Ben Brock Memorial Scholarship

Geography first sparked my interest as a young kindergartner when my dad was deployed to Afghanistan. My mom hung a large world map in our living room and placed a thumbtack where my dad was located and another thumbtack where we were located. I constantly studied the map, originally to understand the distance separating my family, but over time this led me to notice the significance in the places in between. From there, I was hooked; I filled my room with maps, collected postcards from friends traveling abroad, and explored a multitude of atlases online. I am currently an admitted freshman attending East Carolina University in the fall of 2026 and plan on studying Geography concentrated on Geographic Information Systems. I aspire to work in the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) field as a geospatial analyst, a career that involves geography, map making, spatial analysis, and Intelligence gathering. GEOINT is used across many government agencies, with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency serving as the primary agency in the GEOINT field. As a geospatial analyst at NGA, I would use satellite imagery and geographic data to identify physical features, patterns, and human activity in an area, turning that information into intelligence that supports national security and military operations. Geospatial analysts also work within the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation; CIA geospatial analysts use geographic intelligence to assist with covert missions on the global stage, while FBI geospatial analysts focus on using geographic data to create maps that assist in domestic investigations. I am connected to the military through my parents. My dad served four years in the Marine Corps and then went on to serve sixteen years in the Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer. My mom also served four years in the Marine Corps and currently works for a U.S. Senator as a military and veteran liaison. My parents’ work in both the intelligence and public policy sectors has helped me understand the responsibility and sacrifice that is required to work within these careers. It has also allowed me to be more aware of national and international affairs. Geography is always changing; the physical and built environments continue to shift, allowing human patterns and culture to evolve as well. Geospatial intelligence is used to continuously track these changes as they occur, analyzing patterns and understanding the impact to better interpret the world around us. From my early kindergarten days, I have always loved maps, and that passion has grown with me as I continue my education in college studying geography, focusing on geographic information systems. I am motivated to pursue a career in a field involving a subject that I am truly passionate about, while also doing meaningful work on a global scale.

For my career, I would like to major in Computer Science and enter the field of data forensics working for local or state law enforcement, the FBI, or a national agency in the intelligence community. Through this field, I can continue serving my community and my country while challenging myself and doing something I enjoy. Both of my parents are veterans of the U.S. Army. My mother served in the intelligence community and my dad was assigned to artillery. Both of my parents served on active duty for over five years. My father continues to serve as a member of the National Guard while my mother has continued her federal service in the civilian ranks. I first became interested in computer science in my elementary school tech class, where we got to program Lego Robots. As I took more advanced computer science and cybersecurity classes through high school, I realized how much I enjoy the problem-solving and innovation involved in computer science. Several years ago, I was able to go to work with my mother on bring your kid to work day. The experience significantly shaped my thinking about my desired career. I met a team of computer programmers, and although they couldn't talk to me about their actual projects, they showed me several of their personal home projects. I always thought software engineers were introverts who hid at their desks and avoided contact with people. This team of developers challenged all of my assumptions about programmers and careers in computer science. They showed me the power of working in a team and how individual accomplishments could contribute to the larger goal. They were funny and outspoken and even though I had just met them, I felt like I fit right in. In my junior year of high school, I did a capstone class where we worked in teams to develop an innovative product for the technology industry. The team I worked on consisted of six very strong-minded people who often had differing opinions and ideas. I realized early on in this project that I'm a very goal-oriented person, and I am good at communicating information in terms that everyone understands, so I became the person in the group who helped organize our tasks, set deadlines, and explained to the people in our group working on the business side what was happening on the IT side. From this experience, I learned the major key to building an inclusive team is communication. I found we were not successful until everyone had a chance to, and felt capable of, communicating their ideas, opinions, plans, and reasoning. I learned I could make sure everyone had a voice that was heard. This experience has a special meaning to me because not only did I learn more about myself and how to build an inclusive team, but it also served as the foundation for my desired career choice in data forensics. Through all of these experiences, my desire and intent to enter the field of computer science solidified. I now know it's where I want to be and it's where I belong.

I became interested in Computer Science after trying to build a Python calculator. This experience sparked my curiosity and motivated me to learn more about the different careers in Computer Science and the various collegiate majors I could study. I started participating in more beginner projects and taught myself HTML and JavaScript, even studied for the CompTIA ITF+ exam (which I eventually obtained). My interest in Computer Science was further fueled by my desire to learn about the wide variety of careers within the field, such as software engineering, cybersecurity, analysis, computer hardware engineering, app development, data science, and game development. I began to see the Internet of Things everywhere, from using Zoom and fitness trackers to watching sports and driving a car. This realization that I can master the software and technical skills required to understand how these amazing applications work inspires and motivates me to pursue a career in computer science. My STEM internship at Aberdeen Proving Ground last summer also gave me a taste of the kind of environment I hope to find at my university and showed me that I don't have to be in uniform to serve this nation, as I worked with highly competent civilian engineers throughout the program. My counterparts at the internship came from different areas and backgrounds, but we all wanted to make ourselves better by participating in this amazing opportunity. For me in particular, the lab and mentor I was assigned to sparked my interest in computer networking and motivated me to pursue computer science as a major. The number of intelligent personel in the area only fueled my desire to learn more about computer networking by studying for the Cisco Certificate Network Associate (CCNA), enrolling in AP Computer Science, coding on a regular basis, subscribing to tech journals, and more. This wonderful opportunity gave me a glimpse of what it feels like to be part of a community of amazing people, and I hope to continue developing my skills and interests, as well as learning from and sharing my perspectives with my peers, at the collegiate level. My connection to the military is through my Dad, who has been active duty in the Army for the past 13 years. My Mom is also a government employee, currently working for the Department of Defense. I've always been grateful for the opportunity to travel as a military brat, and I've had the opportunity to learn about many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. There are many different beautiful sites and scenes with many unique geographical destinations from Georgia to Oklahoma, Hawaii, Washington State, and Maryland. What I've come to conclude is that the human race may have different ideologies, cultural practices, and languages, but we are all fundamentally simple at heart, we all strive to obtain the basic necessities of life and live to support our families and friends.