How I Got My Cybersecurity Degree (and Why Most of What I Know Didn’t Come From It)
Finishing my Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, and why most of what I know came from the job.
I just finished my Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, and the path there was a little backwards compared to most.
A backwards path
It started in my senior year of high school with an IT apprenticeship, where my title was Information Technology Specialist. Not cybersecurity exactly, but it put me around real systems and real problems, and that was enough to hook me. From there I studied up for my A+ and passed it while I was at Stark State. That cert plus the hands-on experience was enough to land me a job as a cybersecurity analyst, and that’s where the real learning began.
Where the real learning happened
These last two-plus years on the job have taught me more than any class could. Live incidents, real investigations, actual tooling: you learn fast when it counts. So when I finally wrapped up the Bachelor’s, I’ll be honest: most of what I know came from the work, not the coursework. The degree filled in some gaps, but mostly it checks the HR box that opens doors, and there’s real value in that.
What’s next
I’m a continuous learner at heart, so I’m not stopping here. I’m looking forward to starting my Master’s in the spring of 2027 and seeing where the next chapter takes me. In the meantime, I’m working toward the GCFA.
Also shared on LinkedIn.