Title: From Classroom to Client: My Internship Experience 

The last few weeks of this internship course have been truly rewarding. From being selected by one of my top-choice companies to engaging in various activities and meeting with clients, every moment has been a valuable learning experience for both me and my team. 

As of now, one of the most exciting moments for me was hearing Carla call my name as a selectee for the City of Suffolk, which was always my top choice. I’ve always been more drawn to the technical side of cybersecurity than the theoretical aspects, which made this selection very meaningful for me. 

Before meeting with the clients, we were getting prepared by participating in several hands-on activities, including VALOR assessments, and comparing frameworks such as CISA’s Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPG) and NIST 2.0. In one of the activities, my team and I collaborated to identify the similarities and differences between these frameworks, which led us to develop thoughtful questions around various cybersecurity postures. These exercises actually shaped us in a more professional manner. At the end, we were able to come up with a list of questions to ask from our assigned client, the City of Suffolk. 

Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed all of Mr. Tomchick’s presentations. They were highly engaging and very informative. One exercise in particular stood out, reflecting on “the Why in Cybersecurity.’’ This made me really think about why I chose this particular field, my motivations and goals, that ultimately reinforced my passion for continuing a career in cybersecurity.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed participating in every aspect of this internship, especially the opportunity to meet with our client in person. They were really nice, friendly and supportive. I believe that my team and I have made quite a good impression on the client, building meaningful and lasting professional relationships.