What exactly is LeADERS?

It is Learning through Active Discovery, Engagement, Reflection, and Showcase.

LeADERS is an initiative unique to Old Dominion University that provides high-impact learning opportunities/experiences for students. Not only do the courses and programs under LeADERS enhance a student’s ePortfolio by establishing a professional identity, but they drive students to thoroughly engage with their content. They build confidence. They build resilience. Most of all, they create great, potential leaders. The learned skills and lived experiences provided by these programs are beneficial not only for academia but also for the professional workplace in the future.

These courses/programs are divided into the following categories: Leadership, Elective, Academic Internships, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Writing.

What exactly drew me into LeADERS?

LeADERS offers an excellent addition to my resume and my professional identity. For many students, the end goal is quite clear: attain a job or internship related to the degree of pursuit. For me, I decided to major in cybersecurity since the local region I live in (i.e., Hampton Roads) has a broad job market for budding professionals invested in cybersecurity, networking, and information technology. The courses offered under LeADERS provide an interdisciplinary approach to studies; there is no one course, especially in cybersecurity, where the focus is on a single topic.

As I stated on my home page, I will grow over time. While engaging in my LeADERS experience, I discovered many new things about myself. In the Academic Internships category of LeADERS, I took CYSE 368. I was employed at the Cyber Clinic, which offered Cybersecurity-as-a-Service free of charge to several participating small businesses. One day, my team of three was tasked with offering risk assessments to several businesses, both corporations and mom-and-pops. It was daunting at first, but I convinced two franchisees to assess their workplace cybersecurity. I realized I was more than capable of acting as a salesman, and I learned not to be so harsh on myself. It takes time to develop one’s skills and even more to be knowledgeable and confident. Everyone starts somewhere.

Everyone starts somewhere. This is a theme I learned from my LeADERS experience as a whole, and it is what I will carry with me to the workforce. Even our idols/role models, the people we look up to, started somewhere small. They were born as blank slates with, perhaps, innate personalities or attributes. However, it is their lived experiences that melded them into who they are now, and the same applies for me. I started Old Dominion University ignorant in a positive sense. Over time, with the additional courses under LeADERS, I became knowledgeable in cybersecurity and several other disciplines (e.g., criminal justice, computer science). However, I have not even reached my peak. I may never reach it, but that is fine.

So what can I gain from this? Mistakes are potential for improvement, not signs of failure. What matters most is that I keep walking, growing, and learning. I must expect the same for others. I must be patient, since they are on the same path as me.

What are some insights I learned from each of my LeADERS experiences?

I learned many skills/insights from my LeADERS courses, which were in the Leadership, Academic Internships, Research, and Writing categories. For me, as an aspiring digital forensic analyst, these skills are highly applicable.

From my Leadership course, I learned to consider the context of a scenario before proceeding with any action. From my Academic Internships course, I improved my verbal and communication skills. From my Research course, I learned to stay patient and be timely. Lastly, from my Writing Course, I became detail-oriented.

Why would these skills be crucial for someone in the field of digital forensics?

Digital forensics, though a highly technical field, is centered around the criminal justice system. Therefore, it is also a non-technical, human-centered field. This is not a line of work to be approached lightly. How an analyst conducts themselves, examines evidence, creates reports, and presents their findings to an uninformed audience will decide a case’s verdict. However, winning is not the goal. It is about presenting truth and nothing but the truth. A failure to present the truth can not only stain an analyst’s professional reputation, but it may condemn an innocent defendant to a life sentence or, vice versa, a guilty defendant to a time without consequences.

This skillset of acting detail-oriented, patient, timely, and considerate will help me distinguish myself from the workforce and succeed professionally. For me, with these skills, I will apply them to my digital forensic analyst career by focusing on tasks at hand (and refraining from engaging in distracting activities), proofreading my reports, and delivering my written works and, maybe, expert testimony while bearing in mind that my audience may not be informed as I am. I must communicate in a concise, accurate, but comprehensible way.