Personal Narrative Essay
Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) 493
Dolma Tamang
                                          How I Would Introduce Myself Professionally
My name is Dolma Tamang. I am currently pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity at Old Dominion University. I have always had an interest in learning about malware, that is one of the reasons I picked Cybersecurity. Through my coursework experience, I was able to learn and gain knowledge about different aspects, tools and importance of cybersecurity. I find learning about how we can protect our system and ourselves against threat actors and attacks quite fascinating. In today’s world, almost everything revolves around technology, which also comes with the risk of exploitation. I believe through Cybersecurity we will be able to defend what’s important.

After graduation, my career goal is to work as a SOC analyst. I’m interested in SOC activities because I enjoy digging through suspicious alerts while also monitoring different activities that’s happening in the system. As technologies are advancing, so are the threats which make Cybersecurity appealing to me, it is a continuous process of learning. It motivates me to learn more, be prepared and stay ahead of any attacks and exploitation.
                                              Key Experiences That Shaped My Path
Network Communication, Security and Authentication is one of the academic courses that influenced my career direction. Through this course I got a chance to understand the depth of Cybersecurity and use some of the security tools which I found challenging but interesting. I was able to learn about the importance of details, critical thinking, knowledge of security systems and how much those small things that don’t seem important matters in process of defense against cyber threats made me realize this is something I want to pursue professionally.

During my internship program, I was able to get hands on experience with different SOC tools such as Microsoft sentinel and Microsoft defender. Getting a chance to work on an actual alert using these tools challenged me to rely on facts and details. Working on an alert assignment, I had to investigate and research what caused the alert to trigger, who is involved, when and where did the events take place and why it is important to investigate it while also writing a report with details of the event that took place. I also had to recommend possible solutions with the verdict. Being able to gain hands on experience helped me improve my knowledge, strengthened my ability and interest to pursue cybersecurity. In addition to coursework experience, listening to Cybersecurity podcasts, reading about real life cyberattacks that took place before such as WannaCry ransomware attack, DDoS attack and how much destruction it caused also influenced my decision to pursue a career in defensive cybersecurity.
                                                   What I Learned Along the Way
From these Experiences, I have developed a strong critical and analytical thinking skills which will be beneficial for me in my career. Cybersecurity is a fact-based career. I have learned to always solve problems based on facts and not assumptions. My experiences have helped me to understand the importance of research and evidence and how important it is to break down complex problems into steps.

At times, I felt overwhelmed and lost trying to keep up with all the new things I was learning, especially because things are always changing in cybersecurity profession however that experience has taught me to become a better communicator and reach out to my teammates and seniors for help when in need. Communication is very important. I also learned that having technical knowledge is not enough and I also have to develop strong communication skills. It is key in Cybersecurity because being able to communicate the issues and concerns to your team and clients is very important to defend the system.
                                                              Where I Am Headed
I hope to pursue a career in defensive security. It will allow me to help people and organizations from threats and cyberattacks. I am specifically interested in SOC analysts because I enjoy researching and investigating problems while also improving, gaining hands on experience and sharing my knowledge with others. I also hope to work towards certificates to increase my knowledge and skills to grow in the future. I am looking forward to working towards my goals as a cybersecurity professional.

AI Disclosure: AI assistance from ChatGPT was used on May 29, 2026, to help organize ideas and develop an outline.