Shauntell Gavino-Collins

Reflection Paper #1

09/08/25

Cavalier Logistics

ODU Fall 2025

Professor Teresa Duvall

Internship Reflection Paper

First 2 Weeks/50 hours

Working as a Network Security Intern for Cavalier Logistics for my first 50 hours has given me the opportunity to apply what I have learned so far from ODU and get hands-on experience and professional exposure involving cybersecurity. This is my first internship, and it has been quite interesting with how I am applying what I have learned and seeing how cybersecurity is integral to supporting a global logistics organization. Cavalier Logistics (the headquarters and where my internship is in Sterling, Virginia) specializes in forwarding freight, supply chain solutions, and my role contributes to strengthening and maintaining the security of its IT infrastructure.

During orientation, I was introduced to the company’s background, its network environment, and the expectations for my position. My supervisor, Stacey Collins, explained early on that I would not be expected to become an expert right away. Due to this internship being compact (6 weeks) running from August 25th, 2025, through October 1st, 2025, it has been structured in three phases (this is from my supervisor):

1. The first 50 hours are focused on research and becoming comfortable with the systems.
2. The next 50 hours will involve shadowing Mr. Collins directly to see how network security tasks are handled in real time.
3. The final 50 hours will give me the chance to execute tasks independently, while still running everything by Mr. Collins for review and approval before submission.

So far, much of my internship has revolved around researching the tools and systems that Cavalier Logistics relies on. For example, I have been learning about the Cisco Meraki MR-56 access points, which allows the company to manage all their wireless devices from the cloud (this is across seven states). I have also studied the Cisco FPR1010-NFGW-K9 firewalls, which are Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs), and these provide secure connections using encryption which protects the sensitive information as it moves between locations.

These tools connect directly to my first learning objective of designing, optimizing, implementing, and maintaining Cisco Network Systems. While I am still in the research stage, I am beginning to understand how Cisco Meraki and Cisco NGFWs form the backbone of Cavalier Logistics. Similarly, my second objective of working with routers, switches, firewalls, and VeloCloud devices is to be addressed through exposure to the company’s infrastructure, but I am gaining the knowledge behind them. My third learning objective is helping mitigate security breaches, and I have not started that yet, just researching the best practices to mitigate and what they have done in the past. My fourth learning objective is working with cloud datacenters, and I have learned that having a centralized cloud-based management reduces difficulties across the seven states and their locations whilst continuing in providing careful oversight to prevent vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the first 50 hours of my internship have been informative, motivating, and to be quite honest, humbling. Since this initial phase was designed around research and learning, it gave me the chance to become familiar with Cavalier Logistics systems and tools without the pressure of performing tasks right away. I studied Cisco Meraki MR-56 access points and Cisco FPR1010-NFGW-K9 firewalls, and in doing so, I began to understand how they support and secure multi-state operations. While I am still learning their functions, this research has strengthened my appreciation for how cybersecurity protects the company’s ability to communicate and operate effectively.

This phased approach that Mr. Collins created is extremely helpful because it allows me to understand the systems and tools which have made me more comfortable, assisted in building my confidence, and allowed me to build a foundation of knowledge before throwing me in to more hands-on and more responsible duties. Mr. Collins made it clear from the start that I would not be expected to be an expert right away, and that reassurance has encouraged me to ask questions and take time absorbing the information. I also appreciated the flexibility he gave me with scheduling, which made it easier to balance my internship with my other college classes while working in an accelerated manner for the 150 hours of my internship. This first stage of the phase has provided the groundwork I need to move into the shadowing phase, where I will begin connecting my research with real world applications.