Celebrating Women in Technology – Tara Brewer
Posted on September 28, 2020 by Keith Lynn
A Degree in Computing
“In the beginning, the pursuit of computing knowledge and skills were intended to be an additional skill set added to my initial occupational goal in order to be considered cutting edge within the field of law; however, this approach changed the entire path I thought I had solidified. After introduction to various computing concepts and techniques through University of South Alabama (USA) School of Computing, I began to understand computing versus cybersecurity, which ultimately, led to the discovery of my passion for cybersecurity. I promptly realized specific elements that an occupation in Computing and Cybersecurity can offer that are not identified in any other field:
- The growth potential in the field of computing and/or cybersecurity is always expanding and will continue to expand
- The variety of industries where computing and cyber is an essential element leads to a diverse portfolio
- The ability to live in any location desired is unlimited
- The level of stability offered in the field of computing and cybersecurity cannot be met by many other occupations
No matter a student’s occupational desire, there is always an element of computing and cybersecurity to consider within any industry.
Choosing a profession to dedicate oneself to is one of the most important decisions to make in a lifetime. Once dedicated to a path forward, most individuals make every effort to be as knowledgeable as possible about all subject matter to promote their ability to be the best at what they do. The field of computing and cybersecurity is unlike any other. Both occupations offer a multitude of opportunities that most will not be aware of until participating in education platforms such as USA School of Computing or until operating within industry.
Through discovery, it is very easy to develop an understanding of the impact computing and cybersecurity has on any occupational field. During this personnel discovery and understanding of computing and cybersecurity, I realized the impact both occupations have on all industries, and therefore changing my path from computing being an additional skill to advance my potential in law to cybersecurity being my primary goal.
Without USA School of Computing, I would not have had the opportunity nor the ability to properly distinguished computing concepts and techniques from cybersecurity concepts and techniques. With the desire to have an occupation that helped people or organizations overcome areas of weakness, I found opportunities to assist through cybersecurity to be more valuable on a larger scale than my original goal of practicing law.
Job security was also a large driver of the path I would choose, and cybersecurity offered the job security I was personally looking to achieve. With computing or cybersecurity, there will always be job opportunities that can easily transition between industries and provide flexibility to accommodate work/life balance. Computing and cybersecurity can offer a fast-paced environment that allows you the rare opportunity to consistently connect with diverse environments around the globe.”
Favorite Student Memories
“Starbucks go juice at your fingertips, what more could you ask for?”
Campus Involvement
“While at USA I was selected as a Scholarship for Service (SFS) recipient, which allowed me opportunities to excel in the field of cybersecurity in a manner that would not have existed without USA’s offer to participate in the SFS Program. I was also involved in Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and Software Protection and Exploitation Group.”
Encouraging Words
“Do not limit yourself to one area of computing. Having the ability to understand every element that is considered computing, as well as the differences between computing skills and cybersecurity skills, will promptly advance your position within most organizations. Be ok with knowing you do not know everything. Remember, no one else does either.”