Nicaela Rose

Iowa State University

Cumulative Reflection

I changed my major from Computer Engineering to Cyber Security Engineering once

Iowa State made Cyber Security its own major. I have always wanted to pursue Cyber Security
even as a Computer Engineering major so this change was not drastic nor were the programs
much different. Overall, it was a smooth transition and I learned plenty of new information that
aids my learning and strengthen my knowledge and experience of being an engineer. The courses
I took prior to switching my major were also required for Cyber Security, these courses focused
on solving and utilizing real world situations. Courses such as CprE 230 and 231, Com S 228,
CprE 210 focused on both theoretical concepts and implementation to solve real world problems.
These concepts and methods are important and helped me prepare for my future career an an
engineer by gaining the ability to solve engineering problems, gain experience with working with
different groups to solve different tasks/projects, and give me the resources to continue to further
my knowledge after college.

The ability to recognize and solve complex problems is a skill I learned from Iowa State
University that I will carry on to my future job. Specifically the Cyber Security courses including
230 and 231. These courses taught me how to solve common problems that occur in security. We
worked on tools such as Nmap and Nessus to identify various vulnerabilities that are security
threats and we exploited them using Metasploit and bash scripts. At the end of each course, we
would be assigned a capstone project that requires to use all the tools and knowledge we learned
throughout the semester and find threats and perform security analysis on a machine that was
given to us. These project really gave me a more hands on experience and improved my ability to
recognize and solve engineering problems related to my field that I will most likely run into in
my future career as a cybersecurity engineer.

Plenty of courses I took in Iowa State had me work with teams, and as an engineer, this is
an important skill to develop since all engineers work with a team in a company. The courses
helped me realize that every person has different skills and point of views and that we should
learn about to approach various individuals and situations differently. The courses that had us
work in team-based environments include Com S 309, CprE 288, and CprE 381. Each group in
each course were different people every time with different majors, backgrounds, and skills and
so working with a diverse group every time was a complete different experience every semester.
In order to be successful in our team-based projects, we were taught that it is important to come
together, work out a solution, and then divide the work equally to each team member. In order to
keep track of everyone’s process, we can do this by using Agile methods and a strong
communication between one another. These courses have extremely contributed to my future
career when working with a team to solve a complex problem.

As an engineer, I think it is important to further your knowledge and involvement in your

field, especially if you are a student. I remember a tip that I was given more times than I can
count when I first started college was to gain experience and networking outside of class.
Although I already had a busy schedule with work, I tried to find time to participate in the
Information Assurance Student Group. This club introduced me to other students in my major or
interested in Cyber Security, where they would discuss current events and perform security
demos. This group also introduced me to SecDSM which is a security group in Des Moines that
discusses advances in the field and networking between others who are either interested or
already in the field of cyber security. These two groups/clubs provided me the resources I needed
to expand my networking and also take my own initiative towards my growth as an engineer.

The time I spent at Iowa State University had its many ups and downs, was extremely
impactful towards not only my professional career but also as me as a person. The courses I took
helped me gain the knowledge and experience with tools that I needed to initiate my engineering
career. I also learned the importance of design and working in team-based environments. Being
involved in clubs outside of class allowed me to widen my networking and get to know people
who are pursuing the same field as me and also people who already are in the field. This allowed
me to find resources on how to be successful in my journey. All of this I am very grateful for,
and I were to make any changes if I could during my time at Iowa State, it would to be start
networking earlier on and develop a relationship with more of my professors. Overall, I know I
can look back at my time at Iowa State University with a smile on my face.