How do you make the most out of your college career, and set yourself up for success post-graduation?
In October, Champlain College hosted the CyberReady event during open house weekend. There, Champlain and Leahy Center alumni discussed the cybersecurity and digital forensics industry, and their professional work done within it.
I got the opportunity to talk to alumni Alex Cartwright, Austin Grupposo, Noah Beckman, and John Long. Through their years of cultivated experience, and knowledge, they were able to offer some important tips on scoring a job post-graduation, and how to take best advantage of the resources offered during college.
Alumni Alex Cartwright
Alex Cartwright is a 2021 graduate with a Computer and Digital Forensics degree, with a specialization in Cybersecurity and a minor in Data Analytics. During her time at Champlain College, she worked at The Leahy Center in both the CyberTech team and the Cybersecurity Risk Assessment team. Currently, she is employed as an Incident Response Consultant by Mandiant, now a part of Google.
“I knew that I wanted to go into Cybersecurity, specifically digital forensics and incident response, and I liked what I was learning at Champlain. That geared me toward seeking incident response or digital forensics positions going out of college. Mandiant, specifically, has a lot of notoriety and I thought that my skill set would be a good fit for a company like Mandiant, where I’d have the opportunity to excel.” Cartwright said when inquired about her reasoning for going into the position.
As for how she ended up wanting this position:
“Champlain had a lot of events where we got to meet panelists, we got to meet alumni, and people in the industry to introduce their companies and positions. It helped field the destination I wanted to go to eventually.”
“There’s always more to be able to learn.”
Later, I asked Cartwright what the biggest obstacle she’s hit during her current career.
“That’s the toughest question here,” she laughed, “There is a lot to be learned. Tech around us continues to change; attackers, motivations, technologies, and security protocols, all change under our feet. Even if we felt we were the subject matter experts at one point in time, one month from now, the rug may be pulled under from us.
As for the college experience: “You will get out what you put in.” Cartwright said, “I always tried to make the most out of my time. I always had a job, be it directly in the field or not. I had a couple of jobs in data analytics for example.”
Cartwright’s hard work throughout college paid off when she went through the job-search process. To go further, she said:
“Always try to be active, and always try to learn. Your degree means the same as the next person’s degree. What sets you apart are the projects that you worked on, and the research you did. If you did a conference talk, if you worked on some projects with professors, that looks good on your resume. It makes you feel good about yourself.”
Alumni John Long
John Long was a computer networking and cybersecurity graduate of the class of 2020. He is currently a security analyst at NuHarbor Security. He previously worked for The Leahy Center as a Technical Intern and Security Operations Analyst.
Long reiterated the importance of internships during his time at College, “I did a couple of internships during my time at Champlain, I did some with The Leahy Center, and I did one with a company in Connecticut, all of which were very beneficial for me.”
I inquired more about how those internships helped him, specifically digging into his positions at The Leahy Center.
“The Security Operations (SOC) Analyst position helped me figure out how we can protect our clients, how we make detections, and how we improve upon things we’ve caught or missed. So let’s say we had a penetration test: did we catch anything? Great! What did we catch– okay– what did the bad guys do that we didn’t catch and how can we catch that in the future?” Long stated, “Having that experience lets me know what we do daily and see how we get better.”
“Take advantage of the amazing opportunities right in front of you, there is no time like the present.”
His college experience at Champlain had given him the opportunity to gain that important hands-on experience within cybersecurity.
“By far it’s experiencing new things. In college you have a lot of free time outside of your classes to join clubs, do activities, try a new sport etc. If you’re interested in something new, go for it! In college there are tons of clubs to join, events happening weekly and people to meet. Take advantage of the amazing opportunities right in front of you, there is no time like the present. A bit cheesy– I know– but trust me you won’t regret it.”
Alumni Austin Grupposo
Austin Grupposo was part of the class of 2023, graduating with a major in Computer and Digital Forensics and a minor in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity. Currently he is a Senior Security Analyst and Responder. Grupposo held multiple positions at The Leahy Center, including tool analysis and the Internet of Things (IoT) team. (He was, in fact, one of the first two people to join the IoT Team!)
