I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about how I started my journey into #CyberSecurity and #infosec as well as words of encouragement to others who may be in the same situation as I was just last year. A thread. 1/

When I was a kid growing up I had a learning disability (ADD) and a hearing problem. This made learning extremely difficult for me. I struggled through school, college was out of the question. My senior year I sent myself to a private military boarding school.

After I graduated, I worked low paying jobs and struggled to make ends meet for 6 years. I had enough. I had been interested in #CyberSecurity for awhile, but was hopeless as far as how to get into the field or if I'd fail. I was afraid to fail.

My ex-fiancé pressured me, pushed me, encouraged me, to enroll in the local community college @flcc_connects but I worked full-time, surely I would fail. I did it anyways. I was accepted and started my journey.

My first semester went...okay. I didn't fail (though I was close on one class) and I generally enjoyed all the classes I took. I was a 100% online student. I ended up with like a 3.15 GPA (12 credit hours). I was then accepted into Phi Theta Kappa, which I never thought possible.

This last semester I took 15 credit hours, worked 40 hours a week and ended up with a 3.8 GPA. Let me remind you - I BARELY passed high school. If I got a B it was time to celebrate. So...why this thread?

If you are interested in college, in furthering your education, no matter if you are 18, 24, or 40, YOU can do it. Enroll in Community College, it's cheaper and a great way to get started with your degree. You will struggle. It will be hard to balance.

But if you put your determination ahead, I know more will benefit from higher education. I was honestly scared that I would never amount to anything, that I would be a disappointment to everyone in my family. But I turned my life around at 23-24 years old.

You can do it. You just need to take that first step.