I got into cyber…through my dad. Growing up, I would always ask him about his job in technology, and I thought it was the most fascinating thing on the planet. When it came time to choose a major, I decided on engineering because I was better at math, and coding didn’t really interest me at the time. After completing my associate’s degree in engineering, I began working for an electrical engineering company, where I spent most of my days designing how fiber optic cables were attached to power lines. Eventually, I realized that I wasn’t being challenged enough, and I found the work boring and unrewarding. I talked to my dad and decided to take a coding class, which is when I discovered my love for cybersecurity. I went back to school to get my bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and found an internship with Sentinel Blue that I love.

For me, a positive cyber mindset is…staying optimistic and calm when faced with challenges. There have been many times when I didn’t think a project would work out or that I’d meet a deadline. The ability to take a deep breath, step back, and come up with a plan is one of the most important skills someone in cybersecurity can have.

What I thought I wanted to be when I grew up…was an inventor. I loved designing and building things, and I wanted to create something new that would change the world. It’s something that I still strive to do, and is a career goal of mine, even if the outlet is a little different than I imagined.

The skill that helped me transition to a career in cyber…was creativity. Throughout high school, I went back and forth between careers in illustration and engineering. Being able to apply my creative side to problem-solving has been one of the biggest assets in my transition. Often, there are multiple solutions to a problem, and being able to identify or create the best one is crucial.

One of the biggest influences in my life…was my junior-year math teacher, Mr. Cardwell. Every now and then, you get a fantastic teacher, and he was mine. He encouraged me to use my creativity to find unique solutions that others might overlook. He helped me realize that I didn’t have to choose between two things I loved—creativity and technical work—but could find a career path that allowed me to combine both.