Scholarship Essay: Cybersecurity for a Safer World My commitment to cybersecurity began with a frustrating personal reality: witnessing a close friend fall victim to a phishing scam, swiftly followed by my own social media account being unjustly taken down due to false accusations. These incidents revealed the pervasive digital threats and the critical need for more protection online. This growing curiosity led me to explore the digital world, where I discovered the online community of "scam baiters." Their ingenious methods of exposing cybercriminals and their deceptive tactics deeply resonated with me. Witnessing the variety and cunning of these attacks, coupled with the determination of those fighting back, ignited a deep desire within me to actively make a stand against these criminals. My commitment is rooted in the profound understanding the computer world already having some experience in working with computers In pursuing cybersecurity, I leverage my critical thinking, analytical abilities, and keen attention to detail to dissect complex digital problems and identify vulnerabilities. As a natural problem-solver, I'm driven to find innovative solutions against emerging threats. My unwavering ethical mindset ensures my efforts are always directed toward protection and justice. Recognizing the ever-shifting cybersecurity landscape, continuous learning is not just a skill, but a passion that drives me to stay ahead and adapt. My vision for positive impact in cybersecurity focuses on creating a secure and trustworthy digital environment, specifically safeguarding vulnerable populations like the elderly and children. They are frequently targeted and often lack the awareness or tools to defend themselves, reinforcing my belief that digital safety is a fundamental right, not a privilege. A cornerstone of my approach will be educating the public on cybersecurity best practices. Empowering individuals with foundational knowledge on complex passwords, antivirus software, VPN usage, and identifying phishing attempts—is critical for building a stronger collective defense. While exploring roles like security analyst or educator, my core objective remains consistent to apply my skills to actively reduce digital risks and enhance online safety, ensuring I make the most significant contribution. My ultimate vision is not a world free of cyber threats, but one where individuals, especially the vulnerable, navigate online with confidence, not fear. I envision a future where digital interactions are underpinned by greater security, allowing parents to feel at ease with their children's online learning, and seniors to manage finances without deception anxiety. My efforts aim to create a digital society where fewer lives are disrupted by fraud or manipulation, fostering a more trustworthy and accessible internet for everyone. In conclusion, my path into cybersecurity is driven by a profound personal commitment to fostering a safer digital future. The escalating complexity of online threats fuels my dedication to continuous learning and ethical problem-solving. Focusing on empowering vulnerable populations through education and robust security, I am determined to build a more resilient online environment. This scholarship would be instrumental in equipping me with the knowledge and skills to achieve these aspirations, helping to create a digital world where peace and trust can truly flourish.

Hello My name is Joseph Navarro. I have a 14 year old son named Jesse and a girlfriend named Evelyn. My hobbies consist of playing video games with my family and playing my guitar. Since coming to school to finish something that i started 14 years ago has been really challenging in many different ways but i know the sacrifice will be worth it in the end. Now that i am back in school i love to study and read about my focus in Cybersecurity. This scholarship will help me neither shave off some loans that i currently have, or two invest in me continuing my education in my bachelors degree. i have a situation where my loans wont cover everything so i am doing my best to make sure my education is covered. My academic goals right now are to get as much hands on experience as i can so i can get certifications that i am targeting. i spend extensive time in practice certification labs, watching videos, reading books, taking tests. Goals for my career are pretty much set by the clubs i have joined. i want to be in data analytics or pen testing. i look at what does it take to get to where i want to be at and study that material. The only contributions to my community that i do is though my job currently. my job is huge in recycling so i do my part in ensuring that these goals are met and in a way has rubbed off on me in a personal way because i do follow the same practices at home. There was a class in government/economics class that really gave me trouble. I know in my heart i should have failed it. From day one of that class i saw my grade go from a mid 70 all the way down to the low 30's. i just could not get the material. me and my teacher came to an agreement that if i were to go in early every day to re do some of my assignments that i failed that i can at least get a passing grade on them. Every morning from the holiday break all the way to our final tests that were 80% of the grade, i studied, used my early release to sit in other classes and listen to lecture, and took my studies to work to make sure i understood what i was reading. The final test came and i failed it, but not as much as i did in the past with other assignments and tests. I was heartbroken that everything i did and was still not enough. My teacher had a talk with me an changed my grade because he said he saw the amount of effort that i had made to try to pass when i knew i struggled the whole way and this was amazing in his eyes. My take away is that you work hard and it pays off. My greatest strengths is i have grown into become a dependable leader. My job as a manager really taught me different skills that have shaped my personality in a good way. i can communicate effectively to others, i can demonstrate something over and over for those that struggle, i can delegate tasks that i cant tackle on my own, i understand my teams strengths and weakness to better reach our goals and build up on those weaknesses so they can later become strengths.

After my son and my daughter was born 3 months prematurely, they had to stay at the hospital for infants until the time he was supposed to be born. Unfortunately, due to my kids being born so small I had lost my daughter 11 days after they were born. It was a tough time during my son’s birthday and Christmas time. Me and my sons mom had gone our separate ways shortly after our loss because she went trough a depression. This made our situation with how many different doctors appointments he would need to go through to make sure that he is growing how he should be growing. As a single parent it is tough to balance long shifts at work and time with my son. I am going to college currently to not only build a better future for me and him but to prove that you can do anything you put your mind to. I came up with a plan so I can balance out work, school, and free time with my son. Monday through Thursday is class, studying, homework, and projects for school. Monday through Thursday is also my normal 10-hour workdays, Friday and sometimes Saturdays for overtime. Driving to work is a 30-minute commute so going back home I must make sure I make time to eat and do my studies. I have a laptop I had to get so I can take my class work to my job so if there is a time where its slow or have downtime, I can utilize that time to study further or do assignments, so like that I can have more time at home to study extra material or have a little bit more time to rest and spend time with my son. On my free time I spend time with my son practicing football with agility drills, running laps in the football field and help him lift weights. He wants to get better at playing so I do spend much time helping him achieve his goal. When he gets older, he wants to be a graphic designer in video games, so I do help him with his academic struggles as well. I know when he gets old enough, he’s going to start working so he can start saving to go to college. Hopefully if I were to get this scholarship, I will use it to pay for college and hopefully have enough so I can get a certification to really get my career in cybersecurity started. My plan is while I am in school to find ways to get direct training so that when I graduate, I already have experience in my field of study.