My 2024 Journey: Cybersecurity, Coffee, and Faith-Fueled Perseverance

The Source of My Strength: Faith, Family, and Endless Coffee

Every late-night line of code, every nerve-wracking competition, every academic achievement… I face it all with strength that comes from God. My faith gives me the wisdom and courage to keep going – even when my coffee runs out and my brain is begging me to "please take a break!" ☕

My wife and daughters are my constant support, reminding me why it’s important to give my best. This journey into cybersecurity hasn’t been easy, but with faith, dedication, and a mind open to learning, I’m building a future full of possibilities.

🥰 My Wife: The quiet hero who watches my digital battles unfold. She listens to my rants and laughs when I yell in victory. Her support is like a strong Wi-Fi signal – always there when I need it most.

🔌 My Oldest Daughter: My networking buddy – for a solid 10 minutes. After that, it’s, “Okay, Dad, I’m out!” Even the strongest routers need a break.

💻 My Middle Daughter: The Cyber Club cheerleader who doesn’t love coding but loves the coach. She calls out my teammates’ voices like a commentator: “Is that Matt? Professor Zeng? Diane?” She keeps things light when I get too serious.

☕ My Youngest Daughter: My coffee logistics expert. She hauls my empty mugs downstairs with a dramatic sigh, “Really, Dad? Again?” Without her, my desk would look like a coffee mug museum.

🌴 My Dad: The supplier of Puerto Rican coffee strong enough to fuel a rocket launch. Thanks to him, I’m wide awake and ready to face any challenge (or at least try).

🏫 Cyber Club Teammates: They know I’m no hacker. But their skills and support push me to keep learning, improving, and laughing through the challenges.

With my family keeping me sane and caffeinated, I dove into 2024 with a mission: to learn, achieve, and not fall asleep on my keyboard.

2024: Achievements Fueled by Faith and Coffee

This year proved that hard work, faith, and a little bit of caffeine can take you far:

🎓 Dean’s List: Spring and Summer 2024 at DeVry University with a 4.0 GPA. Sleep? Optional. Coffee? Mandatory.

🛡️ SOC Analyst Boot Camp: Completed with Comunidad Dojo. I learned how to watch systems and decode error messages that love to keep me on edge.

🖥️ CISA Virtual ICS Cybersecurity Training: Protecting industrial systems isn’t just for factories – it turns out, machines need as much security as my sanity during finals week.

🏅 AT&T Technology Academy: Top 250 finisher! Hard work, caffeine, and a lot of determination got me there.

💻 Certifications in Progress: Working on CompTIA A+ and planning to tackle Security+. Because in cybersecurity, if you don’t understand the basics, hackers will eat you for breakfast.

Learning in class is one thing, but putting that knowledge to work? That’s where things get interesting – and a little chaotic.

Practical Experience: Trial, Error, and Debugging Reality

Learning doesn’t stop in the classroom or in competitions. While searching for a formal internship, I’ve been applying my skills in the real world:

🔧 Tech Repairs: Every fix begins with hope, a YouTube video, and a whispered prayer: “Please don’t explode.” Mistakes are lessons. Victories are sweet.

🌐 Church Wi-Fi: Managing church Wi-Fi is like hosting a family dinner where everyone fights over the last piece of the pie. I smile and say, “It’s just interference!” while praying the connection holds.

🐍 Python Adventures: Learning Python without ChatGPT is like solving a puzzle blindfolded. When my code works, I feel like a genius. When it doesn’t, I just refill my coffee.

To see if I knew what I was doing, I threw myself into the deep end of cybersecurity competitions. Spoiler alert: It was a wild ride.

Competitions: Where Skills Meet Chaos

Competitions have taught me to lead, work as a team, and constantly improve. They’ve also taught me that a stable internet connection is worth its weight in gold. Here are some of my epic adventures:

🕹️ Cisco Cyber Games LATAM 2024: “Easy” challenges that made me wonder if I signed up for a prank show.

🔐 US Cyber Games - Season IV: Cryptography and reverse engineering made me feel like a detective… who’s really bad at puzzles.

💼 Mountain West Cyber Challenge 2024: A trek up Mount Frustration with a backpack full of unsolved challenges.

🛡️ DoD Cyber Sentinel Challenge: A virtual battlefield where I questioned if I was hacking or getting hacked.

🚀 National Cyber League (NCL): Led my team and aimed to improve my scores. Less panic, more problem-solving (I hope).

Of course, none of this happens in a vacuum. It takes a community – even if they sometimes think I’m a Hollywood-style hacker.

My Extended Support System: The “They Think I’m a Hacker” Club

🙏 Church Family and Community of Faith: They cheer me on and think I can fix anything. I just smile and nod. Their encouragement keeps me going, even when I’m just hoping the Wi-Fi holds.

💼 Coworkers: Some think I’m hacking the mainframe; others think I just hit reset. The reality? I’m a guy with coffee, YouTube tutorials, and a lot of persistence.

So, what’s next? More learning, more challenges, and (of course) more coffee. But this time, like always I bring God’s guidance with me at every step.

2025 Plans: More Coffee, More Challenges, and More Faith

2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year full of challenges and clear goals:

🎯 Certifications: I’m aiming for my CompTIA A+ and Security+. Because two certifications are better than one (and coffee helps).

🕹️ Competitions: I’m ready to tackle NCAE Cyber Games and NCL again. My goal? Fewer facepalms, more solutions.

🚀 Learning and Growth: Keep studying, keep coding, and trust that God’s strength will guide me through the toughest scripts and challenges.

☕ More Coffee: Let’s face it – none happens without a steaming cup of liquid motivation.

And through it all, I know one thing is certain: God, family, and coffee will be by my side. ☕

Reflection: The Importance of Opportunities

This year taught me that the path to a cybersecurity career is full of challenges – but also opportunities. One frustration I’ve faced is seeing companies hesitate to give chances to newcomers, even when they show dedication and skill.

Companies, listen up:

• If you know someone who wants to switch careers or specialize in a new field, support them! Training a motivated employee is easier than finding one.

• Investing in your current employees shows a true commitment to their growth. It builds loyalty and enriches your team with passionate, driven professionals.

Investing in someone’s potential is like investing in Bitcoin in 2010 – it pays off big time! 🚀

#CyberSecurity #DeVryUniversity #CompTIA #Faith #Family #Coffee #Learning #Competitions #Growth #Persistence #Networking