Reflection Essay
Shaquile Garces-Phillips
Old Dominion University School of Cybersecurity
IDS 493: Electronic Portfolio Project
Dr. Sherron Gordon-Phan
(June 28, 2026)
Abstract
This reflection paper will talk about my journey towards earning a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. It will also explain how my coursework, labs, academic papers, programming projects and internship with the City of Virginia Beach helped me develop technical skills, communication skills, and problem solving skills. In addition this paper will also talk about the artifacts included in my ePortfolio and explain how I applied what I learned in the classroom to real world situations and prepared me for a career in information technology and cybersecurity. This paper will also discuss my personal and professional growth, and my future career goals. Overall, my ePortfolio represents the knowledge, experiences and skills that I have gained throughout my academic studies and my readiness to began a career in cybersecurity.
During my time at ODU, I have improved my technical skills, communications skills and built the confidence that I needed to being a career in both information technology and cybersecurity. In which by creating a ePortfolio it gave me the chance to look back at everything I have accomplished during my time at Old dominion university. Instead of me just collecting my assignments it shows the knowledge, skills and experience that I have gained through my classes, labs, projects, papers and internship with the City of Virginia Beach. Looking back at my work helped me see just I have grown since I started the program. It also reminded me that every assignment has played an important part in preparing me for a career in both information technology and cybersecurity. In which throughout my coursework, I have developed three important skills that will help me throughout my career. This includes technical skills, writing and communication skills, and also problem solving skills. I did not learn all these skills in just one class. Instead, they were built over several courses and strengthen during my internship. Every artifact that I have included in my ePortfolio represents an important part of my academic journey and also shows that what I have learned in the classroom has also prepared me for real world situations. One of the most valuable skills I have developed was my technical skills through cybersecurity labs, programming assignments and hands on projects.
One of the most valuable skills that I have developed while attending Old Dominion University was my technical ability. Throughout my cybersecurity program, I have completed many different labs that has helped me apply what I learned in class. Instead of only reading about cybersecurity concepts, I was able to use different tools, solved technical problems and leaned how computer systems work. These experiences helped me become more confident in troubleshooting issues, and finding practical solutions. In which several of the artifacts in my ePortfolio show the technical skills that I have gained throughout my course work. My cybersecurity labs gave me hands on experience with topics such as password security, system security, networking and other cybersecurity concepts. In which numerous of these labs required me to follow technical steps while also understand why each of these steps was important. Some of the assignments were challenging, especially when I had to troubleshoot errors or learn new software. However, working through those challenges has helped build my confidence and improve my technical skills. Another artifact that allowed me to showcase my technical growth is my boxer state python coding project. Before taking programming course, I had very little experiences with coding. Learning python was challenge because it required patience, attention to detail and logical thinking. Even a small mistake in the code could stop the entire program from working. As I practiced and tested my code, I became better at finding mistakes and solving problems. By me completing this project it has taught me that programming is not only about writing code, but it is also about thinking through problems and solving them step by step.
