Iswarya worked as a cybersecurity analyst in India, and loved it. “I used to help my team to mitigate cyber attacks – it was real detective stuff,” she said.
But her family moved to California and she put her career on hold to raise her children. She loved that planned career break too, but time has flown by, and now that her child has started kindergarten, she’s ready to get back to work
“I’m passionate about cybersecurity and I want to get back into it!” Iswarya said. “But the world has changed, the technology has changed, and I need to update my skills for the real world.”
A close friend who works in cybersecurity told her about Calbright’s program, and it sounded good. “I wanted something that would take my past experience into account, and as a stay-at -home mom, I needed something that is flexible. Calbright lets you learn on your own time, and speed along if you already know the material. It’s less like ‘going to school’ and more like ‘learning where you live.’ And I really like this aspect of Calbright.”
She enrolled because the program is free, flexible, and remote. “Enrolling was smooth,” she said, and she liked what she found.
“Calbright’s Cybersecurity program is incredibly practical,” Iswarya said. “You get exposed to real world work.” She was able to do real world work on a web security audit project through Calbright’s Career Bridge program, an initiative between Calbright and work-based platform Riipen that integrates paid work-based learning experiences into its career support offerings for program completers.
Through this internship and opportunity to learn by doing, Iswarya got recommendations from employers on her LinkedIn profile, and feels well-positioned to launch a new career in cybersecurity. “At the end of the day, at Calbright, you get real world experience to work with.”
Iswarya also explored her capacity for leadership, volunteering with Calbright’s student government, the Associated Students of Calbright College, and becoming its Commissioner of Academic Affairs. In that position she’s worked with students and the administration and launched new programs to support students like her.
That kind of support is one of the things she likes best about Calbright. “Calbright offers timely care and support to students. Whenever the student has any questions, they can just ask on the college’s Slack and someone will be there for them,” she said. “Calbright’s platform is optimized for service.”
As Iswarya reaches the end of her program, and prepares to take her COMP TIA Security+ test, she’s also planning to re-enroll in Calbright to continue her education. She’s confident her career break is over.
“I really loved this journey,” she said. “It’s given me project experience, new skills, gotten me involved in working with teams, exposure to the job market, and helped me improve my leadership skills. Calbright has been great. I’m recommending many of my friends explore Calbright, too.”
