My story has been quite a roller coaster. I was originally studying computer engineering, but I switched to cybersecurity because I discovered someone had stolen my identity (there were records dating back to when I was 15 years old) and racked up $22,000 in debt under my social security number. This sparked my interest in how someone could so easily obtain my SSN and use it without consequences. I began to look into data breaches and found that there was a military database breach back when I was around 15 years old (my parents’ were stolen too, but they had detection services in place that kept theirs from being used). This was when my SSN was stolen and misused, and it went unchecked because I was young enough to not be worrying about my credit score/checking it. These malicious hackers target older people and minors to avoid detection by the victims and to avoid preventative services that protected individuals use (in the age range of my parents). I became so enthralled with hacking and data breaches through research that I decided to change my major to cybersecurity when I noticed Old Dominion University was offering it that year. I switched and have never looked back.

My frustration changed to passion as I found something I love to do. Every class I have taken about cybersecurity has confirmed what I live by now. I intend to use this passion, my experience in fighting off the fraudulent debt, and much more as motivation to pursue a career in the cybersecurity field. I look forward to making and difference and stopping the same thing thing from happening to someone else.