Liberty student Stuart Bailey awarded cybersecurity scholarship

Seven college students from Virginia received a full scholarship to the Applied CyberSecurity  Certificate Program, including Liberty University student Stuart Bailey. 

Cyber FastTrack scholarships for $22,000 are scholarships given through the Applied Cybersecurity Program (ACS). Through ACS, students go through Cybersecurity training and have to pass a series of exams to show their knowledge at the end of the training. The students also earn certificates at the end of each course that identify their skill set.

Communications Specialist at Virginia Information Technologies Agency Steven Hatfield said the scholarships are awarded to the SANS Technology Institute’s undergraduate certificate program in applied cybersecurity. 

“To win a full scholarship, you will need to spend time in the game, practicing and developing your skills, just as if you were studying for a final or researching for a paper,” Hatfield said. “Last year, 100 full scholarships were given out and 200 additional $500 tuition scholarships were given through a prize draw.”

Hatfield said that jobs in cybersecurity are constantly on the rise and are often highly-paid positions. 

“By encouraging cybersecurity early, more students can enter a job market full of opportunities while protecting the freedom they enjoy every day online,” Bailey said. “The Cyber FastTrack Program can help place students in fantastic internships and introduce them to many professionals in the field, laying the stepping stones for a career in cybersecurity.”

Upon completion of the program, students will be introduced to employers for job and internship opportunities, according to a press release from the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. This program provides opportunities for students seeking employment in the department of cybersecurity through training and scholarships as well as advantages such as meeting employers in cybersecurity.

The other scholarship winners were Hung Nguyen from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Leveona Jones from George Mason University, Stefon Soto from George Mason University, Tran Nguyen from George Mason University, Vu Nguyen from George Mason University and Zachary Heidel from University of Virginia.