WiCyS Security Training Scholarship

“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship experience has been unlike anything I have experienced in my life. I have gained an incredible support system, and access to hundreds of resources, and have the honor of taking classes with SANS, the most respected cyber training program in the world. I am a mom to two children and a former Kindergarten teacher who made the bold decision to move into cybersecurity. This opportunity has given me a clear path forward to enter the field with confidence knowing that I will not be on this journey alone.”

“This one-of-a-kind experience allowed me to, not only gain new Cybersecurity-related skills, but also gain the most beautiful and genuine friendships I never thought I would find. I feel very blessed and forever thankful to WiCyS, SANS, Google, Meta, Bloomberg and Craig Newmark Philanthropies for this incredible opportunity and I highly encourage everyone to apply.”

“Being a recipient of the WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has provided me with resources, support, and an uplifting community and cohort. This scholarship has fostered growth in my abilities by providing training that may be inaccessible without this opportunity. This has been such an enriching experience, that will undoubtedly shape the direction of my professional career, and life.”

“The Security Training Scholarship provides me with resources to be more successful in my role as a Reverse Engineer for Computershare. Furthermore, I have gained the confidence to join security related projects within my company, which has allowed me to connect with peers in our Security department. I can now fully envision a future as a Cyber Security Analyst.”

“I am a career-changer. I was so lost before with no mentor/s for guidance on how and where I should start my cybersecurity career. But then, I became a member of the WiCyS Organization – which opened up a lot of opportunities to help me connect with so many talented, supportive, and knowledgeable people while learning the foundations of cybersecurity and building my technical skills through Capture the Flag events.”

“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship program gave me an opportunity to comfortably dive headfirst into a new world of cybersecurity with an amazingly supportive cohort. The friendly corroboration of our group during our challenges and projects enabled many of us with different levels of experience to both receive assistance from and also give assistance to others in our group easily. This highly synergistic collaboration has enabled us to cover an intense amount of information in a relatively short period of time; I never felt like I was alone with my questions and so much information was shared between us it would have taken me years on my own to have this quantity of exposure. For me this has proven the power of WiCyS as an organization to advance our careers much more efficiently and enjoyably than trying to go it alone!”

“This scholarship is a wonderful way to learn foundational knowledge in cyber security and get hands-on experience using the professional skills. Each tier of the scholarship is rewarding but the SANS classes and certifications are a way to help solidify success in obtaining the career we are all working so hard for. Joining this scholarship will put you in competition to advance through the tiers but you are encouraged to help your fellow scholarship participants with resources which helps create networking opportunities that will last a lifetime and foster a culture of giving back in our industry.”

“As a young professional transitioning into cybersecurity, this program has changed my life by giving me the skills and certifications to pursue my dream career alongside a supportive cohort of extraordinary women.”

“As a young professional transitioning into cybersecurity, this program has changed my life by giving me the skills and certifications to pursue my dream career alongside a supportive cohort of extraordinary women.”

“The multi staged SANS/Google scholarship allowed me to gain invaluable technical skills from CTF and gamified learning platform, it further provided insight into the right cybersecurity path for me from the CyberGEN IQ assessment. Through this program, I was able to network with ingenious professionals/mentors from the industry, it has been a privilege to be a part of this supportive and inspiring cohort.”

“For most of my life, I’ve considered myself a humanities person with only ‘soft skills’ to offer. I thought that was just the way my brain worked. While competing for the Security Training Scholarship, I unlocked an entirely new mode of thinking, expanding not just my capabilities, but my confidence. I’ve learned that with the right foundation, empathy and creativity can be technical skills as well.”

“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has helped me rewrite my narrative as a woman in STEM and bolstered my belief in my potential. With the support of an incredible community of women and excellent foundational training, I now look forward to a deeply fulfilling career in Cybersecurity.”

“Winning the WiCyS security training scholarship I have gained the confidence to approach opportunities in the cybersecurity field that I felt were far beyond me earlier. The scholarship program has allowed me to not only learn lots of new things that have made me grow both as a person and as a Cybersecurity professional but also connected me with a lot of like-minded people across the world that have become my support system in this exciting journey.”

“I had been wanting to transition into CyberSec for some years, and this scholarship provided the ideal format to ease into this complex field. It’s competitive structure is highly engaging, the content provides challenges for various skill levels and through the continuous community engagement: the learning never ceases to be fun.”

“Through its various stages, WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has provided me the fantastic opportunity to learn and apply a gamut of cybersecurity concepts. The amazing cohort, mentors and industry partners empower and inspire me as I venture into the ever-evolving cybersecurity industry.”

“When I was navigating my career transition to cybersecurity in the early stages of the pandemic, I found the multi-stage WiCyS/SANS/Google Training Scholarship. The program gave me the skills and confidence to get a job in the industry and the extraordinary members of the community inspired me to do my best. I am so grateful to be part of this movement to uplift and upskill women in an increasingly important field.”

“Since participating in a variety of WiCyS training opportunities I have: Received offers to intern at Intel (software engineer in their client computing group) and Amazon (security engineer). I didn’t know internships paid this well! Passed my Security+, found mentors and a web of support in my cohort peers, placed in the top 3% of individual competitors in NCL, making the top 1% in digital forensics and network traffic analysis, and gained visibility from mentors on LinkedIn. I honestly couldn’t be more geeked. Thank you SO much WiCyS!!“

“Be Dynamic. Follow Through. Show Up”

“I joined WiCyS only 6 months ago and I have benefited so much from my membership. Winning the SANS Security Training Scholarship has given me an extra boost in my confidence to pursue the field of Cybersecurity”

“If I wasn’t sure a career in cybersecurity was for me before the training began, now I am 100% certain. Through the training scholarship I have gained invaluable technical skills, grown my confidence, secured a security internship and got to be a part of a supportive community of women learning and growing together.”

“WiCyS has given me opportunities I would never dream to have. I’m sure my career path in cybersecurity wouldn’t be the same without their help”