(ISC)² and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education Award More Than $100,000 In Cybersecurity Scholarships

Global program aims to attract more young people to the field of cybersecurity

Clearwater, FL, July 5, 2018 – (ISC)² – the world’s largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals – today announced the recipients of its Women’s Cybersecurity Scholarships, Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarships and Graduate Cybersecurity Scholarships which are available to students globally.  

(ISC)² began sponsoring scholarships issued by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education in 2011 and now supports three annual scholarships. This year a record total of nearly 1,000 applications were received from around the world and 48 scholarships were awarded. This represents an eight-fold increase over the number of scholarships awarded in 2011.

“Drawing from a more diverse talent pool is not only the right thing to do, but it makes good business sense for the cybersecurity industry,” said (ISC)² CEO David Shearer, CISSP. “No one knows where the next great mind will come from so we need to ensure that opportunities are plentiful for anyone who wants to join the fight against cyberthreats.”

“The increase in the number of scholarship applications we have received is astounding,” said Patrick Craven, Director of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education. “We are so encouraged to see more and more young people choosing this honorable and important profession.”

The cybersecurity profession is high-profile as news of breaches becomes a seemingly daily occurrence. The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals continues to increase, as recent research shows there will be an estimated workforce gap of 1.8 million by 2022. 

Women in Cyber

According to the 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study: Women in Cybersecurity, women are underrepresented in cybersecurity at only 11 percent globally – something that the (ISC)² Women’s scholarship hopes to improve.

(ISC)² Women’s Cybersecurity Scholarship Winners:

• Esther Abiodun (Nigeria) - Universiti Sains Malaysia
• Saleema Adejumo (Nigeria) – University of Leicester
• Adeen Ayub (Pakistan) – New York University
• Valerie Chen (USA) – Yale University
• Renee Forfa (USA) – Purdue University
• Klaudia Krawiecka (Poland) – University of Oxford
• Romy Minko (Australia) – University of Oxford
• Claire Seiler (USA) – University of Florida

“The assistance provided by (ISC)² and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education will allow me to continue pursuing combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering with a specialization in information security,” said Claire Seiler, a student at the University of Florida. “The recognition by (ISC)² is further affirmation that I can make a positive impact in security through my contributions in research and industry. I am proud to be a beneficiary of an award that seeks to empower and uplift women through the celebration of their accomplishments and the recognition of their ability to contribute to the cybersecurity field.”

(ISC)² Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarship Winners:

• Brendan Brown – Champlain College
• Sophia Cary – Sweet Briar College
• Valerie Chen – Yale University
• Dakota Earle – University at Albany
• Alexandra Fernandez – Loyola University
• Antonio Ferris – Stanford University
• Renee Forfa – Purdue University
• Craig Gebo – Rochester Institute of Technology
• Zachary Hardy – Santa Clara University
• Chase Heim – University of Wisconsin – Stout
• Nathan Hunter – Regent University
• Erwin Karincic – Virginia Commonwealth University
• Nicole Krantz – George Mason University
• Jasmine Le – University of Alabama
• Jacob Malimban – University of North Georgia
• Pamela Petterchak – Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Avanthika Ramesh – University of California, Berkeley
• Evan Richards – George Fox University
• Zoe Sheill - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Brandon Staple - University of Colorado
  

  “It is a great honor to receive the (ISC)² Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarship,” said Jasmine Le, a student at the University of Alabama. “This scholarship will help me immensely as I start my first year of college and will allow me to pursue a degree and work towards a career that will help strengthen national security.”

  (ISC)² Graduate Cybersecurity Scholarship Winners:

• Oludare Isaac Abiodun - Universiti Sains Malaysia
• Joanne Canizalez – University of San Diego
• Sreeja Chowdhury – University of Florida
• Khushali Dalal – University of Maryland, College Park
• Stephanie Evers – Marymount University
• Alison Falk – George Washington University
• Anthony Forde – DePaul University
• Jessica Gottsleben – Salve Regina University
• Diane Isibor – Georgia State University
• Joshua Koyeerath – George Mason University
• Heather Chapman Manganello – Carnegie Mellon University
• Eugene McClure – La Salle University
• Aishwarya Ramesh Nagarajan – George Washington University
• Mahak Sachdeva – Georgia Institute of Technology
• Jonathan Schubauer – Indiana University
• Priyanka Sekhar – Stanford University
• Brandon Werner - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Travis Wheelwright – New York University
• David John Stanislaus William – DePaul University
• Mariyam Zaheer - Colorado Technical University

“My passion for education drove me to obtain an AA in Psychology, AA in Behavioral Sciences, AS in Administration of Justice, and a BS in Information Technology,” said Joanne Canizalez. “I’m now determined to continue my education and finish my MS in Cybersecurity. My goal is to be better at what I do and continue improving in the growing field of IT security."

The Center will begin accepting scholarships for the 2019 scholarship awards in November of this year. For more information about cybersecurity scholarships, visit iamcybersafe.org/scholarships.

About The Center for Cyber Safety and Education

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education is a nonprofit charitable trust committed to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. The Center works to ensure that people across the globe have a positive and safe experience online through their educational programs, scholarships, and research. Visit www.IAmCyberSafe.org for more information.

About (ISC)²

(ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP^®) certification, (ISC)² offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, pragmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 130,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation – The Center for Cyber Safety and Education™. For more information on (ISC)², visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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