In my first information technology class in sixth grade, I was introduced to standard keyboard typing and scratch. Though, my curiosity always turned to the best source, the internet. Curiosity kept turning my attention to the latest headlines, I found myself on an article on, Edward Snowden, and the NSA leaks, it was invigorating. Nothing was more exciting than reading a dossier that seemingly came from a movie plot, and that was the official introduction to Information-Technology. By a figure, a personality that lived through the web.
On my yellow brick road, I would be enrolled into **College as a student pursuing an Associates degree in Cybersecurity. Taking classes on network defense, and cyber defense analysis to earn the capability to transfer to a university closer to the nation's capitol in order to pursue my Bachelor's degree. On the way to my personal growth, I want to work with think thanks in privacy and technology; the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Internet Society, and the American Civil Liberties Union. The opportunity to sit in front of a Thinkpad with the brown haired, & bespectacled man, Snowden, and his attorney, Ben Wizner, demonstrated the power of collectivism to inspire change.One escapade to Washington D.C.to interact with the two figureheads in public policy on privacy, solidified my belief in pursuing I.T. as a career. To become a figure in my own right, to spread the idea of not only a vocation in information technology and cybersecurity but also the concept of its importance. It is also my ambition to work in the I.T. industry to support the defense and the infrastructure of the nation during my studies. As I see the value in protecting intellectual property and both civilian & state data against adversaries.  I love knowing, and I have a compulsive need to keep learning about figures in the Cybersecurity community from, Anne Neuberger, the highest ranking woman in the NSA to Brian Kreb's security journalism. I’ve used my experience as a third culture kid to relate to other students, women, and to public platforms like pageantry and oratory competitions to bring awareness to tech. The position I can see myself in 5 years is a Cyber Analyst for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). During the NSA leaks, I learned about Signals Intelligence (SIGNT) and reading the Five Eyes (FVEYS) intelligence report caught me rapt on the idea of scouring data. What captured my attention in Cybersecurity the most, is the constant change, this field always has something new to monitor, learn, and watch. Being an IT woman scholar would equip me the ability to further champion cyber security and information technology.