commute

 This whole summer I have been chronicling wild life in the city. I a native Clevelander but have never seen so many turkeys around in my life. Where I live, I am used to deer and ducks; but not turkeys. 

Last week Thursday during my morning commute, this wild turkey was up early at the stop light. Like he was going to get on the bus like a human!

I have posted my interaction as a YouTube short. Thus far, it has received over 400 views. My first turkey short received over 1700 views. 

Of course, I am keeping track of all of it because it is not every day that I come across a wild turkey. Better now versus November. 

Urban Wildlife: Nature’s Ability to Heal and Restore

 This past Tuesday I walked past the old JFK high school location. The two-story building was razed and replaced with a small marsh and grass. There was a lot of ducks in the marsh and grass. To think that 5 years ago this decade that a building stood here; and, now there was all of this grass.  Check out these photos below.