In which by completing these technical assignments has also prepared me for my internship with the City of Virginia Beach. During my internship, U used many of the troubleshooting skills I learned in class while helping user with hardware and software issues, setting up workstations, deploying new computers, supporting mobile device, and documenting technical problems. Although classroom labs are not able to fully match real world experiences, they gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to assist users and solve technical problems. They also taught me the importance of continuing to learn because technology is always changing and cybersecurity professional must be ready to adapt. While my technical coursework helped me improve my hands on skills, I was also able to learn that technical knowledge alone is not enough to succeed in cybersecurity. That is the reason why it is just as important to explain technical information clearly, be able to document your work, and communicate with both technical and non technical users. By developing these communication skills, they have became the next important step in my academic journey. Although developing technical skills was an important part of my education, I was able to quickly learn that success in cybersecurity also required strong communication and writing skills. During my time at Old Dominion University, I was able to complete research papers, discussion post, reflection essays, lab reports and technical document that help me learn how to explain complex information in a clear and organized way. At the beginning of my degree program, writing was one of my biggest challenges. Looking back at my earlier papers, I can see just how much I have improved over the past several semesters. With the guidance and feedback from my professors, I became more confident in organizing my ideas, using APA format correctly and communicating technical information effectively. In which several artifacts in my portfolio showed how much my writing has improved. Through research papers, I was able to learn how to research information, think critically and support my ideas with reliable sources. I also became better at explaining technical topics and connecting what I learned in class to real world situations. These assignments helped prepare me for the writing and documentation used in both Information technology and cybersecurity. For instance my personal narrative also shows my growth as a writer. I was able to reflect on my journey form the United states Air Force to health care to cybersecurity. Writing this paper helped me appreciate the challenges I was able to over come and reminded me that every experience help shape the person I am today. For instance, my internship reflection paper also helped strengthen my communication skulls by allowing me to connect with what I was able to learn in the classroom to real world IT experience with the City of Virginia Brach. In which by me writing about troubleshooting technical issues, setting up equipment and helping users showed me how much I had learned while reinforcing the importance of clearer communication. As my writing improved I became more confident communicating with classmates, professors, coworkers, and end users through reports, technical documentation and everyday interactions. In which these experiences has taught me that by being able to effectively communicate is just as important as technical knowledge and that solving problems requires patience’s, adaptability, and critical thinking. Together, my coursework and internship prepared me for a successful career in cybersecurity.
Throughout my time at Old Dominion University, I have also learned that problem solving is one of the most important skills in cybersecurity. Through my coursework, labs, coding assignments and my internship with the City of Virginia Beach I was able to develop the ability to critically troubleshoot technical issues, and find effective solutions. During my internship I also worked with experienced IT professionals to resolve hardware and software issues, set up workstations, deploy computers, assist with mobile devices, support applications such as Cerner and document my work in ServiceNow. Thanks to these real world experiences they showed me that every problem is different and that solving technical issues requires patience, adaptability, teamwork and willingness to keep learning. More importantly, I learned that asking question, working with others and viewing challenges as opportunities to grow are vital skills that have prepared me for a career in cybersecurity.
Another important skills that I was able to develop during my time at Old Dominion University was time management. By me balancing six to seven classes each semester, personal responsibilities and my internship has taught me how to stay organized, prioritize tasks and also meet deadlines. Looking back, I realize that every artifact in my ePortfolio represents more than just a completed assignment. Together they tell the story of my academic journey and my preparation for a career in both Information technology and cybersecurity. In addition my labs strengthen my technical skills, my Python project helped me improve my problem solving abilities, my academic papers enhance my communication skills and my internship reflection papers showed how I was able to apply classroom knowledge in real world IT environments. With that being said as I prepare to graduate within the next two month, I am confident that these experiences that I have learned has prepared me to begin my career in cybersecurity. While earning my degree is a major accomplishment, this is only the beginning of my story and I look forward to be able to continue to learn and grow throughout my career.
As I prepare to graduate from Old Dominion University, I am confident that I have built a really strong foundation for a career in both information technology and cybersecurity. My internship with the City of Virginia Beach has gave me valuable real world experience, and having my internship extended twice confirmed to me that I have chosen the right career path. After graduation, I hope to obtain a contractor position with the City of Virginia Beach and then hopefully transition into a full time role, In addition I hope to earn certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and Network+, and eventually pursue my master’s degree. By me creating this ePortfolio it has help me see just how much I was able to grow throughout my academic journey. Looking back, I am proud of how far I have come. Returning to school after serving in the United States Air Force and working in healthcare was not easy, but every challenge helped me grow both personally and professionally. My ePortfolio represents more than a collection of assignments it reflects my hard work, growth, and readiness to begin a career in cybersecurity. Although earning my bachelor’s degree marks the end of my time at ODU, it is only the beginning of my lifelong journey of learning and professional growth.
