Introduction: 

My time at ODU in the Cybersecurity Undergraduate program is an experience that I will trade for no other. The connections, the relationships, and the knowledge that I have learned here under this program is immense to my growth as an individual. The technical skills that I learned in this program that I value the most are policy evaluation, basic cybersecurity fundamentals, and adapatability to emerging threats. The soft skills that I value most from this program are my professional communication skills, collaborative inclination, and my overall problem solving skills.

Program Reflection:

The most valuable learning experiences that I have taken from ODU is my time at internship/career fairs. I have learned how to compose myself in professional settings, and really learn how to sell myself and communicate to the best of my ability for me to look and sound credible to employers. The way I dress, speak, greet individuals, how my resume is composed, how I display my accomplishments, all of that matters when trying to find a position in the Cyber field, which is why I value this so much.  

The obstacles that I have encountered were adapting to going completely asynchronous or completely to my computer. Towards my senior year, most if not all of my classes have been asynchronous, where all of the assignments and course materials are online. Making this adjustment was a bit difficult, but it has been a blissful learning experience to say the least. I would say that this is a skill that I have gained in this program. 

A course that has helped me tremendously to navigate these obstacles was Digital Leadership. This course allowed me to earn certifications based on certain technological skills in regards to research. Going through different LinkedIn learning courses and being given certifications has helped me conduct better research online, and to effectively communicate my ideas better online.  

IDS 493 Reflection: 

This course is all about setting yourself up for success when it comes to future opportunities. The way that you do this is by showcasing your greatest accomplishments, strengths, and courses where you have learned the most information valuable to you, and to future employers. Learning the importance of viewership. Regardless of the information that is presented, if your viewer is not interested in your portfolio, then that can be contingent of getting hired or not. Making the portfolio consistent in font size, color scheme, gallery, etc. are all contributors to great viewership.

One thing that I believe I did well was setting up my blog. I believe that the write ups, journal entries and assignments that I have listed there are organized well and also assignments that I am proud of. My blog is the first place I will point them. The most challenging aspects were just how exactly I wanted to organize my page. Having the balance of being informational, concise, but also entertaining was a journey I traversed throughout the entire course. I addressed them by prioritizing information first, then color scheme and the entertaining aspects. Then, I would try to shorten up any fillers or unnecessary parts to the portfolio. Maybe connecting all of my information together to make it more cohesive in regards to what I have learned overall. 

In order to complete this course, I had to refer back to a course from freshman year that started off our e-Portfolio’s. This helped me organize all of my assignments from then and helped figuring out what courses did I want to add inside.

Conclusion: 

All of my course work from freshman year to now has been relevant to my overall growth as a college student, cybersecurity protege, and in life as a whole. Interdisciplinary methods and theories were vital to my understanding of all my course work. Without learning about the concept of interdisciplinary theories, and the importance of opening up perspectives, then I wouldn’t get a full understanding of cybersecurity. I am grateful for my knowledge of interdisciplinary concepts, and cannot wait to learn more about the topic. This knowledge has allowed me to make connections between multiple courses. For instance, I have taken a Windows System Security and Management course that has helped me navigate my Digital Forensics course. I wouldn’t be able to fully get the scope of digital forensics without the basics of windows systems first. 

It is important to be an interdisciplinary thinker because there is never just one way to solve a problem. What I have learned in ODU’s Cybersecurity Undergraduate program is that there will always be multiple ways to solve an issue, and that integrating a way for all perspectives to be utilized to come up with the best solution is key for growth. To be an interdisciplinary thinker in the realm of cybersecurity is to be a force to be reckoned with. This wont only allow you to solve technical problems, but for you to be a leader in your team or on your staff as well.

After ODU, I want to explore many areas of cybersecurity. Digital Forensics, ethical hacking, network administration, policy evaluation, many many areas. Overall, I want to be the most diversified cybersecurity expert there is, from the physical all the way up to the application layer. Right now, I believe that my direct next step is working as a Level 1 Cable Technician for a department under the NSA while I am sponsoring to get my Security Clearance. This will put me on a path to expand my opportunities tremendously.