Kate Wierzbinski
Cybersecurity
Student Naval Flight Officer at U.S. Navy
Describe your potential job duties
As an NFO, I am a mission-specialized officers who manage tactical airborne systems, weapons, sensors, and communication in multi-crew aircraft. I act as the weapon systems officer, navigator, and combat coordinator, often directing, planning, and debriefing complex missions.
In what ways did the Polytechnic and/or Purdue help make you uniquely qualified for your new job?
Purdue showed me how to push past what I thought my limits were and to continue fighting for myself and my dreams. By focusing on how to learn in a high stress major and academically rigorous school i feel qualified to take on my new role and push myself.
How has the college or someone in the college (feel free to name them) helped you achieve your goals?
The Polytechnic school helped me by challenging me constantly. Throughout my time as an undergrad I was constantly put under pressure with the expectation to preform in a high stress major. Also it showed me that even though I came into Purdue with no training in computers or cybersecurity, that I had the ability to learn and become well versed in my major. That showed me that as long as I apply myself, I could go for any job, even in aviation.
What specific classes (titles are more helpful than course numbers) helped prepare you for your new job?
advanced networking was by far the hardest class I had to take. And while the information does not directly transfer over to my job, the lessons I learned do. I struggled with that class because the material and topic was not of interest to me and the labs were very resource intensive. It forced me to learn how to overcome my own learning roadblocks and how to engage myself even when I am not the most interested in a topic. Networking has always been a topic I struggled with, but by doing this and pushing myself, I found myself starting to engage and like the material the more I went through the course. It may have taken me a while, but I would say i find this one of the most influential and beneficial courses as a cyber major
If you had a favorite class, project, experience, or professor, what/who was it, and why?
Vulnerability analysis was my favorite class. It was the kind of material that was most interesting to me from the major. I found it to be both technically challenging and mentally exciting. I think that the class is what I was most excited for with the major. This is the kind of work I would like to have done and will be exploring once I complete my military service.
Purdue showed me how to push past what I thought my limits were and to continue fighting for myself and my dreams. Even though I came into Purdue with no training in computers or cybersecurity, I had the ability to learn and become well versed in my major."