Student Spotlight: Technology Systems Cybersecurity BS

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to have a career in STEM, primarily because of the demographic of women in the industry. In high school, I took an intro to computer science class and really enjoyed programming, and I figured that would be a good place to start. As I took more computer science classes at Utah State, I began to further my love of technology and learn more about the technological revolution we live in today. I ended up switching my major to relate more to cybersecurity in my junior year here at USU because I wanted to do something more hands-on, and I have loved it ever since. Being a student at Utah State has also helped me get my job at the Space Dynamics Laboratory here in North Logan as an Information System Security Officer. The combination of my schooling and the experience I am gaining at SDL has helped me progress so much. I am very fortunate to have both opportunities, and I am excited to see where this takes me in my career.

I chose the Cybersecurity emphasis in the Technology Systems major because of my love for the technology industry and the ability to constantly learn throughout my career. I also liked that I would get a general technological overview with a cybersecurity perspective in mind. As the world of cybersecurity is vast and the specialties are endless, I figured this would give me a good opportunity to get a general overview of the industry and then focus on something specific that I really enjoy.

In the future, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in Cybersecurity or something similar (cryptography, networking, etc.) as I continue throughout my career and find a specialty I really enjoy. Long term, I would love to work for the CIA or FBI as a cybersecurity analyst. I also really love the legal aspect of things, and I am looking into law school and the possibility of becoming a tech and cyber attorney. As long as I have a career in technology where I am constantly learning, I’ll be happy.

Something that I have really loved about this program is the accessibility of the professors and their willingness to help other students learn as much as they can. I can tell that each professor has a passion for what they do and for the topics they teach, and I believe that’s why I have loved learning all the topics thus far.