Systems-thinker and problem solver

Path

My path wasn’t a straight line into tech. I have a construction background and returned to school after thirty with a sudden interest in academics and a fiery motivation to understand the world around me. I started in International Relations and Economics. My passion mostly resides in solving political and economic problems, which I believe is fundamental to helping as many people as possible—we ought to use tech to this aim.

Why cybersecurity

I am interested in expanding my studies in social and political sciences. However, one of my most enjoyed courses in school was a team-based engineering project. It involved 3d printing, circuitry, software design, and team-based collaboration.

That, plus the lack of seriousness in Political Science programs, pushed me toward STEM and eventually cybersecurity. I enjoyed engineering solutions in robotics so much that I became a teaching assistant and programming tutor, then helped expand the local cyber range and cybersecurity program.

Healthcare & ops

Working in cybersecurity around healthcare gave me experience investigating phishing and malicious behavior in a professional environment. That experience taught to me how important it is to keep updating hardware, software, and our threat knowledge. Funding, and the tools that security teams have access to is important too.

What stood out most to me was the fact that critical patient care depends on reliable technology. I built triage baselines, analyzed data, and wrote findings for specialists and non-specialists alike. I’m comfortable in the gap between technical detail and plain language— and I care about systems that serve people ethically, not just efficiently.

What I’m building toward

I’m looking for meaningful work that I’d be proud to maintain. Some interests are housing and social infrastructure, renewable energy, medical equipment, transit, civic tech, or policy-aware platforms. Once I understand a workflow well, I can’t help but look to optimize it.