SALEM — Gov. Charlie Baker officially declared October Cyber Security Awareness Month in 2015, and a Salem based company is celebrating with the launch of the second round of its scholarship fund.
Steel Root, a cybersecurity services provider, is bringing back its Steel Root Scholarship Fund to do their part to help lessen the cybersecurity staffing gap.
Last year, Steel Root created this scholarship fund, which benefits one Massachusetts-based high school junior looking to pursue higher education in the field of cybersecurity.
The student chosen for the scholarship will receive a $10,000 award over two years to put towards an accredited two-or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical/trade school.
The $10,000 scholarship isn’t the only reward the student gets, as the winner also participates in a two-year mentorship with a Steel Root cybersecurity professional who will meet with the student regularly through the final year of high school and into their freshman year of college. This allows them to work closely with the team at Steel Root, shadowing people who work as engineers and in tech and compliance to get a glimpse of the different career paths available in cybersecurity. The student also receives access to free college preparation and career services through LEAP for Education’s College Success Program.
Scott Freedson, Managing Director at Steel Root, hopes this scholarship fund will spread awareness about jobs in cybersecurity because the gap is a “huge problem.”
“There’s a massive number of open jobs in cybersecurity and nowhere close enough candidates to fill them all and that’s something that we struggle with as a growing company – trying to meet the demand that we have,” said Freedson. “By combining a large financial contribution with one-on-one mentorship, we hope to minimize the mental and monetary challenges that prevent so many promising students from finishing their studies. We look forward to supporting Massachusetts high school students on their way to careers in cybersecurity.”
Last year’s scholarship winner was Salem High School’s Christian Silva, who is now a senior. In the last year, Silva has spent time meeting with members of the Steel Root team to help guide him in the process of pursuing technology and cybersecurity after he graduates. He has also been working with LEAP’s college success program for guidance on the college application process. Silva said that after his experience with Steel Root, he is thinking of a career in penetration testing and is planning to apply to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
“The biggest benefit of the scholarship is really the connections I’m making,” said Silva. “Earning the scholarship is opening up a lot of paths for me. Not only do I get the help from Steel Root, but the scholarship helps show how serious I am about my education path and career.”
With the first year of this scholarship being a success, Freedson said they are excited for the next round.
“We’re obviously not going to close the gap with one scholarship at a time, but we’re hoping this can create maybe a little bit of momentum from other companies to consider similar programs,” Freedson said.
Applicants should be interested in technology, but do not need to have prior experience in it; must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher; must demonstrate a financial need; must have plans to enroll in an undergraduate program, either full-time, at an accredited two or four year college, or in a certificate program; and must apply on Steel Root’s website by Oct. 31. The scholarship will be awarded in early 2023 after an applicant review process.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected].
