Description of the Experience<\/p>\n
I participated in a community-centered service learning project as part of CYSE 301 that aimed to raise cybersecurity awareness among small businesses and local communities. In collaboration with a nearby NGO, we conducted a series of workshops on digital safety, including lessons on phishing awareness, password hygiene, and fundamental device security.<\/p>\n
My role involved creating accessible content, helping lead a public-facing presentation, and designing handouts that translated technical best practices into everyday language. The goal was to bridge the gap between cybersecurity concepts and real-life applications for people without a technical background.<\/p>\n
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Work Samples
\n\u2022 Global Monarch Club (GMC) \u2013 Mentorship Communication Logs
\nSelected excerpts from weekly check-ins and support messages sent to international students I mentored through GMC. These demonstrate my ability to provide consistent, empathetic guidance while helping others adjust to academic and cultural transitions.
\n\u2022 CivilianCyber \u2013 CCI TEEM Program Mentorship Recap
\nSummary reflection from my time mentoring students exploring cybersecurity career pathways. I helped students break down technical career paths, reviewed basic concepts with them, and offered weekly encouragement.
\n\u2022 COVA CCI Fall Undergraduate Research Collaboration Notes
\nDocumented feedback from research collaboration sessions, where I guided or contributed to team discussions on ethical risks and technical methods around generative AI and cyber policy.
\n\u2022 VA Cyber Navigator Internship \u2013 Community Engagement Brief
\nInternal brief outlining how I contributed to increasing election system resilience in local communities, including steps taken to document cyber risks in rural Virginia counties.
\n\u2022 Raspberry Pi Final Presentation (Fall 2022)
\nPresentation slide deck created during my early years at ODU for a Raspberry Pi programming project, where we designed and explained a basic system to non-CS students during a community outreach showcase.<\/p>\n
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Reflection<\/p>\n
This experience reminded me why cybersecurity matters\u2014not just for large institutions, but for everyday people navigating a connected world. It also made me more aware of the privilege that comes with technical knowledge\u2014and the responsibility to make that knowledge usable for others.<\/p>\n
One of the most meaningful moments came when a participant\u2014someone older and clearly unfamiliar with the tech\u2014asked a question that changed how we explained everything. That interaction pushed me to communicate with more empathy and fewer assumptions.<\/p>\n
I also saw firsthand how security isn\u2019t just a technical issue\u2014it\u2019s a human one. People wanted to feel safe online, but didn\u2019t know where to start. Helping them take that first step felt like a real contribution.<\/p>\n
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Skills Developed<\/p>\n
This project helped me build key career and interpersonal skills:
\n\u2022 Communicate verbally: Delivered a live presentation to a non-technical audience and answered questions in real-time.
\n\u2022 Influence or sell to others: Persuaded participants of the value of adopting even small cybersecurity practices.
\n\u2022 Plan, organize, and prioritize work: Coordinated with teammates to design content, meet deadlines, and structure the event.
\n\u2022 Demonstrate technical knowledge: Translated cybersecurity terms and practices into language that made sense to the community.<\/p>\n
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Connection to My Goals<\/p>\n
Long-term, I want to lead in cybersecurity GRC, and AI policy spaces\u2014but I also want to stay connected to real people. This experience reinforced that technical leadership also requires empathy, accessibility, and clarity. Whether I\u2019m advising a company or working on policy, I want to stay rooted in that kind of communication.<\/p>\n
It also gave me more confidence in my ability to step into a room, lead calmly, and deliver something of value, no matter who\u2019s on the other side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Description of the Experience I participated in a community-centered service learning project as part of CYSE 301 that aimed to raise cybersecurity awareness among small businesses and local communities. In collaboration with a nearby NGO, we conducted a series of workshops on digital safety, including lessons on phishing awareness, password hygiene, and fundamental device security. … Continue reading Service Learning<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21125,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/35\/revisions\/223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/mrabi-eportfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}