“My current employers came by and they were looking for part-time help for the security operations center. They wanted someone who could work 5-10 p.m. some days of the week. It was like an internship, but it was a full position on the team,” Grupposo stated, “A lot of the leadership structure are Champlain Graduates, either who went through Burlington or the online program– mostly in digital forensics. They knew the quality they were looking for, so they went through Kerry Shackett (from the Career Collaborative) and then went through The Leahy Center… I’d work there remotely after class. Junior year, some things got shifted around and they needed full-time help, so I joined full-time.”
“Having those soft skills to be able to do any kind of project management work will help you slot into any side of forensic or cybersecurity work.”
His work at the Leahy Center slotted directly into his current work: “It was great, especially getting a chance at the supervisor roles,” Grupposo said, “I encourage people to seek it out. I know it can seem a little less appealing, as you’re not doing the hands-on work as much. That was one of my fears switching from the research side to the project management side. Having those skills to delegate tasks, run meetings, organize projects, and meet with clients [is necessary].”
One of Grupposo’s key stepping-stones to getting into the position he is now was through internships.
“There are some institutions where internship credits are required. I know that Champlain has some base-level requirements, and some people treat it that way: a requirement. Don’t treat it as if it’s something you have to do, because it could be the make or break between finding a job after graduation.”
“Take advantage of every opportunity that’s presented to you.”
Furthermore, I asked Grupposo what current students should be taking out of college:
“You never know when that could turn into something bigger. For example, when I got that email from Kerrey… I wasn’t sure I was going to get anything… Now it’s my full-time job and I’m going on three years here. Take advantage of The Leahy Center, especially with all the new developments there, and the new space they’re building.”
Alumni Noah Beckman
Noah Beckman double majored in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity and Computer and Digital Forensics, and graduated in 2023. He currently works as an Informational Systems Security Officer. He found the position through multiple referrals, job boards, and through LinkedIn. This job search also included resources from Champlain College’s Career Collaborative Center– where Beckman previously worked during his time at Champlain.
“I interned for The Leahy Center for two and a half years. I had a variety of positions there from research to System Admin to Security Operations Team. Then, I interned for one of the forensic professors doing some side projects with him. I also interned at an MSP in Massachusetts both in-person and remote over the course of the three years as another supplementary job. When I was in person, I worked on their tech-bench… fixing [and building] computers. Then, I moved into doing more cybersecurity related jobs, such as creating phishing campaigns and doing a data analytics. The summer after my junior year, I ended up interning at Fidelity,” Beckman said.
With such a wide array of internships and hands-on learning opportunities, Beckman was able to pick up a ton of integral skills.
“Experiences trump everything.”
“[Experience] is the most important thing you can get,” Beckman stated, “Even now, with where I am in my career and my job, I am constantly trying to grow and build my skills and try to find more experiences to have. Those internships gave me specific skills that led me to the next position. Working at that tech-bench and doing a lot of computer-tech jobs set me up to get in at The Leahy Center early on.”
These skills transferred directly into his career: “Asking the right questions and making the right connections early on there was helpful. The skills I learned there I use every day at work. It translates 1:1,” Beckman said.
“You get what you put in.”
If he could trade places with his past self: “I would plan early, make as many connections as you can. Go to those events, and when employers come, shake hands and have conversations. Become a recognizable face. That way, when your name comes up in a job application, they remember you.”
Overall, it was Beckman’s planning and networking that made him stand-out as an applicant.
“I’ve seen so many students who had that potential, but they didn’t come to the Cybersecurity Club, or the Digital Forensics Association. Start working with the Career Coach early. Just because you don’t know exactly what you’re going to be doing doesn’t mean you can’t start thinking ahead,” Beckman stated, “Life doesn’t end as soon as you walk on the stage and graduate, it keeps going.”
Experience is Everything
One thread is clear among all of our alumni: experience is everything.
Let’s go back to the looming question: how do we navigate the hard post-graduate job search that students dread? While the process can be quite difficult, by taking the time throughout college to find internships, collaborate in projects, and consistently be finding ways to learn outside of classes, you can mitigate those hardships you’ll face and stand out among employers.
For current students, there are many resources available to take your hands on. That could be doing an internship with us, visiting the Career Collaborative Center, or attending conferences like The Cyber Symposium or CyberReady. Finding those outside learning experiences can be crucial to finding that job outside of college.
Cierra Rossi ’27, Writing & Publishing
Cierra Rossi is a Champlain College student who specializes in story-focused pieces.