SCSU & SCTCC Faculty Bring Cybersecurity Education to Apollo High School

Erich Rice, an instructor in Information Systems from St. Cloud State University (SCSU), and Brian Volkmuth, an instructor in Cybersecurity and Networking from St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) met with several dozen high school students at St. Cloud Technical High School on Nov. 11 and Apollo High School on Nov. 15 to educate them on cybersecurity concepts, its importance of Cybersecurity and how they could have a career in cybersecurity or information technology. Students were taught basic cybersecurity concepts such as network security, phishing emails, and other cybersecurity principles.

Additionally, students were informed of the various scholarship opportunities available to them for cyber-related education, such as the DoD Cyber Service Academy, which is offered through the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Because SCSU and SCTCC are recognized Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, their students are eligible to apply for the scholarship, which provides a stipend, tuition, books, and travel expenses to conferences. Students were provided with information about these and other scholarship opportunities to help them pursue a career in the cybersecurity field.

Faculty members also provided the students with information on various online resources, such as the CLARK Center, which houses resources produced through government grants and are free to use, also various cyber competitions, such as the National Youth Cyber Defense and National Cyber League competitions which students can leverage to build their resume and core competencies in cybersecurity principles. Students were encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities as it could help pave various career paths for them and allow them to gain valuable knowledge and skills.

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