Webster University Hosts Cyber Careers Workshop For Area High School Students
On Friday, October 18th, Simone Cummings, Dean of the Herbert C. Walker School of Business and Technology at Webster University in St. Louis, welcomed high school students from across the region to campus for the Secure Pathways Workshop—a day focused on cybersecurity career exploration and engagement.
The Secure Pathways Workshop, developed by the Global Center for Cybersecurity, aims to create meaningful connections between students and cybersecurity professionals, exposing young minds to potential careers in the growing cybersecurity industry.
Current data shows that there are approximately 650,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States, a gap driven by a lack of interest and awareness of the field. The Secure Pathways Series addresses this gap through engaging gamified education designed to spark student interest.
During the workshop, students were introduced to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which serves as a roadmap for business resiliency and defense. In small, interactive “Cyber Command Centers,” mentors from leading companies such as Mastercard, AT&T, Centene, First Bank, Enterprise Fleet, Crowdstrike, Worldwide Technology, EZCater, Whiteglove AI and more, guided students through each domain of the framework, offering valuable insights and real-world applications.
“Small interactions like these can lead to big outcomes for students,” said AJ Eads, Programs Director at the Global Center for Cybersecurity. “If we can help students see themselves in the shoes of one of our mentors, we can inspire them to pursue rewarding careers and potentially transform their futures and their families' futures.”
The day wasn't just about discussions and frameworks. To reinforce their learning, students participated in a hands-on “Capture the Flag” challenge. In small teams, they used laptops to solve cybersecurity challenges in an online game designed to encourage analytical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. The mentors were on hand to provide guidance and support as students tackled a range of challenges, from multiple-choice digital ethics questions to more complex scenarios requiring advanced online tools and problem-solving strategies.
The Gateway Higher Education Cybersecurity Consortium (GHECC), a coalition of local universities and community colleges dedicated to advancing cybersecurity education, helped organize the event and provided lunch for the participants. Following lunch, students had the opportunity to engage with a panel of security professionals from a variety of roles, including SOC engineers, project managers, vulnerability managers, CISOs, consultants, and threat hunters. Students asked insightful questions about cybersecurity career paths, the skills most critical for success, and how to choose the right college programs.
The Global Center for Cybersecurity, along with partner Start Engineering, provided each student with a Digital Career Guide through the student-facing website TeamPurpl.org, offering additional resources like tips on standing out to recruiters.
The Global Center for Cybersecurity extends its gratitude to Webster University for hosting the event and to GHECC for their support and funding.
Through collaborative efforts like these, the Secure Pathways Series continues to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and address the talent gap in the industry.
Secure Pathways events are made possible thanks to the generous support of annual sponsors, including Enterprise, Edward Jones, Mastercard, BJC Healthcare, Cortex Innovation Community, Netskope Security, and the Regional Business Council.