See It To Be It Spotlight

I got into cyber…before I knew what cyber was. My uncle exposed me to IT while growing up in NY. He lived in NJ at the time, so I always enjoyed the mini-road trips to visit. He worked in IT at the time and taught me a lot from watching him work on keyboards, PC towers, laptops, you name it – it was somewhere around the house, and he was working on it.

Naturally, I was pretty inquisitive, so I asked many questions while he worked, and I’m grateful for his patience in answering them. This piqued my curiosity as I would take old PC’s and laptops apart to learn how they worked. I was fascinated to see how the inner components worked with each other, understand the dependencies of each circuit and wire, and enable a system to function. This curiosity manifested in my higher academic pursuits, ending with my Doctorate in Cybersecurity from Capella University.

A positive cyber mindset is…about adopting a growth mindset and treating each new challenge that may come your way as an opportunity to learn and improve. It’s also about remembering the people on your team and treating them like human beings with respect and decency. The mission will always be the main focus, but it’s no excuse to denigrate anyone. 

The quote I live by is…“Competence breeds Confidence”. This is a quote often attributed to Confucius. As you continue to learn in your journey, the more confident you become. So, continue putting in the work.

The biggest influencers in my life…are my parents. My Mom and Dad laid down the foundation for who I am today. I learned and appreciated the value of hard work – principles I’ve internalized since day 1. In preparing to join the AirForce after high school, my Mom would help me train for the 2-mile run to graduate basic training. She’d have me run outside while she followed in the car, Rocky Balboa style! I appreciate my father, who’d wake up early every day, head out to work to provide for the family, and always ensure the household was cared for. These are qualities that I appreciate, and I’m grateful for their example.

My recommended read is…This is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth if you’re looking for a good cyber-related book. I have not finished these yet, but they have been very good thus far: The Cyber Effect by Dr. Mary Aiken and Atomic Habits by James Clear. You will not regret adding these to your bookshelf!

What I thought I wanted to be when I grew up was…a sports journalist. I loved sports (still do!), and I admired sports journalists who covered the game and served as trusted sources on any specific team or sport. One of my favorite subjects in high school was English, so I think it naturally fit me. I was meshing writing and sports in one.

A favorite place of mine is…anywhere that encourages love, fun, and laughter. I don’t feel it should be limited to a particular infrastructure, but whatever environment that makes me happy is added to the favorites list.

My inspiration is…witnessing other Black women and men killing it in cybersecurity. It motivates me to keep working and reaching my highest potential and ensuring I’m doing my part to help the next generation after me.

Something few people know about me is…I used to wrestle in my freshman year of high school. I loved wrestling, but when I got thrown around like a ragdoll during a few practices, I came to the realization that this might not work out. I greatly respect people pursuing wrestling or other contact sports because it is not easy. Your body has to get used to the bumps, bruises, and overall fatigue before you can say this is part of your everyday life. So now, I enjoy watching amateur wrestling during the Olympics and WWE.

What I most want to be remembered for is…being one who genuinely cares about individuals establishing their cybersecurity careers. I want to leave a legacy for my kids and hopefully inspire them to pursue a career in cyber and help others along the way.