Know your WHY

When trying to accomplish anything in life it requires a certain passion and desire. Setting goals, making plans, and executing to accomplish those goals are only ever possible if you know WHY you want to do them. As such I reached out to my community, my family, my WARRIORS to provide some feedback on their WHY when it comes to working in cybersecurity. Please take a look at this variety of responses, and understand that just as no two people are the same, there also is no right path into this industry or any industry for that matter. We all have our own reasons for doing what we do, and sometimes it takes reading the different stories to understand that you are not alone.

Jack Hewitt

For me, my "Why" comes from a desire to help and help protect people.
We might even be able to say a bit of a sheepdog personality.

But I've been into computers since the late 80's early 90's and in looking for a career space in the mid 90's I decided on a different path so "Work" didn't interfere with my fun time. My back decided I need a new career in the late 2010's so it was something with computers and Cybersecurity matched up with that sheepdog personality.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-hewitt-infosec/

Andrea Myler

My passion is people and technology. As a HR Manager transitioning into cybersecurity, it excites me and gives me the best of both worlds!!

Francisco Lara

I am almost done with the Cisco Networking Academy program for an Associate of Applied Science degree. The reason why I want to study cybersecurity for a Bachelor of Science degree is because I want to protect computer networks for a company and people from attack and work to keep data safe. I like to think outside the box, which keeps me excited and energized. By the way, I’m starving for constant growth. Let's fight against black-hat hackers!

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondlara/

Angela Brown

After discovering that my daily migraines were caused by a medical issue and going through an intense surgery, I felt like a brand new person and realized that it was time to do more with my life. Reflecting on my skill set and values, I decided that I wanted to help people and use my soft skills and technical skills together. I was also seeking a community where I could continuously learn, never top off or stall out on the learning. Cybersecurity became a front runner and then a place I loved after meeting someone in the field who encouraged me to check it out.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/angsec/

Blair R. March

For me it was one reason it was the next test to take in the comptia line of tests and I was on a roll. So I studied and with my background in networking I passed and found the contract to help secure the VA.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-r-march-a267ab15/

Cameron Murphy

I wanted a career where I didn’t have to work outside in the dead heat.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmurphy06/

Joseph Kachmar

I was in the Supply Chain industry for most of my career, but unhappy and needed a change. I've always been tech-savvy and very furious as to how things worked and why they worked. I started looking around and came across Cybersecurity. I thought, "This is perfect!" I read more into it and really loved what I was reading. I've always been into helping people solve problems and bring part of a team coming up with ideas on how to improve things such as systems and security. Navigating down the Cybersecurity path has been a ever-growing and loving journey that I feel like I have finally found my niche. Cybersecurity is such a vast field, I stumbled upon the cloud. Then it hit me, Cloud Engineering! I can incorporate my ideas, my love for tech and computing, helping people, and figuring out and being part of the solution for complex problems! Not to mention the amazing people in all aspects of IT I have met and continue to grow with!

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-k-b2b853222/

Michael John Martinez Jr

I am seeking my next opportunity as a Cyber Security Systems Engineer. I look forward to working with my teams to build and maintain secure systems. The constant revolution of systems development has always intrigued me.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/texasit/

Caleb Kirkish

Ever since I got out of the military, I was toying with the idea of getting into computers. I never really knew what I wanted to do with computers but was quickly introduced to cybersecurity and forensics and it really piqued my curiosity so went to school and got a degree in that field. All I was ever told was how much help they needed and I wanted to be a part of those people trying to defend just as I defended this country by joining the US Navy. Plus there is a lot to learn and it always fascinates me with everything that's going on nowadays and anything you want to learn is literally at your fingertips.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-kirkish/

Wib Gridley

I joined the Navy when I was 16 to escape the city teen culture of stealing cars and going to jail. I was fortunate to score high enough on my ASVAB exam that I became a Cryptologist handling National Security Information. Information Security was HAMMERED into my head at a very young age.

