A Black woman HBCU grad is making history in the state of Louisiana. Alexis White became the first person ever in the state to earn a degree in cybersecurity, KSLA News 12 reported Thursday (April 15).
White is a graduate of Grambling State University located in Grambling, Louisiana, just over 300 miles north of New Orleans.
Of making the achievement, White told KSLA News 12 that “it means so much, it’s just an honor.” “I am so happy to have made my family and my institution proud, and I hope to continue to do that,” she said in a virtual interview with the outlet. The University announced White’s achievement on its official social media accounts.
White said she became interested in cybersecurity after watching her mom’s career in the Air Force. The new graduate said as a kid, she attended cyber camps on base where her mom was stationed.
“My journey was not easy, but it was achievable,” White told the outlet. “If you can get yourself to think positively, keep going no matter the opposition, and just do it, it can be done.”
According to the University’s Cybersecurity Department website, students who are in the program take classes where they learn “to tackle the cyber related endangers, [raise] the awareness of digital data security, and [promote] responsible citizenship in a changing world.”
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