Photo By Steven Stover | ODENTON, Md. — Soldiers and Civilians from the U.S. Army’s 780th Military...... read more read more
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ODENTON, Md. — Soldiers and Civilians from the U.S. Army’s 780th Military Intelligence Brigade (Cyber) and the Defense Information Systems Agency hosted a Hackathon III event in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Public Library, to encourage teen interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities, September 19.
The third annual fall event included a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, Password Cracking, Logic Games, and Python Development stations, and future Hackathon III events will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., October 17 and November 7, at the Odenton Regional Library, AACPL.
“Events like Hackathon III are great opportunities to expose students in the community to Computer Science concepts that they may not have the opportunities to get hands on with yet,” said event lead, 2nd Lt. Jessica Barry, a cyberspace operations officer (17C), and executive officer for the Headquarters and Operations Company, Task Force-Praetorian (TF-P). “It’s events like this that can help students identify a passion for something they did not know existed and inspire them to pursue a future in STEM!”
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joshua Wellman, a cyber capabilities developer technician (170D) assigned to D Company, TF-P, 780th MI Brigade (Cyber), is the lead developer for the CTF – cyber challenge. It's not the first time he has volunteered to support these community partnerships. Last fall, he developed a CTF for the Annapolis Area Christian School, Upper Campus, in support of the school's STEM Expo.
“I firmly believe we all have people in our past that enabled us to get to where we are. Therefore, we each have a responsibility to take what we have learned and pass that on to someone else,” said Wellman. “Outreach events like this are one way in which we can do this. They also have the advantage that the skills learned could one day be used to defend our nation. Also, they’re just outright fun!”
According to James Read, DISA Enterprise Integration and Innovation Center (OE/OE35), participating in CTFs is one of the best ways for students to network, develop technical skill and get exposed to concepts and tools they won’t find in many school curriculums. He believes CTFs are a pathway to their success by making their resume stand out against their peers and preparing them to talk intelligently about these concepts in interviews.
“If I had one piece of advice for students aspiring to a career in cybersecurity it would be to attend CTF events,” said Read. “There are two reasons I come out to support CTF events for students. First is the intense national security need to fill cyber roles with experienced, qualified candidates. CTF events are one of the best forms of outreach for the community in terms of getting a new wave of students excited about the tools and concepts and therefore interested in pursuing careers in cyber. This gamified learning provides level of exposure and engagement that they really can’t get anywhere else.
“Second is the desire to reach back to bring others with me as I move forward. My career has benefitted greatly from participation in CTFs and having mentors inside the cyber community. I want to help provide those same opportunities for others.”
In addition to Soldiers and Civilians from the 780th MI Brigade and DISA, an Army Reservist, Maj. Luis Rivas, an infantry officer and IT network engineer assigned to the U.S. Army Student Detachment, Johns Hopkins University, answered the call for Hackathon volunteers.
“Volunteering for community STEM events, like the Hackathon, allows me to give back by sharing my experiences and inspiring the next generation of innovators. These events give teens a supportive environment to explore their interests, build valuable cyber skills, and connect with mentors to guide them early in their development,” said Rivas. “Community engagement keeps me engaged, too. Volunteering energizes me and creates opportunities to share my skills while empowering young minds through the joy of discovery and problem-solving.”
“Teens are our future – the more we can engage and excite them about STEM now, the more prepared and passionate they will be to take on the world's challenges. Hackathon fills that gap,” added Rivas.
“A community strengthened through shared challenges breeds security. When we come together to learn, compete, and grow in events like CTFs, we lift each other up and build our collective cyber skills for the future.”
In the past twelve months the 780th MI Brigade (Cyber) has participated in 17 community and U.S. Army Recruiting engagements across the Nation, from Long Beach, Calif. to Brooklyn, N.Y., from local area schools to the Chicago Cyber Convention (ChiCyberCon).
By engaging communities both locally and throughout the United States, these Soldiers and Army Civilians have been ambassadors; educating and informing thousands of Americans on the life-changing opportunities of Army service.
“Young adults are entering the time of their life where the possibilities to be all you can be are endless.” – HON Christine E. Wormuth, Secretary of the Army
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the future, additional Hackathon events they are scheduled for October 17 and November 7 at the Odenton Regional Library.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2023 15:21 |
| Story ID: | 455180 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 378 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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