In 2021, while mobilized with the National Guard for emergency response, I began diving into the world of cyber security and intelligence, and I was immediately hooked on the content I was studying. I began my studies slow, through YouTube videos and blog posts, and by the end of the year I was using TryHackMe to learn key concepts of information technology and cyber security.
By 2022 I had enrolled in college in a cyber security associates’ program. My courses help me broaden my horizons from strictly studying ethical hacking, to studying the underlying technologies, and how computers work and communicate, which has helped me develop my understand of these technologies.
I was pulled away from my studies briefly for an overseas deployment and upon my return, I graduated with my associate’s degree in 2025. I am now beginning my path to the next level of my education. While many in the field of I.T. and Cyber security would advise against college, and instead recommend studying for and achieving certifications, I found that the structure of college helps me identify exactly what I need to learn and also helps me find new interests. Though admittedly without the education benefits I had earned through my military service, I likely would not have ever attended yet alone completed a college degree.