Besides wanting to use the two only skills I had gained while serving in the Navy, I also developed an appetite for helping others, and making others “safe”. A career in Computer Security provided me with a means in which to continue doing that. I used to hone my skills during my off hours by contacting random companies and informing them of serious vulnerabilities they were exposing, along with instructions on how to correct the issues… The vast majority of these emails were ignored, but some were actually replied to with grateful appreciation. Nobody offered to pay me, unfortunately.

But, in a nutshell, that’s how I got into what is currently known as CyberSecurity… getting into a job in the Navy that didn’t provide much marketability in the civilian world, and a Commodore64.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/wibgridley/

Bill Eck

My why is because I enjoy the intellectual challenge that cyber presents. It’s always changing and growing, and therefore I must grow and change.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-e-3299311b9/

Adrienne Harris

I was the kid who liked to take things apart to figure out how they worked bc it was fun to break sh... stuff. Then, a career adventure of international teaching/coaching, medical coding and now blazing a trail into IT. While earning a Health Info Tech degree, the IT courses woke up my inner nerd. 🤓
Started looking for a better paycheck and my love for computers had me looking at IT jobs where I was working at the time in Portland, OR. I applied for fun and ended up having a face to face w/the department chair who shared some advice and I've been investigating ever since. Finally chose Web Development, enrolled in an online course and then a bootcamp which was a glorious DISASTER, the details of which I am not legally allowed to publicly discuss. I've since pivoted towards Cybersecurity.
As a coach, I trained my kiddos to play hard but fair. I guess my why is I like dismantling to figure out how things might go wrong so we can protect ourselves and $$$. Coming from a healthcare background it's very important bc electronic medical records (EMRs) are vulnerable based on antiquated systems and/or platforms being used. Hospitals + Ransomware = such a horrible combo!!

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-harris-rhit-cpc-35931177/

Jason Rojas

I am happy to share my “WHY” story. It has two parts to it, so here we go. Back in 2020, before COVID, my wife and I were the victims of some fraudulent charges to our bank account. To the tune of $10G! We had to jump through quite a few hoops in order to get the account flagged and frozen. The hankfully they were willing to work with us and we were able to come back from it. That was what got me thinking about getting into cybersecurity and learning how to secure our information and be part of a company or organization doing the same. The second part has to do with my former career. I was a Massage Therapist for 20yrs when I was deemed a “non-essential” employee. It really put my hints in perspective. It was a huge shock to the system to see how quickly something I loved so much for so long could be taken away so quickly. At that point I KNEW I had to find something that was going to have a level of security and longevity, so I spoke with my wife and told her that I was going to take classes to be able to never have that happen again. And it was honestly the best decision I could’ve made. I love what I do and am thankful for the experience I bring from my previous career.

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-rojas-146bb3133/

Octavious W.

The worlds of technology and cybersecurity offer so many career paths and business opportunities!
These fields give hungry minds a chance to never stop learning, and you can learn this stuff for cheap or for free!

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyberstudentowill/

Mwanawa Tarver

Five years ago I was the victim of just about every type of breach imaginable: credit card theft, identity fraud, number spoofing, deep fakes, and I even had someone take out a car loan and a house loan in my name. At that point, I realized how important it is to know what’s going on with your digital identity and jumped into cybersecurity to be able to teach others how to be savvy and protect themselves. I’m also just a big nerd.

Akira Young

As someone who loves to learn enjoys being a student in all areas of my life, Cybersecurity provides countless opportunities to gain new skills and expand my knowledge. Also, helping others comes natural to me so finding a career where I can be an asset to others while satisfying my desire to consistently learn and do something new everyday excites me.

Phillip Wylie

My career journey began with curiosity and interest in learning. I wanted a better life for my family and myself. I moved from CAD drafting to IT, then to security, and then to offensive security. I accomplished my personal and professional goals while making a better life for my family and myself.

My why and purpose changed to helping others through teaching, mentoring, speaking, and content creation, which I am passionate about. I want to be known for helping others, which I desire for my legacy. My life improved unexpectedly when I turned my focus and purpose to others.