I am Garrett Moison; I was born and raised in Virginia and am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at Old Dominion University (ODU). Throughout my childhood upbringing, my mother encouraged me to pursue my passions, and my father emphasized the importance of my education. I later took the advice from both and combined them by following my passion with the support of a college education.
Growing up, I took an early interest in technology. I would spend hours on our family computer, testing different applications and learning how they worked, and I quickly fell into the world of video games. With these two interests remaining an integral part of my life, my passion for technology grew with time.
I focused a lot of my time on my education leading up to College. I took many honors classes and consistently earned A’s and B’s. While I found myself struggling in the higher level math and science classes, I overcame those struggles and turned them into some of my better subjects. Additionally, I went out of my way to take technology-centric courses like “robotics” and “electronics.” These helped me gain some entry knowledge on hardware and programming.
While in high school, I was so busy learning that I spent less time on my social life. I would hang out with friends now and then, but I found it challenging to balance my school education with my social life, which became even worse when I began working. However, I maintained my friendships and made new friends through video games, bowling leagues, and those who shared my passion for technology. It was not until later that I realized how important it is to find a balance between the two.
I started my first job at seventeen, halfway through my Junior year in high school, at Chick Fil A. My Dad wanted me to learn responsibility early on, which meant paying for my own car and activities in which I wanted to participate. While I found joy in this newfound freedom, it started to affect my grades, and I had another challenge to overcome, requiring me to find a balance in my education, work, and social life. Since then, I have not stopped working, but I have changed jobs twice.
Before deciding to pursue an education in cybersecurity at ODU, I was unaware of its existence. My parents proposed the idea one day when I came to them asking for advice on what to pursue. I was initially hesitant, but after researching and learning what cybersecurity professionals do, the importance of their work, and the dire need for more of them, I decided it was the right path for me. Moreover, I decided to attend Old Dominion University since it was close to where I live, and I have family members who also studied there. Additionally, the university was well known for its cybersecurity degree program.
Technology is one of my greatest passions. Seeing how the world has changed for the better and worse since the evolution of technology, I wanted to be part of that advancement. Technology provides tremendous benefits for the world, but some others wish to use it with malicious intent. However, this is the case with any new improvements or discoveries. I want to be on the good side of that divide and protect systems from malicious users who wish to cause harm.
My college education has been a significant part of my life for the past three years. However, attending college courses immediately following my high school graduation was daunting. I had just spent most of my life in school and was preparing to take on another four years in a more challenging curriculum. Additionally, I was responsible for paying my tuition, commuting to the university, and balancing my time between schoolwork and my job, which, at the time, was Panda Express. While the entire situation was extremely stressful, I knew it was what I needed to do to get where I wanted to be in life.
With that in mind, I put forth the effort by keeping my grades up, maintaining my friendships, obtaining a better job, and changing to a healthier lifestyle. I knew I had to make some changes to be successful, so I put forth the effort to fulfill my goals. I completed my general education courses early on, so I could finish my required degree courses for cybersecurity. These courses were full of new, exciting knowledge that further solidified my career decision. In addition, I made new friends with similar interests through the in-person classes and learned even more from them. Likewise, I met with academic coaches to ensure I was on the right track and remained consistent with my coursework.
Along with my studies, I decided to join two organizations. Those organizations were the Cybersecurity Student Association (CS2A) and the national honor society, Phi Eta Sigma. While challenging, I did my best to attend meetings and events held by the two organizations. However, finding the time between school and work was not easy. Regardless, I did my best to participate.
Unfortunately, I was halfway through the second semester of my first year at ODU when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. As a result, my courses switched to online, and I had just started working as a Patient Access Technician at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD). With my classes becoming more demanding when they switched to online and witnessing the destruction that Covid-19 caused first-hand, my life became more stressful. Furthermore, I made the illogical decision to work full-time at the hospital while attending ODU as a full-time student. These two responsibilities took away much of my social life; when I was not at work, I worked on my coursework and vice versa. Nevertheless, I have spent the last two years in this same position and have made it work to the best of my ability.
In summary, I consider myself lucky for my childhood upbringing. So many individuals do not have the privilege of being raised by two supportive parents, and I do not take them for granted. While I do not regret prioritizing my education, I wish I had discovered a way to balance it with my social life earlier. To this day, I still struggle with that concept, but as long as I do my best, my friends are always there to support me, and they can expect the same from me. Having supportive people in your life is vital for growth and stability. Furthermore, I am proud of my progress in my academic journey toward a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity. No matter what challenges come my way, I always find a way to overcome them, and for the problems that I fail to overcome, I can always reflect on and learn from them. Many years back, I would not have pictured my life as it currently is, yet I would change nothing. The pandemic was a significant obstacle that stunted my progress; however, this is only the beginning of a long road filled with success.