Cybersecurity is a competitive field. There are few other jobs in IT where there is no resting. As long as there are networks there will be people trying to exploit them. To do well in the cybersecurity field you have to be driven and on your game at all times. You have to be a competitor. Prior to starting at ODU I spent 7 years in the Navy as an IT on submarines. I was part of a severely undermanned division and had no choice but to grow up quickly as an IT Professional. And I did. I went from someone showing up to my command with very little knowledge and no experience to the best IT the Norfolk Submarine Fleet had. It took me a lot of long days of trial and error and lots of failure for me to get where I reached in the Navy. I am passionate about cybersecurity. I am good at it too. Coming to ODU will open a lot of doors for me. I currently work at the Newport News Shipyard installing and testing networks on submarines being built. Its not a difficult job and it pays the bills. It has a relaxed but I want more. And I am capable of so much more. I want to be successful and a degree in cybersecurity technology is the first step. I have the experience, capability and drive to accomplish a lot in this field but without a cybersecurity degree there is a cap in how far I can go. Not having a degree, despite the experience, will limit my ability to move upward within my job or others as well as limit me in the pay I could receive. I’ve had experience in various IT fields and cybersecurity technology is where I want to be successful.