Mya will be the graduate student speaker this year.
When Mya Milagros Fuentes first came to Drexel as an undergraduate student
in 2017, she didn't have a clear idea of what she wanted to do after
graduation. Her interest in advocacy drove her to pursue a bachelor's
degree in Business Administration with a focus on legal studies as well as
a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Fuentes was considering a career as an
attorney - that was, until she was introduced to the world of
cybersecurity.
"There wasn't one set moment that led me to the field," Fuentes explained.
A course on data, privacy, and law, along with co-op positions at GSK in
identity & access management and at Bristol Myers Squibb as a
Cybersecurity Governance Analyst, allowed Fuentes to discover her passion.
"I was drawn to the idea of safeguarding individuals' data and fostering a
sense of safety and security for them."
The co-op at BMS also gave Fuentes opportunities to transfer her
extracurricular experiences to her professional life. She came to Drexel as
a student athlete, playing for the women's tennis team for her first 6
years as a student, the last 2 of which she served as captain. Fuentes also
notably served as the DEI chair for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee
and as the co-founder and vice president of the Black Student Athlete
Union, both of which saw Fuentes at the forefront of DEI initiatives in
student athletics on campus. Not only did Fuentes grow as a leader who can
engage with her community in creative ways, a form of growth that was "very
unique to Drexel," but her experiences in leading DEI initiatives
ultimately allowed her to incorporate them into her role at BMS.
“That experience shifted my path,” Fuentes said. "I'm very passionate about
representation in tech, and I hope to create awareness for, and mentor
underrepresented groups in STEM."
With her direction now in focus, Fuentes decided to pursue a master's
degree in cybersecurity, but without a technical background, she was
intimidated by the prospect of learning code. Fortunately, Drexel's faculty
provided Fuentes with the support she needed to succeed in her technical
courses, particularly Mark Boady, PhD, associate teaching professor of
computer science, and Michelle Tarbutton, assistant teaching professor of
information science [both CCI]. Boady's data structures and algorithms
course allowed Fuentes to learn the C coding language in a non-judgemental
environment, and she benefited from the guidance of Tarbutton in an
information forensics course. Tarbutton emerged as both an inspiration and
mentor to her.
Mya Milagros Fuentes was captain of the women's tennis team her last two years.
Their courses posed considerable challenges, yet I excelled in them,"
Fuentes explained. "A significant factor in my success was the belief my
professors had in me. Their encouragement instilled a sense of confidence
in my abilities."
This newfound confidence led Fuentes to a graduate co-op at Vanguard, where
she evaluated and recommended deployment models for sale point
implementations as a Risk and Security Engineer, while continuing her
involvement in DEI initiatives. According to Fuentes, her time at Vanguard
"solidified [her] in interest in the strategic aspects of cybersecurity"
and "combined technical expertise with [her] deep commitment to ethical
practices and equity."
Despite being new to the field, Fuentes also learned the importance of
networking and putting herself out there, which led to her receiving a
post-grad offer to participate in Vanguard's Technology Leadership Program.
"I've been provided with so much support and guidance throughout my time at
Drexel," she stated. "The connections and relationships I've made here have
been invaluable to my personal and professional success."
Fuentes will cap off her Drexel experience as the graduate student speaker
during the College of Engineering’s commencement ceremonies on Thursday,
June 13. As someone with a passion for writing and spoken word, Fuentes is
excited to speak to her peers, and she's also "deeply honored and humbled"
to represent her cohort, who she believes are "some of the most
extraordinarily talented and brilliant individuals."
"I am thrilled to come together at commencement to celebrate our dedication
and hard work,” Fuentes stated. “I don’t think of this as an ending but
rather an exciting beginning.”
Learn more about a master's in Cybersecurity at Drexel.