I wanted to state how my academic career went at Old Dominion University. From this, I state the skills the Old Dominion University Cybersecurity curriculum taught me and the future steps I will take to achieve my career goals.

 For my three years at Old Dominion University, I’ve enjoyed every moment within the Cybersecurity program.  When I originally started at Northern Virginia Community College, I didn’t think I would transition to cyber security at all. My focus was Information Technology, but I am glad that I decided to pursue Cybersecurity at Old Dominion University.  In this program, each class I have taken was a learning experience for my major. Those classes were Intro to Python (CS 115), Introduction to Networking and Security (IT 315), Linux System for Cybersecurity (CYSE 270), Digital Forensics (CYSE 407), Cybersecurity Strategy and Policy (CYSE 425 W), Cybersecurity Fundamentals (CS 462), and Networked Systems Security (CS 464). These classes helped to sharpen the writing and critical thinking skills that I would need in my career. 

At Old Dominion University, the most valuable learning experiences were more like life lessons. Learning how to time manage, stay self-motivated, and develop effective solutions were my valuable learning experiences. Time management is one of the most important aspects I need to sharpen, but it has taught me it makes life much easier when you have a well-thought-out plan or a schedule for what you have planned for the day or week. Staying self-motivated was tricky due to having many pillars to overcome, but the drive to not quit pushed me to become better than myself from the day before. 

The IDS 493 course is made for senior students to help display the information they’ve gained from their time at Old Dominion and create their portfolio to display their professionalism. When taking this course, I looked back at the material to remember what skill I had learned. I truly thought this course was going to be challenging, but I truly enjoyed myself. The thing that I am most proud of is creating class pages for my portfolio. For each page, I have displayed different artifacts/assignments that I have done to showcase what I have learned in each class. My only challenge with IDSD 493 was staying on top of the course material, but with communication with the professor, I was able to get back on track. I believe that I could improve a better layout design of my portfolio if I had more time. I could also improve my choice of words by describing some of the classes that I have listed.

The cybersecurity program at Old Dominion University provides students with a wide range of skills and disciplines that are essential for securing computer systems and networks against cyber threats. My most valuable skills are those that learn how to time manage, stay self-motivated, and develop effective solutions.  My next steps in my career would be obtaining certifications such as CompTIA Security+ and obtaining clearances.