Making Connections
Old Dominion University’s LeADERS program connects students to coursework and real-world experiences in the areas of Leadership, Academic Internship, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Service Learning. This LeADERS ePortfolio shares how my experiences in Leadership, Academic Internship, Diversity, and Entrepreneurship have shaped my personal growth, professional development, and long-term direction in cybersecurity and AI governance.
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Reflecting Back
Why did I join LeADERS?
I joined LeADERS because I wanted my college experience to mean something beyond a degree. I was already involved in research, mentorship, and applied work, but I needed a way to bring those experiences together, reflect on them, and shape them into a clear direction. LeADERS gave me that structure.
What challenges did I encounter?
Balancing multiple priorities—internships, jobs, research, and my entrepreneurial project—was my biggest challenge. There were weeks when I had deadlines across four domains at once. What helped was getting clear on structure: mapping out my work, tracking progress, and letting go of the pressure to perform for others. I also learned to ask better questions and seek help early when I hit roadblocks, especially during my cloud compliance and AI research work.
What successes stood out?
Some of my proudest moments came quietly—launching my first successful AI outreach campaign, mentoring younger cybersecurity students, and completing a risk assessment for state election infrastructure. These weren’t just tasks; they were markers of growth. Each success came from staying grounded, managing pressure well, and communicating clearly with others, especially when it mattered most.
How do my experiences connect?
Everything ties back to the same core: I work best when systems, strategy, and real-world impact align. My RA and mentorship roles taught me how to lead without forcing it. My ethics course helped me articulate what kind of technology I want to build. My internship showed me how to navigate risk in the public sector. And my entrepreneurship work proved that I can create value independently.
Each LeADERS experience was a different test of the same muscle—leadership through clarity and discipline.
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Looking Forward
What’s next?
After graduation, I plan to pursue a role in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) or AI risk management, ideally in Atlanta or Northern Virginia. I’m also continuing to build my AI outreach automation business, and I want to explore future graduate programs in policy or applied tech ethics. Longer-term, I see myself leading strategy and compliance in environments where technology, trust, and security intersect.
How did LeADERS prepare me for that?
Every experience in this program gave me skills I’ll carry forward:
• Work in a team structure: Managed RA duties with campus staff and worked across research teams on sensitive cybersecurity challenges.
• Plan, organize, and prioritize work: Balanced academic deadlines, live business tasks, and technical development across multiple projects.
• Make decisions and solve problems: Navigated campaign errors, resolved student conflicts, and responded to live security challenges in my internship.
• Communicate verbally and in writing: Led floor meetings, wrote policy summaries, and pitched my AI project to early-stage users.
• Demonstrate technical knowledge: Applied frameworks like NIST CSF, risk modeling, cloud compliance, and automation tools in real-world settings.
• Influence or sell to others: Developed and tested cold outreach copy, explained cybersecurity risks to non-technical stakeholders, and led peers by example.
In short, LeADERS gave me space to grow into who I already was becoming—someone who leads quietly but effectively, who thinks strategically, and who builds things that last.