Enable breadcrumbs token at /includes/pageheader.html.twig

Representation Matters: Building the Next Generation of STEM Talent

National Cyber Scholarship Foundation program aims to train 25,000 cyber stars by 2025.

Attendees from the annual Girls Day Out (GDO) learn about 3D modeling and printing at the College of Charleston in 2018. More than 100 girls from four Lowcountry school districts attended the camp, hosted by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic in collaboration with Trident Technical College via Cyber Secure, College of Charleston, Bosch, Naval Health Clinic Charleston, Paul Mitchell the School Charleston, and Nucor Steel Berkeley. U.S. Navy photo by Joe Bullinger/Released

Essye Miller, retired Defense Department principal deputy chief information officer, has continued her commitment to growing the cybersecurity workforce and increasing representation of women in STEM careers.

“One of my post-government commitments was to continue my efforts to build the next generation of cyber talent, especially with underrepresented communities,” Miller said. The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) was created to help close the critical skills gap in cybersecurity. It offered me the perfect opportunity to stay engaged and follow up on my commitment.”

Miller will be a moderator on one panel and a speaker on another a AFCEA’s Women in the Workforce: A Journey in STEM, taking place September 1 in Vienna, Virginia.

The NCSF’s 25 by 25 program intends to find and train 25,000 cyber stars by 2025. They will do so by using gaming to engage 1.2 million U.S. high school and college students to find youth who are curious, tenacious and can quickly learn new technologies.

“The program will help create awareness about great careers in cybersecurity. This relates directly to the AFCEA discussion,” Miller stated. “Women are hugely underrepresented in STEM career fields. In order to change that we need to make it more relevant to young females. 25 by 25 will help open the aperture to better see the possibilities.

“I applaud AFCEA for providing a venue for a critical discussion on how we can encourage young women and girls to consider technical career fields,” she continued. “I’m excited to be a part of the event.”

Click here for details on the Women in the Workforce: A Journey in STEM event.