“When I needed help applying to graduate school, it was my professors and Honors Program Chair Kathryn MacDonald who I turned to. They genuinely cared.”
Yulini Persaud knew she wanted to study information technology, but it was her internship as a junior security analyst at the NY Hall of Science that cemented her desire to work in cybersecurity. “The problems are really challenging, and cybersecurity analysts are at the forefront of research,” she explains. “I like getting in front of the technology and having all the latest software security tools at my disposal.”
Yulini says that being in the Honors Program at Monroe was one of the most important aspects of her experience there. The program allowed her the opportunity to participate in several regional and national collegiate honors conferences and present research she had done on various aspects of technology. The conferences provided both great experience and great networking opportunities.
“The support system at Monroe is my biggest takeaway,” she says. “When I was applying to graduate school and needed help with my personal statement and letters, it was my professors and Honors Program Chair Kathryn MacDonald who I turned to. They genuinely cared.”
Now in a master’s program at Pittsburgh’s prestigious Carnegie Mellon University studying information security policy and management, Yulini expects to graduate in May 2020. She’s currently working for the New York Times, monitoring security tools, assisting the security education team, and hosting security training for members of newsroom staff.
